The Blue Tangerine Farm started as a dream, a “wouldn’t it be nice” conversation as part of our determination to better support our young people with genuine work experience, so that they could build on in their classroom learning.
For years, St Luke’s School has featured the use of animals in the curriculum, addressing animal care and accreditations, farming methodologies and animal assisted therapy – successfully used strategies around the world for young people with autism. The opportunity for engaging with animals, whether therapeutically, educationally or experientially, is often cited as why parents want their children to attend the Blue Tangerine Federation’s schools.
St Luke’s School is regularly opened to other school groups, and this led us to consider growing our animal provision to becoming a small, British farm. This feels like the next logical step for us, as we have built-up our knowledge and experience of young people with learning disabilities and their affinity with, and cafe for, animals.
As a charity we are seeking planning permission to provide a Training Cafe and Farm and to increase the range of animals on site. The farm will be located on our semi-rural site, alongside St Luke’s School in Redbourn.
It is important for us that our Training Cafe becomes a destination venue for our local community, offering fresh, simple menus, incorporating ingredients grown on site, and the best coffee in the county. The Training Farm will enable educational experiences for young people and be available to all schools within the local area. The farm will create an outside of the classroom learning environment, whilst providing work-related learning opportunities and functional skills.
The intention is to develop the land sensitively and in-keeping with the agricultural heritage of Redbourn village and the site’s own history – as it was once a dairy farm. The farm will have a strong focus on organic practices, sustainability and developing the bio-diversity of the native plants and animals on and visiting our land.
Learning at its heart
Teaching and learning is the business of the Blue Tangerine Federation. All areas of the school curriculum will be supported by learning in the Training Café and Farm, particularly communication skills and functional skills. Our project will continue to support alumni working in collaboration with the community to improve employability skills.
Part of the plan is to work in collaboration with other educational establishments on curriculum connections with horticulture, cookery, animal care and hospitality. Each year, we expect to offer volunteering opportunities and eight apprenticeships at a range of levels that include young adults with learning disabilities.
In addition, we will be able to offer 8 traineeships at one time in the disciplines mentioned above. These traineeships will be 8 week placements based on 15 hours a week.
There is also the opportunity for several part-time jobs to be created for members of the local community.