Schools at Rushall Farm

Rushall Farm is set in the beautiful Pang Valley part of the North Wessex Downs AONB.  It is close to both Newbury & Reading and only 10 minutes from the M4. As well as having a modern working  farm there is also an education centre (Rushall Manor Farm) which incorporates indoor lunching facilities. There are hand washing and toilet facilities at both the farm and education centre and disabled toilets at the education centre as well as good disabled access at both sites.

Rushall farm is an excellent place to learn about many aspects of the curriculum.  We are a mixed organic farm which primarily runs a large sheep flock and a herd of beef suckler cows as well as growing cereal and other crops.  We also have chickens, two donkeys and some pigs as well as tractors that the students have access to.    There is also a pond, woodland and grassland as well as access to the River Pang so we are able to focus on habitats and river studies as well as farming.

Please look at the relevant key stage tabs to see what we can offer your students.  We are able to tailor make a visit to suit your needs.

Our qualifications

Rushall Farm has the LOtC quality badge.  The farm is also accredited with Access to Farms CEVAS (Countryside Educational Visit Access Scheme) Part 2 and the individual guides have the CEVAS Part 1 qualification as well as an enhanced CRB check, First Aid and Safeguarding training

How long does a visit last?

Most schools get to us for 10.00am and leave at 2.00pm / 2.30pm.  This fits in nicely with coach hire between school runs.  Some younger students visit us for a morning or afternoon typical 10-12 or 12-2 particularly during lambing. We also offer residential (camping) visits to schools

Schools arriving at Rushall Farm or Rushall Manor Farm

We are conveniently situated near Junction 12 of the M4. Depending on the type of visit schools will be asked to arrive at either Rushall Farm (generally farming visits) or Rushall Manor Farm (generally river / habitat visits). How to Find Us (below) gives directions to both Rushall Farm and Rushall Manor Farm (The Black Barn).

On occasion some schools drop students off by car although this is problematic with the amount of parking available. Some schools use their own minibuses but the vast majority come by coach.  There is coach parking.  Coach costs vary wildly but are always considerably cheaper if the coach company can fit the visit in around school runs.  It is worth shopping around.  For schools in Berkshire Horseman coaches are generally very competitively priced and know the farm well.

On occasion we can offer One to One Mentoring or Work Experience to students