Sheep come to Longtown Community Primary School - Herefordshire

Bright Space - Birmingham, Herefordshire and Worcestershire

Longtown Community Primary School is a Creative Partnerships Enquiry School, based in rural Herefordshire. The school is small, with only 50 pupils attending. The school is surrounded by many farms; consequently many children come from farming families. Sheep farming is prominent in the area.

The project worked with pupils from years 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and reception.

Project objectives

The main objective of the Longtown Community Primary School project was to use the local backdrop – farming and sheep – to enhance the creative learning of the pupils. This includes:

• Problem finding and solving;
• Taking risks;
• Developing, refining and communicating new ideas;
• Reflecting on learning;
• Thinking skills;
• Development of creative and artistic skills pupils can use within their community.

The children played very active roles in the project, from drafting the practitioner ad, hiring the practitioners, budgeting and buying sheep and sharing their skills with teachers and young pupils.

Early on in the project, the children decided that they would like to purchase some sheep, which will be owned by the school. Wool would also become a feature of their project, used to produce and make items for sale in their local community.

The pupils had to undertake research In order to purchase the sheep. This included the following:

• Legal requirements and animal safety issues – which included contacting the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA);
• Where and how to buy sheep;
• The best sheep to buy, bearing in mind their environment and the wool they produce;
• The process for producing wool.

As part of their research the children visited and interviewed local farmers, attended sheep auctions in nearby Abergavenny. Based on their research they purchased 4 ‘Jacob’ sheep. One pupil commented: ‘We thought we’d get so far then they would say we couldn’t really get the sheep, so we were really pleased when we actually got them!’

The sheep are housed on a nearby farm, as they discovered that they could not keep them on school premises due to legal requirements. Again this was discovered through their own research.

The children also wanted to learn new ‘wool’ and craft skills such as ‘carding’ and weaving. The older children will pass on their new skills to the younger pupils and teachers, ensuring a legacy throughout the school. These skills will also be used to create items for sale in the local community.

Who was involved?

• Caroline Everett, Textile Artist (Embroidery);
• Skye Meredith, Textile Artist (Wool); and,
• Liz Reynolds, Creative Practitioner (Farmer).

Impact

The children increased their learning in so many areas, due to their enthusiasm for the project. Their project extended across several curriculum areas. This included:

• Geography – Covered when researching the best sheep for the Longtown area, why different breeds of sheep are native to different geographical areas, as well as looking at the significance of sheep in Longtown generally.
• History – Including the history of sheep farming, types of sheep common in the Longtown area. The history of the wool industry was also studied by pupils.
• Entrepreneurship – The children are making their own wool items (eg fleece sheep) for sale in the local community. Pupils are also looking at sustainability through lambing to ensure they always have a continuous heard of sheep.
• Technology and Science – The children now know the process that needs to take place when turning fleece into wool for spinning or making fabric. As well as the biological needs of the sheep.
• Literacy – The children kept diaries, sent emails and drafted and delivered presentations to their peers and teachers. They also wrote poems and shared short stories based on their experiences.

The children have also increased their confidence levels and knowledge. They also gained the skills to look outside of their school community, recognising the value of their project and its interest to a wider audience. This included compiling a press list and contacting the press directly. As well as making all the initial enquiries to the authorities by themselves, they only involved teachers when they were told that they were too young to receive requested information!

Their problem solving skills were tested at the beginning of the project, when they were told that they could not have the sheep on school premises. This did not discourage their efforts; in fact it enabled them to find a solution – a partnership with a local farmer – where the sheep are now housed.

Results

This project has a real legacy for the pupils and the wider school community. They will continue to look after the sheep and use them as creative stimuli for lessons. For example, in June the sheep will need shearing, this will be an opportunity for them to take part in this process, including producing their own fleeces and wool.

The children have successfully incorporated creative learning into their school curriculum. Their efforts have also been recognised in the media, which they didn’t really expect. To date, they’ve had articles in the Hereford Times and Herefordshire Links and they have been interviewed on BBC Radio 4 – ‘Farming Today’ and BBC Hereford and Worcester. There is now a real pride in knowing their efforts have been received positively across Herefordshire and Wales!

They have also built on life-long skills, especially in research skills and peer to peer teaching. Their appreciation of their own community has also increased. The pupils have also been inspired to learn more as it relates directly to their own lives and that of their parents and carers.

The children have also been bringing their learning home, enabling family members to see aspects of their livelihoods in a new light. Added to this their teachers, including the Headteacher, have also learnt news skills that they can use to increase the learning in their classes.

Comments from pupils included: "We’ve been working on geography, history, science and technology and it’s all linked to our sheep. It all has more meaning to us because of where we live. I’ve learnt everything I didn’t know about sheep and that was a lot. Everyone should have the advantage to do this!"