- 2005
June - First visit from Haling Manor School, Croydon
- 2006
July - ‘Life Outside Hackney’ traced the story of children visiting from Cardinal Pole Catholic School, Hackney
- 2007
In these early years, Jamie’s Farm worked with 11 London schools on a part time basis
# Pigs: 9, Sheep: 25, Cows: 15
- 2008
March - First visits from Manchester and Liverpool schools
December – The team sets out to make Jamie’s Farm a national charity...
- 2009
January – First trustees meeting
May – Charity Launch and registration with the Charity Commission!
June - Jamie receives ‘Teach First Ambassador of the Year’ award
September – Office moves to a temporary space in a horsebox
December - Number of Jamie’s Farm visitors: 340
Pigs: 80, Sheep: 75, Cows: 55
- 2010
February - Purchase of a permanent home for the charity
March - Funding commitment from the Department of Health
May - Learning Outside the Classroom accreditation
September - Jamie’s Farm nominated ‘Best New Charity’ in Charity Times
- 2011
June – Barn redevelopment allows us to impact more children
July – Inaugural Jamie’s Farm Cock and Bull Festival raises £21,000
December - Jamie’s Farm has worked with over 800 children
Pigs: 150, Sheep: 120, Cows: 100
- 2012
January – 2012-15 Strategy launches...
How it all began...
In 2005, Jamie was a teacher and participant on the Teach First programme, teaching at a challenging school in South London. Having grown up with a passion for farming, and discovering that the pupils he taught had a real lack of experience of agriculture, he decided to bring two sheep back from his family home in Bath to his school...
The sheep were housed next to the playground and Jamie noted the instant impact on the students who thrived from the responsibility of feeding and caring for the animals. Teachers also noticed a remarkable change in the attitude of these individuals towards their school life which led to a noticeable drop in the number of playground fights.
On the back of this success, visits were hosted at his family’s farm in Bath between 2005 and 2008 where the experience of living and working in the countryside was giving de-motivated and disengaged students a new purpose and direction in their lives. In 2009, the charity Jamie's Farm was established, with a view to positively impacting as many young people as possible through this unique offering.
Since its humble beginnings, over 600 children have benefitted from this innovative school intervention programme, with hugely positive results. Over 80% of children have fewer behavioural incidents, and 68% are no longer at risk of exclusion a year after their first visit.
In 2010-11 alone, Jamie’s Farm will host a further 500 children from our charity owned site in Box. In the future we seek to grow the charity in creative ways. We will develop a staff training programme and a meat business to offset the cost to schools, and increase students’ skills and aspirations through a Jamie’s Farm cafe.
