Fife CI
RHET Fife Countryside Initiative works to support schools in Fife with projects and topics on food, farming and the countryside.
We are currently the leading provider of year-round risk assessed farm visits throughout the area with 22 host farms across Fife who provide tailor-made visits to both Primary and Secondary Schools.
In addition to Farm Visits we have a network of trained Classroom Speakers who can deliver talks on a whole range of rural topics in school.
All our services are FREE to schools!
We offer a number of ways to add value to your teaching on farming, food and the countryside in your local area...
FARM VISITS
For Primary and Secondary schools.
RHET Fife's core activity is organising bespoke farm visits to enhance classroom work on a range of curriculum topics.
Our role is to carry out risk assessments on farms prior to a visit and liaise between farmers and teachers to ensure the experience is relevant, safe and fun.
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.
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.
In 2009/2010 RHET Fife CI facilitated 70 farm visits.
To book please click here to visit the Farm Visit page, or contact the RHET Fife CI Project Co-ordinator (see bottom of page).
CLASSROOM SPEAKERS
For Nursery, Primary and Secondary schools. Also see Nursery Resource Box.
RHET Fife provides classroom speaker volunteers who visit schools to speak to the children about their farms, produce and the associated livestock, crops, wildlife and environment on the farm. Topics to be covered are discussed and agreed with the teacher in advance.
We have a number of trained classroom speakers 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 Fife CI facilitated 69 classroom speaker talks.
To book please click here to visit the Classroom Speaker page, or contact the RHET Fife CI Project Co-ordinator (see bottom of page).
RESOURCES
RHET has a range of curriculum-linked resources available FREE to schools.
Please see the resources page of our website for a list.
Nursery 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 Fife CI Project Co-ordinator (see bottom of page).
PROJECTS & COMPETITIONS
As well as our farm visits, speakers and resources, RHET also run a number of competitions and curriculum-based projects throughout the year...
As part of the wider Farmhouse Breakfast Week promotion, the HGCA and Tesco sponsor a recipe competition for Primary 6 and 7.
Pupils are asked to devise a healthy breakfast recipe using local produce, where possible. The pupil who devises the winning recipe wins a healthy breakfast for his or her class and an all-expenses paid trip to a local farm. The winning entry from Fife goes forward to the national final.
Details of the competition are circulated to schools in October with a closing date for entries in mid November.
• Count & Grow:
The Clydesdale Bank sponsors the Count & Grow project, which is aimed at primary children working towards the first level of numeracy in A Curriculum of Excellence.
This maths and numeracy project is based around planting and growing potatoes and involves counting, weighing and measuring.
Classes taking part can choose to enter the associated competitions, but entry is not compulsory. There are two prizes - one for the school with the "heaviest crop", and the second for the winning project submission based on the provided worksheets.
RHET Fife CI will provide all the materials for the project, including a supporting farmer and a briefing session for teachers.
Schools are asked to express interest in the project in December, followed by a briefing in February and the potato planting.
NEWS & EVENTS
Click here for a copy of the latest RHET Fife CI Schools Newsletter (Spring 2010)
CONTACT RHET FIFE CI
If you would like any of our services, or would like to support RHET Fife CI, please contact your local Project Co-ordinator:
Carole Brunton
Tel: 01333 310 523
E-mail: fife@rhet.org
