RHET Forth Valley CI
RHET Forth Valley Countryside Initiative covers the Clackmannan, Falkirk and Stirling Council Areas.
Our aim is to provide an unbiased, reliable and independent source of information about farming, food production, agriculture and the countryside.
The main services we offer are Farm Visits, Classroom Speaker Talks, Projects and Curriculum-linked Resources.
All our services are FREE to schools and we are often able to provide funding towards cost of bus travel.
All RHET Farm Visits and Classroom Talks are tailored to suit each individual request and fit in with 'A Curriculum For Excellence'.
Below are some of the ways in which RHET Forth Valley CI can help add value to your teaching on farming, food and the countryside in your local area:
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For Primary and Secondary schools.
RHET Forth Valley CI has a number of farms in the Falkirk, Stirling and Clackmannanshire areas, with a network of volunteer farmers and their families who kindly give their time to support RHET.
A farm visit can support many areas of the curriculum such as environmental studies, IT and business studies, technology, science, mathematics and enterprise. It supports the principles of A Curriculum for Excellence and complements many initiatives such as Eco Schools, Determined to Succeed and Health Promoting Schools.
We carry out regular risk assessments of all participating farms to the standard recommended in the Health and Safety Executive’s Guidelines on Educational Excursions. Around two weeks prior to the actual visit, the class teacher will visit the farm with our Project Co-ordinator to meet the farmer, walk the route and check over the risk assessment.
NB: Limited funding is available to cover transport costs for Farm Visits.
Last year RHET Forth Valley CI facilitated 40 Farm Visits across the area.
To book please visit the Farm Visit page, or contact the RHET Forth Valley CI Project Co-ordinator (see bottom of page).
For Nursery, Primary and Secondary schools. Also see Early Years Resource Box and Forth Vallerie.
We have a network of trained RHET volunteer classroom speakers, made up of volunteer farmers from the local area, who can visit your school and bring farming and the countryside to life. Once a booking has been confirmed, the speaker will contact the teacher to discuss the format, content of the session and curriculum links.
Some ideas are:
- The story of milk, from cow to carton
- A day in the life of a farmer
- Scottish agriculture
- From farm to fork
- Recycling on the farm
- Careers in the countryside
These are only suggestions and all talks are tailored to meet individual needs.
Last year RHET Forth Valley CI facilitated 67 classroom speaker talks.
To book please visit the Classroom Talks page, or contact the RHET Forth Valley CI Project Co-ordinator (see bottom of page).
Schools can order a range of curriculum-linked classroom resources direct from RHET. We have a number of interactive materials covering subjects such as meat production, farming across the seasons, standard grade Geography and a newly-developed Higher Biology online resource.
All RHET resources are FREE to schools in Scotland.
Please see the Resources page of our website for the full list.
The following resources are available specifically in the Forth Valley CI area:
RHET “Working Countryside” Resource Box:
For Primary schools
There are RHET “Working Countryside” resource boxes in each Education Authority area.
For details of how to obtain a box, please contact the RHET Forth Valley CI Project Co-ordinator (see bottom of page).
Healthy Eating Workshops:
For Primary and Secondary schools
We can provide a limited number of healthy eating workshops each year so please book early to avoid disappointment. The workshop is split into four “stations”, one for each of the four main food groups - cereals, dairy, fruit and vegetables and meat.
Pupils are split into groups and spend some time at each station (the time depends on numbers, but around 10 minutes) looking where the food comes from, the processes it goes through from farm to plate and how it fits into a healthy diet.
To book, please contact the RHET Forth Valley CI Project Co-ordinator (see bottom of page).
Forth Vallerie:
For Nursery and Primary schools
Forth Valley CI has their very own life-size milking cow called Forth Vallerie. On wheels and transported in her own horse trailer, Vallerie can visit primary and nursery schools with suitable access. Vallerie travels with the Dairy Box, containing resources relevant to milk production and dairy products and a classroom speaker, who will give a 30 minute talk on dairy farming and milk production and give pupils the opportunity to “milk” the cow.
To book, please contact the RHET Forth Valley CI Project Co-ordinator (see bottom of page).
Early Years Resource Box:
For Nursery schools and classes.
We have an Early Years Resource Box, which is usually provided in conjunction with a classroom speaker.
This is a treasure chest for children! Filled with dressing-up clothes, CDs, DVDs, toys, puppets, books and farm products, it gives children an early experience of what is seen and heard on the farm and farming life in general.
The classroom speaker will bring the box to the school or nursery (usually on a Monday) and talk to the children about food and farming for about 15 minutes. The box will then be left with the establishment for two weeks and collected on the second Friday by the Project Co-ordinator.
To book, please contact the RHET Forth Valley CI Project Co-ordinator (see bottom of page).
As well as our farm visits, speakers and resources, RHET also run a number of competitions and curriculum-based projects throughout the year.
Visit our Project & Events page for more details.
TEACHER TRAINING
We hold teacher training days where primary and secondary teachers discover how RHET Forth Valley CI can provide resources and services to compliment classroom topics.
To enquire about the next session in your area, please contact the RHET Forth Valley CI Project Co-ordinator (see bottom of page).
NEWS FROM RHET FORTH VALLEY CI
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CONTACT RHET FORTH VALLEY CI
If you would like to arrange a farm visit or classroom speaker for your school, or for any other information, please contact the local Project Co-ordinator:
Tel: 07894 728 872
Email: forthvalley@rhet.org
