School visits to Southampton City Farm are an exciting and enjoyable way to engage young people with animals, plants and the natural environment. Our passionate staff are knowledgeable and experienced in helping learners of all abilities get the most out of this unique urban setting. We have found that the farm often brings out a side to young people rarely seen in the classroom, offering opportunities for team-work, leadership, problem solving, social development and self-awareness. Farm visits can be tailored to any age group, from Early Years right through to University students. We pride ourselves on delivering inclusive sessions for all abilities.
School Visits:
​School visits usually take place throughout the year, with groups spending 2 hours on the farm, either in the morning or the afternoon. We offer both guided and unguided packages for schools. Please reserve your place using the booking form at the bottom of the page.

Guided visits:

After a Health and Safety briefing in our community room (with help from Doctor John the Tortoise for younger visitors), larger classes will usually split into two groups. Smaller groups will stay together.

​For larger visits, One group will begin with a tour of the farm. Guided by staff, this is an opportunity to meet and feed our outdoor animals. This might involve picking willow for our pygmy goats, feeding farm-grown courgette to our chickens, hunting for freshly laid duck eggs or grooming our golden guernsey goats. All farm tours can be easily tailored to curriculum requirements – just let us know your needs!

The second group will start with a curriculum-linked farm activity. We offer either small-animal handling (with a focus on food chains or adaptations, for example) or a garden activity (picking produce, making compost ‘cakes’). Groups then swap over. All staff are qualified first-aiders and DBS checked. There is parking nearby for minibuses and coaches. We have toilets and handwashing facilities. If groups would like to stay for lunch, both indoor and outdoor spaces are available. Download our risk assessment and code of practice below. 

Un-guided visits:
We are excited to offer an unguided option for our school visits. This means there wont be a member of staff with you to give you a tour. This option is perfect for smaller groups. 

With this package, we offer:
  • Use of the farm site, so you can walk around and see our animals.
  • A hay bag for each of the children to feed our goats
  • A activity book that takes you on an activity tour around the farm
Documents for teachers:
​​Our educational provisions:
  • Qualified first aiders on site
  • ​DBS checked staff and volunteers
  • Free minibus and coach parking
  • Somewhere to leave bags and lunch boxes
  • Toilets/hand washing facilities
  • Our own risk assessments to aid the development of yours
  • Health and safety documents
  • ​Free community room/class room use

For schools, we recommend coming for a site pre-visit to help you complete your risk assessment if you have not visited before. These take place each half-term, so please contact us to find out the next available date. As well as this, If you would like a full day school visit, Please contact [email protected]​
Site capacity:
We offer visits for groups of up to 30 children at a time. We are able to offer bespoke packages for larger groups, so do contact us if your groups bigger than this. 
Cost:
  • ​£8 per child (minimum £120). 2 hour visit. Groups up to 30. 4 adults allowed with each group, £3 for any additional adults.
  • £5 per child for unguided option (includes hay bag and activity book each). 2 hour visit. Minimum £60. 
  • Bespoke packages - for any other enquiries, please do reach out to us via email. 
Please note - payment for the visit will need to be made before the visit itself. Your booking can be secured and booked in using a deposit/full payment.