There is something quietly revolutionary about opening a school on a farm. Not a grand, shiny campus with endless corridors and interactive whiteboards on every wall, but a place where children learn with soil under their fingernails, the seasons as their timetable, and curiosity as their compass. The Universal Farm, opening this September with an initial 3 day offer, until successful Ofsted Registration, is more than a school – it is a learning community built on connection: to nature, to one another, and to ourselves.
Situated in thirty acres of untouched countryside, The Universal Farm takes education back to its roots while preparing children for the future. Here, the classroom stretches across meadows, woodland, and a slow meandering brook. Maths might be measured out in fence posts, literacy explored through storytelling around the firepit, and science discovered in the lifecycle of a frog or the flight of a kestrel. This is not a rejection of academic rigour, but a reframing of it – learning made tangible, purposeful, and alive.
At a time when childhood is increasingly compressed by screens, schedules, and standardised tests, The Universal Farm offers something rare: space. Space to run, to wonder, to collaborate, to fail safely and try again. The curriculum follows the International Primary Curriculum (IPC), but its beating heart is rooted in forest school principles and democratic education. Children are encouraged to question, to contribute ideas, and to see themselves as active participants in their learning journey, often collaborating with peers as opposed to being in competition with peers.
The vision is clear: to create a school where every child is seen and known, where diversity is celebrated, and where education is not simply preparation for life, but life itself. With a small first intake of ten children across Reception, Year 1, and Year 2, the scale is deliberately human. Families will know teachers not just as educators but as partners, working together to raise confident, compassionate, and emotionally literate young people.
The Universal Farm shares its site with the award-winning Free Rangers Forest School Nursery, creating a seamless pathway for early years children ready to take their next step. Together, the two settings represent a growing movement of schools daring to imagine a different future for education – one where wellbeing, creativity, and sustainability are at the forefront of all we do.
Join us: we are hosting Open Days on Tuesday 16 September and Tuesday 23 September, 10:00am-12:00pm. Come to see our outdoor spaces, meet the team, and see learning in action within our nursery to give you an understanding of how we run.
To reserve a place or ask a question, please email manager@freerangers.org.uk.
Our website can be found at universalfarm.co.uk for further details.
