Farmer Ted's Adventure Farm

What We Offer Visiting Schools

Farmer Ted’s Adventure Farm offers a structured, hands-on educational visit that helps children learn about farm animals, habitats, food production and working life on a farm. Visits are available to school groups from Reception upwards and are designed to complement National Curriculum learning. There are a variety of experiences to choose from.

Educational trips are fully timetabled, normally running from approximately 10am to 2pm. A typical visit includes an introduction, the sheep show, scheduled animal sessions, a tractor ride or climbing activity, lunch and supervised free-exploration time. During free time, pupils can explore the Animal Barn, Minibeast Centre, The Ed Shed and play areas.

Why Choose Us for an Educational Visit?

Swap the classroom for the countryside and bring learning to life with a fun-filled school trip to Farmer Ted’s Adventure Farm. Educational visits can include:

• Minibeast session: Pupils examine small creatures and learn about their characteristics, habitats and place in the natural environment.
• Guinea-pig encounter: A supervised opportunity to meet and handle guinea pigs while learning about their needs, care and behaviour.
• Pony grooming: Children learn how ponies are cared for and gain practical experience of grooming an animal.
• Sheep show: A live farm presentation introducing pupils to sheep, farming and animal management.
• Tractor ride: An opportunity to explore more of the farm and discuss its land, animals and daily operation.
• The Ed Shed: Developed in partnership with the National Farmers’ Union, this dedicated education space contains videos, activities and wall displays about harvest, the farming calendar, food production and careers in agriculture.
• Animal Barn and Minibeast Centre: Self-guided areas where pupils can observe animals closely and reinforce learning through discussion.
• Passport to Learning: Children aged 7–14 can collect stamps and record accredited learning hours as they complete educational activities. Younger children aged five and six can participate with adult support.

With animals to meet, activities to try and lots of exciting discoveries to make, Farmer Ted’s offers a school trip packed with learning, laughter and farmyard experiences.

Subjects and Topics Covered

An educational visit to Farmer Ted’s Adventure Farm supports learning about animals, farming, food production and the natural environment, including:

• Science: Animal groups, body features, life cycles, habitats, minibeasts, animal behaviour and basic needs.
• Animal care and welfare: Feeding, grooming, handling and understanding how farmers care for livestock and smaller animals.
• Food and farming: Where food comes from, the journey from farm to fork, harvest time and seasonal food production.
• Geography: Rural environments, land use, farms as working places and the relationship between farming and the countryside.
• Environmental education: Habitats, biodiversity, caring for wildlife and responsible use of the natural environment.
• Careers education: Agricultural jobs, the farming world of work and the different roles required to operate a modern farm.
• PSHE and personal development: Confidence, responsibility, cooperation, listening and respect for animals and other people.

Accreditation and Awards

Farmer Ted’s Adventure Farm has CEVAS-trained educational personnel and is recognised through VAQAS, Green Tourism’s Bronze Award and its association with the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health.

Group Sizes Catered For

We don’t advertise a fixed minimum or maximum group size for educational visits, so please get in touch with our friendly team to discuss your numbers and preferred date.

To keep everyone safe, happy and ready for a brilliant Tedventure, our supervision ratios are:

• Reception: One adult for every five children.
• Key Stage 1: One adult for every six children.
• Key Stage 2: One adult for every ten children.

Supervising adults attending within these ratios are included in your school package. Any additional adults are charged £8.75 each.

Larger school parties may be split into smaller groups as they move between activities. You’ll also receive a group room to use as your farmyard base for coats, bags and packed lunches. On particularly busy days, larger rooms may be divided between groups.

Itineraries, Resources and Workshops

An example timetable for an educational visit to Farmer Ted’s is shown below. Please note that the timetable is subject to change.

• 10:00am: Arrival, toilets and introduction.
• 10:30am: Free exploration time.
• 11:00am: Sheep show in the Animal Barn arena.
• 11:20am: Free exploration time.
• 11:45am: Lunch.
• 12:30pm: Activities, which may include minibeasts, tractor ride, guinea pigs and pony grooming.
• 2:00pm: Coaches depart.

During free exploration time, school groups may choose how to spend their time and a member of Farmer Ted’s staff will not remain with the group.

Indoor Activities

• Minibeast Centre
• Animal Barn
• Bitzer’s Kinetic Clubhouse
• Sandpit
• Pedal tractors
• The Ed Shed
• Cinema, weather dependent

Outdoor Activities

• Hog Splash and archery
• Shaun the Sheep play field
• Toboggans
• Climbing wall
• Jumping pillows
• Go-karts and swings
• Shaun the Sheep show

Risk Assessment

A site-specific risk assessment is available from the Farmer Ted’s health and safety page. Teachers can also arrange a pre-visit assessment by contacting the team on 0151 526 0002.

Education Department Information

The team at Farmer Ted’s are available to answer questions about educational visits. You can contact them by emailing farmerted@farmerteds.com or calling 0151 526 0002.

Pricing Information

The price of an educational visit to Farmer Ted’s is £10.25 per child. This is a discounted rate from the general admission cost of £15.50.

Supervising adults are included within the required ratios:

• Reception: One adult per five children.
• Key Stage 1: One adult per six children.
• Key Stage 2: One adult per ten children.

Additional adults above these ratios cost £8.75 each.

A £150 non-refundable deposit is required to secure the chosen date. The remaining balance must be paid in full before or on the day of the visit.

Facilities

Each visiting school is allocated a group room at no additional cost, which can be used as a base and for storing packed lunches, coats and bags.

• Three toilet blocks across the site.
• Accessible toilets near the entrance and in the main restaurant building.
• Baby-changing facilities in all toilet blocks.
• Handwashing stations in the Animal Barn, Minibeast Centre, play field, field trail and toilet areas.
• Allocated group room for packed-lunch storage and scheduled lunch breaks.
• Farmer Ted’s Grill, with advice available on dietary requirements.
• Additional catering including Ted’s to Go, the Snack Shack and Coffee Pod.
• Picnic tables and seating around the site.
• Indoor soft-play areas for children under four and aged four and above.
• Outdoor adventure-play areas.
• Animal Barn and Minibeast Centre.
• Gift shop.
• On-site parking.
• First-aid provision.
• Printed daily timetables available on request.

Teachers remain responsible for supervising pupils in the play areas and during free-exploration periods.

Accessibility and Disabled Facilities

• Most of the attraction is on one level, with routes across tarmac, compacted gravel and grass.
• Wide pathways provide access to the animal and activity areas, although fields may become muddy or uneven in wet weather.
• Wheelchairs are available to borrow, with advance booking recommended.
• Accessible toilets are available near the entrance and in the main restaurant building.
• Accessible parking is available close to the entrance.
• The Minibeast Centre and theatre are accessible.
• The tractor-trailer ride requires visitors to transfer from a wheelchair and climb steps.
• Assistance dogs are permitted.

Opening Hours

School visits to Farmer Ted’s are designed to run from 10am until approximately 2pm.

Visits must be booked in advance, and the exact timetable may vary according to the date, group size and activities available.