Penrice Academy Farm We are extremely lucky to have our own Farm at the Academy and our ‘Outdoor Learning Environment’ comprises of one main barn and several outdoor paddocks. The animals on the Farm include goats, a pony, pigs, guinea pigs, rabbits, chickens, degus, an African land snail and a bearded dragon all of which are cared for by our students and Farm Manager. We also have two cats and two farm dogs who visit daily. We actively encourage you to take ownership and responsibility of the animals during your time at the school. You may want to get involved and help with the animals at break-times, it is a great way to make new friends and learn some new skills! In Year 9, we offer a BTEC Level 2 qualification in Animal Care (further information below). Our Animals We work alongside Kernow Farm and Equine Vets and Penmellyn Vets to provide our animals with the best care. We routinely take extra measures to ensure optimum animal health and welfare. These include faecal egg counts and equine dentistry. Our farm animals have all been specially chosen for their gentle temperaments and are a great way of building confidence and self-esteem in our students. Animals are a great form of therapy and our farm animals provide emotional support through calm interactions to students that need it. BTEC Level 2 Animal Care Penrice Academy offer a BTEC Level 2 in Animal Care, which is a hands-on course containing elements of practical and theory work. This course is currently run by the Science department and taught by teachers passionate about animal welfare. Modules include: Animal Health, Welfare, Housing and Accommodation together with Animal Handling. These modules cover the day to day duties of animal management including feeding, weighing, health checks, mucking out and grooming. The health and safety in a farm environment is also covered. The students also learn about UK legislation in regards to protection of animals and notifiable diseases. The course supports and helps to develop students social, emotional and physical skills through outdoor learning and could lead onto a Level 3 in Animal Care at college. As Cornwall is hugely dependent on farming, this is a great entry course into a career in the Agricultural sector. The team also run an after school BTEC option during Penrice Plus, the academy’s weekly extracurricular initiative. Future of the Farm “ The farm has become a hive of activity since Miss Harding’s appointment in Jan 2020. Her expertise and enthusiasm to ensure that those students who want to get involved, can, has seen our menagerie grown rapidly over the past year. We are very lucky to have such a qualified member of staff who shares Penrice’s vision and cannot wait to see what happens down on the farm next. We have lots of things planned for the farm in the future. These include redesigning one of our fields into a sensory, calming garden. We also plan on showing our animals at the Royal Cornwall Show and have exciting plans for the Academy’s Curriculum Enrichment Week.