Visit COT’s Rare Breeds Centre part of our Life Skills programmes.
Everyday life activities, skills development and training (EDLA)
Click on an image to find out more about an individual programme, or scroll down to learn about them all!
Learn from expert artists in our gallery on the farm
Learn about caring for animals on our real farm
Learn about retail and customer service in our gift shop on the farm
Join the Poulton Wood Rangers to learn about woodland management
Learn culinary skills in our training kitchen
Learn horticultural skills in our Discovery Garden programme
Our Plants and Produce programme is set within our working nursery
Featuring interactive screens and a variety of modern technologies
Our sensory space is available to hire
Art at the Farm is a creative studio where adults with learning disabilities or autism can enjoy making art with support from experienced artists.
You can see and even purchase some of our artists’ amazing work in our gallery in the Granary Restaurant. Proceeds from all sales go to support the work of the charity.
We’ve been creating art on our farm, the Rare Breeds Centre, for over 25 years. Each year, we work on different art projects, each with its own theme.
Our artists get to explore these themes using a range of materials and techniques including drawing, painting, etching, lino printing, screen printing, textiles, ceramics, collage and mixed media. You can see some examples in the slideshow below.
Our Farm Life Skills programme is a hands-on experience at our real, working farm, the Rare Breeds Centre. Students learn all aspects of how to care for animals—keeping them safe, healthy, and happy.
Learners also explore the life cycles of different animal breeds and are able to choose the animals they’d most like to work with. This helps build special bonds and learning through real connection.
Some students also help out in the Children’s Barn, our animal contact area. Here, they grow more confident by talking to visitors and answering questions about the animals.
Farm life skills students also have the opportunity to show animals at annual agricultural shows where they can win ribbons.
Students at COT gain hands-on experience in our fully equipped professional training kitchen, where they learn to prepare food for our on-site commercial restaurant. It’s not just about cooking, it’s about building real-world skills in a real working environment. After their training sessions, students often get to take home some of the delicious dishes they’ve made, giving them a tangible (and tasty!) reward for their hard work.
Our catering training covers a range of essential skills, including food safety, customer service, budgeting, catering and the safe handling of kitchen tools and equipment. These are the kinds of practical, transferable skills that help build confidence and open doors to future opportunities.
Poulton Wood is an ancient bluebell woodland nature reserve managed by our students (rangers) using a coppice rotation method.
Rangers learn traditional woodland management techniques using a wide variety of tools and techniques. Students take part in annual coppice work operations including felling small trees, dead hedging, and controlling invasive species. They also produce beautiful hand crafted wooden items, carved house signs, firewood and charcoal using timber from the woodland.
Students make valuable contributions to various Citizen Science projects and are able to gain certificates in a range of skills.
Working in a team promotes confidence, responsibility, real world skills and a deeper understanding of caring for this this unique and precious landscape.
You can learn more from the dedicated Poulton Wood Facebook page.
One of our most exciting life skills programmes is our on-site gift shop offering a welcoming, real-world environment where learners can grow their confidence and develop valuable life and employment skills.
Here, learners take on a variety of retail tasks, from serving customers and managing stock to using tills and enhancing their IT skills. They can also express their creativity by designing attractive product displays that help bring the shop to life.
Beyond these practical skills, the gift shop provides additional learning opportunities. Every shift is an opportunity to build confidence in time management, problem-solving, money handling, and understanding health and safety. Just as importantly, learners discover the value of teamwork and communication in a supportive, inclusive space.
The Discovery Garden offers life skills students a wide range of hands-on horticultural learning opportunities across various areas including the main garden, butterfly tunnel, and surrounding farm spaces.
Students help build structures such as raised beds, brassica cages, pea and bean supports, and fences, gaining practical experience in garden design and teamwork.
In the butterfly tunnel, learners take part in every stage of care: weeding, pruning, nurturing plants that feed the butterflies, and maintaining the habitat itself.
Within the main garden, students get involved in all aspects of upkeep from weeding and harvesting to tending flowers and vegetables, developing both horticultural skills and a deeper connection with nature.
Our Plants and Produce life skill is set in a 4-acre plant nursery at the heart of the Rare Breeds Centre.
Growing a mixture of ornamental and edible plants, we raise thousands of naturally grown plants which are sold at local events and onsite at the Plants Shop atthe Rare Breeds Centre.
Our students learn a variety of horticultural skills that are led by the seasonal demands of a working nursery.
From propagation to grounds maintenance to getting the plants ready for sale, our horticultural students have a wide choice of tasks and the opportunity for their skills to be recognised and developed via the AQA Unit Award Scheme.
There is a mixture of different environments to work in, from glasshouses, orchards, polytunnels, and vegetable production areas. This life skills programme encourages students to be active, work as part of team and see the fruits of their labour.
At My Life Skills Academy, we offer a digitally inclusive environment where learners can grow their independence through meaningful, hands-on experiences. Our goal is to empower individuals by providing the tools and support they need to thrive in everyday life.
Our academy is equipped with interactive screens and a variety of modern technologies, creating an engaging space where learners can explore essential life skills. Whether it’s cooking, communication, fitness, music or preparing for the workplace, our setting encourages curiosity, confidence, and personal growth.
COT’s multi-sensory room is available for hire as a space for you and your support to use, or with the support of one of our trained and experienced staff.
Featuring bubble tubes, a waterbed, interactive floor or table projector and a variety of other lights and equipment the room lets you tailor your session to suit you. Whether you want a calming relaxed experience or need some time to let loose and be lively, the space can be set up as required.
The addition of an H track hoist ensures the room is accessible to all, and staff are trained in manual handling to assist when required.
Use the contact form below to reserve or for more details
Our life skills team hosts an annual event each autumn. Friends and family are invited to join us to celebrate the achievements of everyone in Art at the Farm. Past events have included an Indian themed fashion and show and The Big Top Circus Parade.
During the summer and festive periods, our life skills projects team together to attend events such as Saltwood Castle’s plants and art sale, the Wealden Midsummer Fair and we’ve recently taken up camping.
Learner achievement is recognised through AQA’s Unit Award Scheme (UAS).
You can apply to join any of our life skills programmes by completing an online form or downloading a printable form. Just click the buttons for each programme description above. If you also have questions, please email us using this form and we’ll be happy to get back to you.