Alternative Provision Learning at Bale’s Farm: From Aretha Franklin to Orchard Adventures

2 days ago

2 min read

Our young people learn through a mixture of outdoor learning, practical activities, life skills, community experiences and individualised education. This week, our learning took us from Aretha Franklin and phonics to baking banana pudding, picking fruit at an orchard and making s’mores around the campfire.

🎶 Aretha Franklin

Our topic this week was Aretha Franklin, giving our young people the opportunity to explore music, history and culture in an engaging and accessible way.

At Bale’s Farm, our alternative provision approach allows us to connect different areas of learning to topics that capture our young people's interests. Learning doesn't always need to happen through a traditional worksheet or lesson — it can be explored through conversation, practical activities, music and real-life experiences.

🍌 Learning life skills through baking

We headed into the kitchen to make banana pudding, giving our young people the opportunity to practise a range of important skills.

From measuring and following instructions to preparing ingredients and working independently, baking provides a fantastic opportunity to develop maths, communication, independence and life skills in a practical environment.

For young people accessing alternative provision, practical learning can provide a different way to engage with skills and build confidence.

🍎 Outdoor learning at the orchard

We also headed out on a school trip to an orchard in Whimple to pick apples, pears and quinces, ready to make jams and jelly with next week!

Getting out into the community is an important part of learning at Bale’s Farm. Our young people were able to experience a new environment, explore the outdoors and take part in a real-world activity.

Community trips can support confidence, communication, independence and social skills, while giving young people the opportunity to learn outside of the traditional classroom environment.

🔥 Learning around the campfire

When we returned to Bale’s Farm, we finished the day around the campfire making s’mores.

Outdoor learning is a big part of our alternative provision. Time around the campfire gives young people space to talk, connect with others and enjoy being outdoors, while developing practical and social skills along the way.

Sometimes, learning happens when we aren't even aware we're learning.

📚 Phonics with Teach Your Monster

Alongside all of our practical and outdoor activities, we also continued developing our phonics and literacy skills using Teach Your Monster.

Using engaging technology alongside hands-on experiences gives our young people different ways to access learning and practise important skills.

At Bale’s Farm, our alternative provision is designed around the individual young person. We look for opportunities to bring learning into the things they enjoy, the places they feel comfortable and the experiences that help them engage.

From phonics to fruit picking, baking to campfires, there are learning opportunities everywhere.

Different doesn’t mean less. Sometimes it means finding a different way to learn. 🌱