The Warriner School farm is the only one of its kind in the country and one of only 25 in the country as an educational centre, writes ELIZABETH EDWARDS

The stock at the farm attached to The Warriner School in Bloxham includes several rare breeds and the farm itself is somewhat of a rare breed, for it is the only one left in Oxfordshire. It is one of only 25 school farms throughout the country and is the largest.

The farm was built as an educational centre for schools and the wider community. As well as its own pupils, visiting groups from pre-school age to senior citizens come to learn about life on the farm and managing the rural environment.

It was some 20 years ago that the steep decline in the number of school farms began, victims of council cuts. Burford School and Community College was one of the losers.

The Warriner has not only survived but has gone from strength to strength. It has won a number of awards, including that of Rural School of the Year in 2004. Pupils from other secondary schools, including those at Banbury, Bicester and Chipping Norton, are able to share in the courses for NVQ qualifications.

The original site was just 16 hectares (40 acres) but over the past seven years its size has trebled. Much of the land is in the countryside stewardship scheme. This has enabled the planing of new hedges, laying of old hedges and improvements to fences and providing water troughs.

The farm has been following a policy of leaving a six-metre grass and wild flower margin around most of the arable fields. Some of these margins have a mixture of plants that supply nectar and pollen to benefit wildlife and one area has been planted for the winter feeding of birds.

The farm was set up to be a functioning workplace and provides a mix of educational and vocational experiences. It has been found to help people gain self-confidence, acquire skills and take the first steps towards a farming career.

"Each year some 30 to 40 pupils take this subject as one of their choices," said Bev James, farm education co-ordinator, who also runs the farm's Outreach programme.

Where schools can't visit, staff coming to give a presentation with a talk and a slideshow and craft workshops. These are Bev's specialities for as well as teaching she has a background in weaving and textile printing. Children can work with materials such as wool from fleeces to make felt, and colouring from plants for use in dyeing.

The farm has a staff of four. It is managed by Chris Holloway, assisted by Isabel Hands, and Jean Hack is the special educational needs co-ordinator and NVQ assessor. Children from specialist schools are regular visitors.

The latest development is in the horticultural section, which is being extended. Former farm manager John Hirons has returned to teach this particular interest.

Neighbouring schools get involved by being supplied with eggs, and an incubator, in which they can watch in their own classroom chicks hatching. The eggs may be from one of the many traditional breeds of hens and bantams.

In the classroom, agricultural topics can have applications across the curriculum. In science the force required to pull horse harrows can be calculated as can the use of levers for lifting bales and using wheelbarrows. Practical work can include soil-sampling and pond dipping. In geography, there is scope for mapping and land-use.

The farm works closely with the Rare Breeds Survival Trust and cares for part of the core conservation breeding flock of Old English Game Fowl and recently received from the trust four of its Leicester Longwool sheep.

The progress of the Old English Game Fowl is of particular importance. This bred is classified as endangered by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, with fewer than 250 breeding hens remaining. It was once a favourite of farmers in the north for its ability to survive on scraps, and the spilt grain for which it could scratch in the farmyard and fields. The Leicester Longwool sheep are placed in the same endangered category. It is able to flourish in harsh climates, with its lambs able to survive any extremes at lambing times due to their good covering of wool. It has a heavy, lustrous fleece, which is used in a number of crafts and for soft furnishings.

These two breeds, though, are just a small proportion of the livestock at The Warriner's farm. There are also cattle, pigs, goats, a goose and gander, and heavy horses and an Exmoor pony. The cattle, sheep and pigs are all organic herds. The cattle are a suckler herd of Dexters and the main flock of 80 sheep are mostly Suffolk and Mule crosses together with 18 pedigree Lleyns.

There are nearly 20 Anglo-Nubian goats.

The pigs are Gloucestershire Old Spots. Although the Rare Breeds Survival Trust still monitors its numbers, this breed is listed only among the fifth least populous.

The farm is run as a commercial enterprise but it relies on the support from The Warriner Farm Trust in enabling it to achieve its educational aims.

Meat is sold directly from the farm, including sausages and smoked bacon. Animals that go for slaughter are taken to the nearest abattoir. For maths, comparative weights of types of animals and their length, height, ratios of animals to size of pen and studies of shapes such as triangular hen-houses provide readily available material.

Bev James and her colleagues hope that next year the students will be able to watch horse-ploughing, for one of the heavy horses, Buster the Clydesdale, is to be introduced to this. The other heavy horse is Luke, a Suffolk Punch, who has come here to enjoy retirement after a working life in tree-logging.

The farm welcomes many groups of visitors and as, well as accommodating parties from local organisations, has occasional open days and, in the spring, lambing weekends.