NFU Education provides both STEM teaching resources and projects for Key Stage 1 and 2 as well as Speakers for KS3 on key topics such as changing diets, climate change or animal welfare.
The Farming STEMterprise toolkit includes projects that involve KS 1 and 2 pupils completing a range of cross-curricular tasks in order to set up their own farm shop business and design, develop, make and market a brand new food product.
There are programmes of study specific for each Year group which collectively encourage the pupils to:
- consider seasonality when deciding which crop to grow
- grow their own ingredients
- consider nutrition when designing their recipes
- use market research to test their ideas out with potential consumers
- work within a budget when buying additional ingredients
- learn knife skills when making their products
- calculate expected profit
- design responsible packaging
Practical Science and Design & Technology lessons are incorporated throughout the projects and opportunities for applying Maths skills to engaging, real life problems are embedded at each stage.
The projects are designed to deliver key content from the national curriculum whilst embedding important messages about financial literacy and food provenance and aligning with the new Health Education standards.
Farming STEMterprise has received Green Tick accreditation from the Association for Science Education and the projects are accredited by CREST Awards and the Children’s University. The projects were finalists in both the BETT and ERA awards in 2020.
Speakers For Schools
Key Stage 3+
This is a free of charge service provided to Secondary schools in England and Wales. Food and farming are regularly featured in the media. Many times pupils read an article or watch a story online – featuring different viewpoints about key topics such as changing diets, climate change or animal welfare.
The NFU team of farming ambassadors are all working in the agriculture sector and are able to offer unique insight from industry into the key issues around food and farming. It is the role of the Education team to ensure they are equipped to speak to a Secondary school audience. They can deliver a presentation to a group followed by a Q&A session promoting discussion amongst pupils.
Information about this can be found here: www.education.nfuonline.com/SpeakersForSchools
To find out more about the NFU Education initiatives visit: www.education.nfuonline.com/