The Trinity Farm
At Holy Trinity CE Primary Academy, we believe that children’s education should extend beyond the classroom, providing rich experiences that deepen knowledge, nurture compassion and open doors to new possibilities. Our school farm is an important part of this provision, bringing children into daily contact with animals and creating meaningful opportunities for learning, responsibility and care.
Our farm reflects our Christian vision: “To reflect the heart of God by showing compassion and caring for all.” Through caring for living things, children put this vision into practice and develop an understanding of their responsibility for the world around them.
Our Animals
Our farm is home to a collection of animals, each bringing its own character to school life:
- Khaki Campbell ducks, alongside our Indian Runner duck, with its distinctive upright stance.
- A selection of chickens, including a fluffy Silkie chicken and a very loud rooster, who makes sure his presence is known!
- Our herd of three alpacas, providing opportunities for children to observe and learn about these fascinating animals.
Children learn that animals have different needs, behaviours and characteristics. Through regular observation and supported interaction, they develop the knowledge and confidence to treat them with care and respect.
Green Influencers: Caring for Our Farm
Our Green Influencers are a group of children who help meet the daily needs of our animals. Working alongside adults, they contribute to feeding, providing fresh water, keeping the animals’ surroundings clean and observing their well-being.
These responsibilities give children a purposeful role in our school community. They learn that caring for animals requires consistency, patience and teamwork, and that their actions have a direct impact on another living creature.
Our Green Influencers also help promote care for the wider environment, encouraging others to recognise the part we all play in protecting and respecting the natural world.
Curriculum Drivers: Windows, Mirrors & Doors
Our farm supports our curriculum drivers by helping children understand the world, recognise their own capabilities and experience opportunities beyond their everyday lives.
- Windows: Our animals provide a window into the natural world. Children explore different species, their needs and habitats, and the relationships between animals, people and the environment.
- Mirrors: Caring for animals helps children recognise their own capacity for kindness, patience and responsibility. They see themselves as capable contributors whose choices and actions matter.
- Doors: Our farm opens doors to experiences that children may otherwise have limited opportunities to access. Through practical involvement in animal care, they encounter new interests, develop confidence and discover possibilities connected with farming, animal welfare and environmental stewardship.
The emphasis on doors is particularly important. We want children to participate in experiences that broaden their understanding of what they can do and who they might become. Our farm builds vital human skills, including empathy, communication, teamwork and responsibility for our environment.
Comfort, Well-being & Regulation
Our animals make a valuable contribution to children’s well-being. Spending time with them provides comfort, connection and opportunities for emotional regulation.
For some children, observing an animal or taking part in a familiar care routine offers a purposeful way to pause, settle and refocus. Supported by adults, these experiences help children develop patience, recognise feelings and practise responding calmly and sensitively.
So, what…?
Through our farm provision, children have opportunities to:
- develop empathy by noticing and responding to the needs of living things;
- take responsibility for purposeful tasks and understand why consistent care matters;
- work together, communicate clearly and solve practical problems;
- experience comfort and practise emotional regulation;
- deepen curriculum knowledge through observation and practical experience;
- broaden their interests and aspirations.
At Holy Trinity, our farm is a place where knowledge, compassion and responsibility grow together.