The Newbury & District Agricultural Society is pleased to be involved with a number of educational projects. An overview of a few of them is given below:

Farming, Environment & Sustainability Challenge

The Final of the 2010 Farming, Environment and Sustainability Challenge was recently hosted at Sheepdrove Organic Farm with four Secondary schools reaching the Final from across the whole of the County.  The topics were wide ranging and the judges complemented all of the finalists for the very high standard of their work as well as the formal presentation each school gave.  Each school was linked with a business and worked on a challenge of benefit to both partners.  After much deliberation, the judges awarded first prize to Kennet School for their Challenge.  The students had worked with Vicar's Game Shop to design and market five new varieties of sausages which Vicar's Game will be adding to their collection on sale to the public.  The runners' up were Dedworth Middle School who worked with Syngenta to  bring to life a disused area of the school grounds as an allotment/garden area.  Each school received £100 for reaching the Final and the winning school will be given an additional £100, with a further £75 going to the runners' up.

If you would like your students to take part in next year's Challenge, 2010 - 2011, or would like more information about the Challenge please contact the Education Officer at the Showground.

The Education Marquee at the Royal County of Berkshire Show 2010

Over the past few years, schools have exhibited students' work in the Education Marquee at The Royal County of Berkshire Show and 2009 saw a huge number of schools displaying their students' work  of a very high standard, making for a vibrant and colourful exhibition.  Many schools entered the School Exhibitors Challenge around the theme of "Outside the Classroom" and the judges, Mr. Charlie Mayfield, President of NDAS, Mr. Simon Carter, Chair of NDAS and Mrs. Pam Hillier-Brook, Chair of NDAS Education Committee congratulated those schools entering for their efforts.  First prize was awarded to Cold Ash St. Marks Primary School, second prize went to Compton Primary School and third prize was awarded to Mrs Bland's Infant and Nursery School. 

Invitations are now in schools with details of how to apply to exhibit at the Show on September 18th and 19th 2010.  There will again be the opportunity to exhibit to the competition theme of "Outside the Classroom".

MINIATURE GARDEN COMPETITION

We are pleased to invite all Berkshire schools, Groups, (Brownies, Cubs, Youth Groups etc) or individuals to enter the new Miniature Gardens Competition at the Royal County of Berkshire Show in the Horticultural Marquee.  Children are invited to submit a miniature garden to the theme of Nursery Rhymes, with the title of the chosen nursery rhyme clearly displayed.  The finished garden must be portable and made in a standard seed tray or a container of equivilent size.  The closing date for applications is 23rd July 2010 and entry forms can be obtained from the Showground office.  There will be separate classes for 4 - 7 years, 8 - 11 years and 12 - 16 years, with prizes awarded to each age category.

COOKERY SCHOOL

Cookery School is an exciting opportunity available to all secondary schools. A six week course over spread over an academic year for up to ten students, the first five sessions are cookery lessons based at your school, with the sixth session a farm visit. Students will see where the food they have been cooking comes from and how it is grown. Cookery School is free and can fit into your school timetable, taking place during lessons, lunchtimes or after school. To find out how Cookery School fits into your curriculum, contact us to arrange a 'taster session' for your school.  Alternatively if you would like to see Cookery School in action, contact the Showground office for details of when the next one is scheduled.

BUTTERCUP 

Our nearly real milking cow Buttercup is now taking bookings from Primary Schools.  She comes free of charge and offers the children the opportunity to have a go at milking her themselves as well as having a short talk on a theme dictated by the age of the children.

POTATO CHALLENGE 2010

On March 15th Primary schools from across the County came along to the Showground and took part in a Planting Day.  They planted potatoes as part of the Potato Council Challenge, which is a national initiative and is expected to involve 400,000 children. The children also had the opportunity to learn more about the humble potato through tasting different foods made from potatoes, decorating potato cakes and having cooking demonstrations using different varieties of potatoes.   On June 21st the children returned to the Showground to harvest their crops. Before doing so they made their own potato salad and then great excitement was caused as they discovered the hidden crops in their grow bags.  Prizes were awarded to Hermitage Primary School and Cold Ash St Marks for the growing the heaviest yields.

Click here to read a newspaper article about the day

HGCA NATIONAL BREAKFAST WEEK

This is now in its eleventh year and was supported by the Newbury and District Agricultural Society through a number of workshops run in schools across the County.  Pupils were shown how to make breakfast smoothies and porridge, played some breakfast themed games and planted oat, wheat and barley seeds.

AUTUMN HARVEST CELEBRATION DAY

October 4th has been chosen for a day to celebrate the fruits of autumn, especially pumpkins and apples and all available places have already been reserved.  Cross Lanes Fruit Farm, (see them at Newbury Farmers' Market) are supplying apples for apple bobbing and coming along to give tasting sessions with a variey of British apples, and Cobbs Farm are going to be talking about growing pumpkins.  Each school will be taking away an apple sapling to plant in their grounds, courtesy of Leckford Estate.  If your school did not secure a place, you might still like to take part by growing the free pack of pumpkin seeds sent out to all Primary schools and perhaps register interest with the Education Officer now if you would like to come to the day at the Showground in 2011.

SCARECROW AND CAKE MAKING COMPETITIONS

The Society will be holding two free competitions for schools at the Ploughing Match on October 16th.  For all Primary aged children, there will be a scarecrow making competition as in previous years.  For children aged 4 - 16 there is a cake making competition, with three age groups, 4 - 7 years, 8 - 11 years and 12 - 16 years.  Cakes should be made using a flapjack mixture and of a design linked to the theme of Harvest.  Entries to both competitions should be brought to the Showground office in the week before the Ploughing Match and entries for the cake competition will be auctioned off for charity at the end of the day.  More details and entry forms are availalble from the Showground office.   

AGRICULTURAL CHALLENGE FOR SPECIAL SCHOOLS

We will be trialling an Agricultural Challenge for Special Schools during 2010 - 2011 and if it proves successful, then it will be offered to all Special Schools in Berkshire the following academic year.  If this sounds like something you might like to involve your students in, please contact the Education Officer.

FARM VISITS FOR SCHOOLS

If you are considering organising a farm visit for your students we may be able to assist.  We have a large pool of farms we can call upon and may be able to assist with transport costs.

MEET OUR PIG!

The latest member of our nearly real collection of animals is a Berkshire pig and she is available now to book free of charge, to visit Primary aged children.  Talks last approximately 20 minutes per group and children will learn all about a day in the life of  pig, as well as how the different parts of the animal are used and where sausages and bacon come from.  To book a visit, just contact the Education Officer at the Showground.

For more details of all of the above, contact Jan Murray, Education Officer education@newburyshowground.co.uk

or call 01635 247111

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