Your Visit

A day at Copsegrove Farm is fundamentally about experiencing a day out in the countryside. It is about escaping technology, and classrooms, and playgrounds. It’s about getting muddy, and rosy cheeked and sitting around a camp fire.

It provides a valuable and rare opportunity for children to experience hands-on learning and traditional old fashioned fun in the great outdoors, whilst also in the context of a working farm.

A day will typically include a balance of curriculum linked activities with a forest school twist.

Days are tailor made for each group visit, based on an initial consultation with the teaching staff involved, usually involving a preliminary visit to the school, or/with a visit out to the farm if teachers prefer.

School visits to Copsegrove Farm are suitable for reception all the way up to year 6, with a maximum group size of around 30.

Your programme will include a mix of activities tailored for your school after an initial discussion with you, from an extensive menu developed from 15 years experience of running successful visits. Anything and everything from the curriculum can be covered in a way in which children are engaged, busy, actively learning and having fun.

Activities will be adapted accordingly for the age group of children and size of group. The setting for your programme is a beautiful old mixed woodland, with prolific garlic, bluebells and a large jungle like area of Laurels. There is also a covered area if wet.

The structure of a typical day at Copsegrove Farm is:

• Arrival in Bisley: We will be there on your arrival to meet your coach.

• We walk you into the farm, just a 5 minute stroll.

• Welcome to Copsegrove Farm: What goes on here? Copsegrove's composting loos with views!

• Walk to the woods, just a 10 minute stroll: Safety in the woods around the camp fire.

• Time to explore: An initial activity enabling children to get to know the woods and explore.

• Snacktime: Fruit and toasted marshmallows by the fire.

• Activity 1: Tailored from a range of possible activities.

• Packed Lunches by the fire.

• Activity 2: Tailored from a range of possible activities.

• Best bits of the day by the fire.

• Walk back to Bisley to catch the coach.

Activities are adapted for the age group of children and size of group, after consultation with teaching staff.

Depending upon your arrival and departure time, there may be more activity slots.

The day is basic, rustic, but full of character! A full risk assessment is provided, and there is hot water from flasks with copious amounts of anti-bacterial soap for hand washing.

Themes:

WW2 Evacuation

The Stone Age

Vikings

Romans

The Great Fire of London

Survival in the Woods

Woodland Art

Food Foraging and Feasting

Mini Beasts

Super Heros

Farming, Food Production and Climate Change

Woodland Crafts

Team Building

Stick-man

The Woodland Habitat

Great Green Giants

Egypt

Kate is always up for the challenge of taking on new topics or themes, and relishes the opportunity to work with teachers to create a programme that will support and bring to life school topics in the great outdoors.

Activities:

My Funny Feely Bag

Woodland Art

Scavenger Hunts

Mini Beast Hunts

Pitfall Traps

Den Building

Camp Fire Cooking

Map reading and grid reference skills

Animal Skulls

Food chains and food web activities

Tree Studies and ID

Classification and use of identification keys

Pond Dipping

Team Building Activities:

The Tennis Ball Run

Hula Hoop

Walk of Trust

Walk the Plank

Circle of Trust

Mini Rafts/Stretchers/Music Making

The Tightrope Challenge!

Visit to a badger sett

Woodland Crafts:

Charcoal - making a charcoal pencil.

Lashings

Whittling

Fire Lighting

Wattle & Daub

The Copsegrove menu of activities is almost endless, and Kate is always happy to develop new activities where necessary to fulfil teachers’ wishes, wants and requirements for their day.

Activities are adapted and varied depending upon the age group of the children coming, their ability, and their nature as a class.

Activities can be mixed and matched, and Kate will always help advise in advance on what might work best for your particular age group.

Finish off a wonderful Summer's day in the woods with sausages and beans and more roasted marshmallows round an evening campfire, before retiring to tents alongside the woods. Perfect for something special for the older children!

Ask Kate for more details.