The Problem
Animal care, horticulture and land-based skills are exactly the kind of learning many young people thrive on: practical, physical and purposeful. Yet authentic working environments are rarely available to schools, and when they are, the learning often sits outside formal qualifications.
The challenge was to create a sustainable partnership where real work became accredited learning, without compromising either the farm or the curriculum.
Context
In 2022, I approached Willhome Farm after recognising its potential as an authentic learning environment. At the time, no schools were using the farm for structured education. What began as a conversation grew into a long-term partnership, with the farm becoming an extension of the classroom rather than a destination for occasional visits.
Constraints
Authenticity Real work. Animals, weather and seasonal work cannot be paused or rearranged around lesson plans.
Safety Every activity had to balance genuine responsibility with robust risk assessment for a wide range of learners.
Seasonality The curriculum had to adapt to the farm's calendar rather than expecting the farm to adapt to the timetable.
Qualification framework Real work still needed to generate evidence that met the requirements of AQA Unit Awards and WJEC Entry Pathways.
Partnership The programme had to support the operational needs of the farm as well as the educational needs of the school.
Biosecurity Restrictions such as avian influenza measures and ongoing TB testing affected which activities could take place and when.
Design Strategy
I initiated and developed the partnership, designing a learning programme around the farm's real work rather than creating activities for pupils to observe. I mapped farm tasks to AQA Unit Awards and later WJEC Entry Pathways Animal Care, developing evidence resources where required while ensuring assessment remained embedded within authentic practice.
Design Process
Identify authentic farm activities
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Map tasks to qualification outcomes
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Design evidence capture
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Trial with learners
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Review with farm staff
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Refine programme
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Extend accreditation pathways
The Solution
A year-round learning programme built around the farm's genuine operational needs. Learners contribute meaningful work, develop increasing responsibility and generate qualification evidence through authentic participation rather than simulated activities.
"The curriculum adapted to the farm; the farm never adapted to the curriculum"
Impact
The partnership has run continuously since 2022, supporting learners who have gone on to further study in animal care. Three former pupils have progressed to animal care courses at further education, demonstrating that authentic learning can build genuine aspiration.
The partnership has also transformed the farm itself. Education workshops now run daily, an additional member of staff has been employed to support delivery, and the model has grown beyond the school. Farmer Stuart Williams has since become a lecturer at Pembrokeshire College while completing his PGCE, and the college now has its own formal partnership with Willhome Farm.
Design Artefacts
Looking Ahead
Designing authentic learning means designing for everyone involved, not just the learner. The partnership has endured because it serves the needs of the school, the farm and the qualifications simultaneously. When those systems align, authentic learning becomes sustainable rather than exceptional.