The Nurture Paddocks - Holistic Learning Centre

Going with the Flow 🌿

In a single session, we might help with paddock tasks, enjoy mindful moments, play games that work the mind, and build meaningful connections with our animals. Every session is unique, creating opportunities for learning, confidence, wellbeing and fun. 💚

No two learners are the same, and neither are the reasons they attend the Nurture Paddocks.

Through our 1:1 sessions, we can tailor activities and support to individual needs, helping young people build confidence, develop skills, work towards personal goals and engage with learning in a way that works for them. 🌿

We were delighted to welcome back a familiar face to the Nurture Paddocks today 😊🌿

Having previously attended sessions with us through her former school, as well as during school holidays, she is now studying Animal Care at her current school and attending the Nurture Paddocks to further develop her practical animal care skills.

We're thrilled to once again be part of her journey, providing opportunities to put learning into practice. It's been lovely to see her reconnecting with the animals she already knows and meeting some of our newer arrivals as she begins to gain valuable experience working with animals.

We look forward to seeing her continue to grow in confidence, knowledge and practical skills in the weeks ahead. 🐐🐴🐰✨

Eating out of the palms of our hands 🐔✨

This evening, while some of our Being Herd Club members were busy working through their ASDAN challenges, others spent time gently building trust with our shy little flock of Silkie chickens.

The skills and qualities this group have developed are ideal for working with animals. Their patience, calm approach, empathy and respect help the chickens feel safe, while their ability to read body language and respond gently shows a real understanding of animal behaviour. The flock are still very cautious and not fully confident yet, but we are starting to see progress, from huddling in the corner at first to slowly beginning to take food from outstretched hands, one careful step at a time 💛

A fantastic, hands-on session with our Herdlings today! ✨🐴

We were delighted to welcome some new members to the club, and it was wonderful to see how naturally they connected with other Herdlings 😊

Everyone got stuck into tasks & activities with enthusiasm, enjoyed learning new skills and had lots of fun together. It's always lovely to see confidence, teamwork and friendships growing throughout our sessions.

Before we knew it, it was time to head home. The session flew by far too quickly, which is always a sign of a fantastic session. We’re already looking forward to the next one! 😊💚

Not what I expected to find as I came down to do the night feeds!

It appears our little silkie flock has doubled 🐔

Yet again, the arrival of silkies has happened without my approval and this time without my knowledge too 🙄😂

I must admit though, the new additions, Storm & Rain, do look extra adorable snuggled up to Blizzard & Snowball.

June clearly didn't get the memo that it's supposed to be summer! ☔😅

It's rained all day, but that hasn't stopped us. We've embraced the weather, spent time outdoors and made plenty of use of our indoor and undercover spaces too.

At the Nurture Paddocks, a rainy day doesn't mean putting the fun on hold. The learning, activities, conversations and laughter have carried on regardless, proving that there's always something to enjoy whatever the weather decides to do.

There's never a dull moment at the Nurture Paddocks, no matter how dull the weather may seem. 🌧️🍃😊

After all, if we waited for a perfect British summer's day, we'd be waiting a very long time! 😂🇬🇧☔

Our guinea pigs have been thoroughly spoiled today! 🐹💚

They've received lots of love and attention, with clean hutches, health checks, gentle grooming sessions and plenty of fuss from their carers.

To top it all off, they enjoyed some freshly prepared treats, which were very enthusiastically received! 🥕🥒🍎

Looking after our animals helps us learn about responsibility, care and welfare, while also giving us the chance to build confidence and develop nurturing skills.

Safe to say our furry friends are feeling happy, healthy and very well loved for today! 🥰 🐹✨

Remember the "Spinosaurus tooth" we found after our hay delivery before half term? Well, we found the rest of it hidden inside a hay bale!

As it turns out, it wasn't a tooth after all, it was the tip of an antler! 🦌

Today we've been learning more about deer and their antlers, while also revisiting an important lesson: AI and Google searches aren't always accurate.

It sparked some great discussions about questioning what we see, researching further, checking different sources and following the evidence before jumping to conclusions. When we found more of the object, we had to rethink our original idea, and that's exactly how learning works!

A brilliant reminder that curiosity, critical thinking and a little bit of detective work can lead to some unexpected discoveries.

Not quite a dinosaur tooth after all... but still a very exciting find! 🦕➡️🦌🔍🧐