29 Oct 2026
A new Somerset education project is hoping to prove that, for some young people, the most powerful classroom may not look like a classroom at all.
Young Somerset is developing its new Farm as a place where young people can learn practical skills, improve their wellbeing and gain qualifications while working in a real rural environment.
Working in partnership with The Newt in Somerset the project forms part of the charity’s ambitious expansion of Alternative Education across the county, creating opportunities for children and young people who may struggle to thrive within conventional education.
Recently featured by BBC Somerset, the Farm will combine education with practical experience in horticulture, agriculture, woodland management, animal care and environmental conservation.
But the ambition goes considerably further than simply teaching young people how to grow vegetables or look after animals.
Young Somerset wants the Farm to provide a different route into learning.
For some young people, sitting behind a desk for most of the school week simply does not enable them to demonstrate what they can achieve. The Farm will offer an environment where learning can be practical, purposeful and connected to the world of work.
Young people will be able to develop recognised skills and qualifications alongside confidence, teamwork, communication and employability.
The site will include growing areas for fruit, vegetables and cut flowers, alongside opportunities for horticulture, woodland management, Forest School, small-animal care and practical construction activities.
There are also plans to develop enterprise projects, including growing produce for vegetable boxes, giving young people experience of the complete journey from planting and harvesting through to packaging, distribution and customer service.
Wellbeing will sit at the heart of the project. Young Somerset already provides mental health, youth work and supported internships across the county, and the Farm creates an opportunity to bring education and wellbeing together in a very different setting.
Time outdoors, physical activity, meaningful work and positive relationships with trusted adults can all become part of the learning experience.
For Young Somerset, the Farm represents something bigger than a new education site. It is an investment in the idea that young people learn differently – and that practical ability, creativity and determination deserve the same opportunity to flourish as academic achievement. Sometimes helping a young person discover what they are capable of starts by giving them somewhere different in which to learn and thrive.
