Ramsey Grammar School is the Best School Farm- this is now the official verdict of the School Farms Network. At an awards ceremony on Friday 30th June RGS was officially crowned Best Secondary School Farm.
The award was presented to Head of Rural Science, Marion Cottier. In addition, RGS received a runners-up award for School Farm Leadership. The awards were presented at the national gala award ceremony at the School Farms Network Education Alliance (SFNEA) Conference, held at the Royal Agricultural University (RAU) in Cirencester last week (30 June – 1 July 2017). The SFNEA is a partnership between the Royal Agricultural University, Applied Inspiration, and the School Farms Network, with the support of the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens.
The inaugural SFNEA Gala Awards Dinner on Friday (30 June) celebrated the very best of school farms from across the UK. The awards were presented to the winners and runners-up by TV “Countryfile” presenter Adam Henson. RAU Vice-Chancellor Professor Jo Price said:
'Congratulations to all of the winners, runners-up, and finalists. The standard across all categories was incredibly high. We are so impressed by the achievements of all of the schools, teachers, and their students. Without all of your hard work, passion, and dedication, none of this would be possible – and for that, we sincerely thank you.
'The conference was a wonderful opportunity to meet staff and pupils from schools in the School Farms Network, and to exchange knowledge, hear success stories, and discuss the challenges and opportunities ahead.'
Attended by 100 teachers, students, and education practitioners from across the UK, the two-day SFNEA conference was a golden opportunity for those passionate about school-based farm learning and developing pathways to higher education to come together and share knowledge and expertise.The conference explored the role of rearing farm livestock in schools, and the value of land-based education, including the areas of agriculture, business, technology, food security, and the environment. Keynote speeches were delivered by: Adam Henson, TV presenter and Director of Cotswold Farm Park; Dan Corlett, CEO of Farming and Countryside Education; Leigh Morris, CEO of the National Land-Based College; Peter Fearon, Coordinator of Land Based Science, Bebington High Sports College; and Professor Jo Price, Vice-Chancellor of the Royal Agricultural University.
With 113 secondary schools across the British Isles running farms – a number which is growing – this represents a significant achievement for Ramsey Grammar School and for the Isle of Man. The school was recognised for the way in which the farm is integrated into school life, with every Key Stage 3 student given the opportunity to grow their own food, see the pigs reared, work with poultry and sheep and use the new greenhouse poly tunnel and vegetable plots. RGS also offers a GCSE in Agriculture and Land Use and a post-16 BTEC which also attracts students from other island secondary schools via collaboration.
Marion Cottier said:
'We are very proud of this honour, which is down to the hard work and enthusiasm of our students, particularly the volunteers who help with the animal unit on a regular basis. I would like to thank them especially for helping us win this incredible award'
Headteacher of RGS Annette Baker said:
'This a fantastic achievement, a fitting reward for the hours of hard work put in by our students, but particularly by Marion Cottier and her fantastic team of staff.'
