'They don't need to be excluded, they just need to be engaged.'

31.1.2018

A failing primary school saw behavior improve dramatically after the head decided to provide farm-based lessons for all of his pupils.

A really interesting news article in the papers last weekend - a school that had 100 exclusions and 17 staff assaults in just 3 years saw enormous improvements in behaviour after it introduced farm-based lessons into the schedule.  Wombridge Primary School send each of its 245 children to the farm every year, and have integrated what they do outdoors into their classrooms studies - a proper joined-up approach.  The Head's comments certainly strike a chord with us at Whirlow - 'The old approach of just sitting them in the classroom was not working, so we decided to get them outdoors and learning in nature, and focus on food and farming.  The difference in behaviour and how engaged the children are has been remarkable... children don't need to be excluded, they just need to be engaged.'  The report tells us that from 100 exclusions in 3 years, the school has not excluded any for the last 5 years.  Fantastic!