A NEW farm school for children with special needs has surpassed even their own expectations as they opened their farm gates for the first time.

The school at Shutelake Farm, near Bickleigh, welcomed their first cohort of children this Spring for a six-week block and the results have blown the Wellington-based team at Rekindling the Wild CIC away.

CIC directors Kalee Haskins and Emily Lanigan said: “The last couple of months have been incredibly exciting for us as an organisation.

“We’ve welcomed our first cohort to Farm School and it’s been a pleasure getting to witness these young people’s growth first hand - with many more opportunities for learning to come!

“We can’t wait to show you all what we’ve been up to and where we plan on going next.”

Reflecting on the first children visiting, they said: “Over the past few weeks, it has been a privilege to welcome our first group of young people onto the farm. From the very beginning, we have seen confidence grow, friendships begin to form, and a real sense of belonging develop within the group.

“For all children attending, this has been a space where they can feel safe, understood, and able to engage in learning in a way that works for them.

“Some of our proudest moments have been the small but meaningful ones - children trying something new, working together, or expressing that they feel comfortable being themselves.”

The Farm School is now booking sessions for the next cohort of children. It is particularly suited to young people who may be finding mainstream school challenging, are experiencing anxiety or school avoidance, have SEND or are on a neurodivergent pathway and would benefit from a smaller environment.

The June event is filling up fast but an event is already being planned for early September to mid October.

For more information contact [email protected]