Topic
At Yew Tree Farm School we work together to explore topics that interest us and excite our curiosity.
Every day we have a one hour topic lesson. Each term is themed and the whole school works together to explore and discover. Our topic lessons include aspects of science, geography, history, art, IT, design technology, RE and music.
Science
Through our science work we aim to create a love of enquiry and exploring new things. The vast majority of our scientific learning will be undertaken through practical investigations utilising the farm, campfire and outdoors. Science is covered during our topic sessions, but also in our farming sessions each day, where the pupils will be caring for the animals, maintaining the site and tending to the allotment. Nutrition and the journey of our food from farm to fork plays an integral role in what we do on the farm and will be something that the students are always learning about. In our science topic lessons students will learn about conducting a fair test as well as different methods of scientific enquiry including observing changes over a period of time, noticing patterns, grouping and classifying things, carrying out investigations and using a wide range of secondary sources.
Geography
Where possible our geography learning is based around the local area. Being outside we have strong links to the local area and the environment. The weather comes into our everyday learning and being prepared for the outside and the weather is an integral part of our day. We also aim to inspire our students with a curiosity about their world and the people in it. Children will learn how to use atlases, globes and online maps. They will be able to locate countries that are central to our topics and identify where they are on the map.
History
We believe that studying history encourages children’s curiosity and encourages them to ask critical questions. We allow the children the chance to work as Historians critically analysing different sources of information. We will study different important time periods in local, British and world history. The students will learn how information from the past is gleaned from a range of different sources.
Art
Art forms an important part of our curriculum. We believe that art is a subject that we can all access and achieve at. To prevent anxiety we place less emphasis on the outcome but focus on the process. During our art sessions we have the opportunity to develop socially, emotionally, intellectually and physically. We value the importance of studying the work of artists. Art is taught through our topic work, but we place an importance on allowing the children to experiment with different mediums and have time to practice skills. The children have the opportunity to plan and evaluate their work and comment constructively on the work of others. Being outside we have the freedom to explore natural materials and we have ready available subject matter to inspire our artwork. We recognise and nurture the particular gifts our students have by inviting family and friends in to see the students' artwork.
Design Technology
At Yew Tree Farm School design technology forms an integral part of our curriculum. We love the opportunity to solve problems and use creativity and imagination to design new products. Design technology is incorporated into our topic work, where pupils have a range of opportunities to design, make and evaluate their work. On the farm we have the benefit of being able to develop our skills in design technology with the huge range of practical tasks that need completing. We also use the campfire as a means to come together and like to capitalise the opportunity to cook around the fire.
Music
At Yew Tree Farm School we know that music promotes a feeling of well being, togetherness and joy. Our music lessons are carried out around the campfire, where we sing and perform purely for the pleasure of taking part. We also see music as an opportunity to develop outside partnerships and invite friends and family on to site to join us.
IT
Our IT curriculum focuses strongly on online safety and using technology to help us in our every day lives. We use cameras and tablets to document work through videos, presentations, projects and word documents. Students can use the internet to research topics, and are taught the importance of finding reliable sources of information. We look at how technology can be used in farming.
