Orchard Therapeutic Farm - Alternative Provision

Orchard Therapeutic Farm - Alternative Provision Orchard Therapeutic Farm is an innovative alternative education provision for children with additional learning needs.

Using methods such as art therapy, animal care and cookery to give children that struggle with mainstream schooling a future.

We're delighted to introduce a new way of keeping parents and carers connected with life at Orchard Therapeutic Farm.Eac...
25/09/2026

We're delighted to introduce a new way of keeping parents and carers connected with life at Orchard Therapeutic Farm.

Each week, we'll be sharing updates from across Orchard, celebrating our young people's achievements, offering a glimpse into their learning and experiences, and keeping you informed about upcoming events and important developments.

From academic achievements to those small but significant moments of personal progress, there's so much worth celebrating.

We also want to hear from you! Your feedback, questions and suggestions are an important part of helping us continue to develop Orchard and work together to support every young person.

Our very first report, from Head of Centre Emily Mayne, is now available, covering everything from curriculum updates and enrichment activities to safeguarding advice and practical information for families.

Read our first report below and take a look at what's been happening at Orchard.

https://www.orchardtf.co.uk/news-and-events/news/head-of-centre-report-25-september

04/09/2026

Something has been happening behind the scenes at Orchard this summer…

We’ve been busy making our learning spaces work even better for our young people.

Our woodwork and engineering rooms have been adapted to create more room for building, making, experimenting and problem-solving.

We’re creating two separate classrooms to provide calmer, more focused spaces for learning.

Our kitchen is gaining additional cooking space, giving young people even more opportunities to develop practical and independent living skills.

And our Pastoral Team now have dedicated spaces for our Pastoral Lead, SENCo and Occupational Therapist.

They might look like changes to rooms, walls and buildings – but for us, they’re really about creating more opportunities.

More space to concentrate. More space to create. More space to build confidence.

More space to Explore, Engage and Empower.

Outreach doesn’t stop when the term ends, engagement, connection and progress happen all year round! 💙🐾And, as always, N...
03/09/2026

Outreach doesn’t stop when the term ends, engagement, connection and progress happen all year round! 💙🐾
And, as always, Nero is working double time as our fantastic therapeutic dog, bringing the tail wags, cuddles and encouragement to every session. 🐶❤️ He’s always ready to motivate our young people to get moving, stay connected and make the most of their time, even during the holidays!

This year, we had an extra-special reason to celebrate during one of our outreach sessions… it was J’s birthday! 🎂🎉

To recognise all the hard work, growth and progress J has made this year, Wendy treated him to lunch. But, of course, it wasn’t just fun and games! 😉

J was challenged to research the different places along the high street, visit them, speak with staff, explore the menus and confidently express himself. He put his skills into practice, made his choice — and ultimately picked the best meal! 🍽️👏

It’s moments like these that show how everyday experiences can create opportunities to build confidence, independence, communication and life skills.

Here’s to celebrating progress, big and small — all year round! 🌟

We have a very important job waiting for our young people when they return to Orchard…We’re hoping to welcome a new fluf...
03/09/2026

We have a very important job waiting for our young people when they return to Orchard…

We’re hoping to welcome a new fluffy bunny to the farm soon – but there’s one thing missing.

A name!

Rather than choosing one ourselves, we thought we’d leave that job to our young people.

We can’t wait to hear all of their ideas and find the perfect name for the newest member of the Orchard family.

What would you call them?

The team and animals at OTF are so excited to welcome all our young people back for the new academic year! 🐴🌿💚We can’t w...
02/09/2026

The team and animals at OTF are so excited to welcome all our young people back for the new academic year! 🐴🌿💚

We can’t wait to see everyone and get stuck into another year of learning, growth and lots of time spent with our wonderful animals. 🐾✨

There have been a few changes amongst the four-legged, feathered and slightly more scaly members of the Orchard family t...
01/09/2026

There have been a few changes amongst the four-legged, feathered and slightly more scaly members of the Orchard family this summer.

Our two boy cows have moved on to a new farm, and our white cockerels have found new homes too.

