Waterways Farm is a 150 acre conservation farm located in the village of East Harling, which lies in the heart of the Breckland Natural Area of East Anglia. Over many years, educational access to the farm has proven to be extremely beneficial to the learning and development of young people from a diverse range of backgrounds.
The Farm and the market village of East Harling is easily accessible from all areas of the county and region, by road, via A11 and A47, and with strong access to major train routes to both Cambridge and London.
For over 20 years the Farm has been at the forefront of conservation based land management, working in close partnership with the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Natural England, The Norfolk Wildlife Trust, The Forestry Commission, The Otter Trust, The Hawk and Owl Trust. A key vision of all our conservation partnerships is an aspiration to provide high quality educational opportunities that access outdoor areas.
At Waterways Farm, we believe that life is generally happier, more fulfilling and richer when lived in close contact with nature. Having worked full time in educational settings ranging from Primary, Secondary, Special Education and Further Education, we have a strong evidence base to assert that learning and development is significantly enhanced and enriched with high quality opportunities for ‘learning outside the classroom’.
At Waterways Farm our philosophy for learning and development is underpinned by a Biophillic hypothesis: we believe that the more an individual grows their understanding and appreciation of the natural world, the greater peace, joy and satisfaction they are able to experience in all areas of their everyday lives. We encourage our visitors to explore a view that we do not only love nature because it is beautiful, but we find beauty in nature because we are part of it, and it is part of us.
With this mind, we assert that learning and development is significantly enhanced through high quality interpretation of the natural environment and connection with animals.
We aim to engage, inspire, and motivate all guests through planned provision that interprets the natural environment to create valuable opportunities to grow, and facilitates a first hand, outdoor experience, in a therapeutic setting.
We appreciate you taking the time to read this brief introduction to Waterways Farm. In addition to our formal teaching qualifications (PGCE) (GTTP) (MEd), we hold other relevant professional accreditations such as: Senior Designated Professional for Safeguarding; First Aid at Work; Food Hygiene.