But we’ve also welcomed some new faces…

20 new chickens have joined the farm, along with two terrapins who have made themselves at home in the Reptile Bus!

Getting to know and care for our animals is such an important part of life at Orchard. It creates opportunities for responsibility, curiosity, confidence and connection – sometimes without it ever really feeling like “learning”.

We have a feeling our new residents are going to be rather popular.

We hope everyone has had a lovely summer and found some time to rest, explore and enjoy being together.While things migh...
30/08/2026

We hope everyone has had a lovely summer and found some time to rest, explore and enjoy being together.

While things might have seemed a little quieter at Orchard, we’ve actually been rather busy behind the scenes!

There have been changes to our classrooms, improvements to our practical learning spaces, new dedicated spaces for our Pastoral Team and even a few new animal residents to meet.

Everything has been done with the same question in mind: how can we make Orchard an even better place for our young people to Explore, Engage and Empower?

Now, the best bit.

Getting everyone back through the gates.

We can’t wait to welcome our young people back to Orchard and begin another year of learning, growing and discovering what they’re capable of.

We have a new face joining us at Orchard Therapeutic Farm this September!For the first time, we’ll be welcoming a train...
27/08/2026

We have a new face joining us at Orchard Therapeutic Farm this September!

For the first time, we’ll be welcoming a trainee Occupational Therapy student from Oxford Brookes University, who will be completing a 13-week placement with us.

It’s a really exciting opportunity to share what we do here at Orchard while also bringing another perspective into our team.

Occupational Therapy already plays an important part in the support we provide, helping young people develop the practical, sensory and everyday skills that can make such a difference to their confidence and independence.

We’re looking forward to welcoming our student to the farm and making them part of Orchard life for the autumn term.

A little bit of exciting news from us…We’re really pleased to share that Orchard Therapeutic Farm is now registered with...
25/08/2026

A little bit of exciting news from us…

We’re really pleased to share that Orchard Therapeutic Farm is now registered with NOCN to deliver a teaching qualification.

It’s another important step forward for us and gives us the opportunity to continue developing the knowledge and skills within our team, while building on the quality of learning and support we can offer our young people.

We’re always looking at how we can learn, develop and grow at Orchard – and we’re very excited about where this next step could take us.

As the end of our first full academic year at the Barn comes to a close, we’d like to take a moment to reflect on just h...
20/07/2026

As the end of our first full academic year at the Barn comes to a close, we’d like to take a moment to reflect on just how much our young people have achieved.
This year has been filled with growth, courage, resilience and countless moments that have reminded us why the Barn is such a special place. From welcoming new young people into our community to watching friendships develop, we have seen kindness, patience and support shown every day.
We have taken learning beyond the Barn through community visits, wildlife experiences, crayfishing trips and ASDAN activities, helping young people build confidence, independence and real-world skills.
🐾 Our animals have continued to play a huge part in Barn life, supporting emotional regulation, responsibility, empathy and connection. Whether meeting up with Nero the dog, caring for rats, chickens, ducklings, goats or larger farm animals, our young people have demonstrated compassion and dedication throughout the year.
🌎 Our themed learning journeys have taken us from Japan to Italy and Greece, bringing culture, creativity and life skills together through cooking, art, practical projects and hands-on experiences.
🤝 We have seen young people support one another, welcome new starters, take on leadership opportunities, work together on group projects and develop confidence in their communication and social skills.
🌱 From learning essential life skills and practising fire drills to preparing meals, managing responsibilities, completing projects and developing independence, every achievement.
📖 For our older young people, this year has also been about looking ahead. We are incredibly proud of those taking their next steps towards college, Post-16 pathways, work experience and transitions into wider farm-based opportunities. The growth in maturity, confidence and self-belief has been wonderful to see.
🧘‍♀️ Most importantly, we have witnessed countless examples of resilience. Young people trying something new, overcoming challenges, using strategies to regulate emotions, asking for help when needed, and continuing to move forward—one step at a time.

Address

Orchard Cottage, Warpsgrove Lane
Oxford
OX447RW

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+447377539270

Website

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