Our Impact

We are very proud of the positive impact we have on the young people who visit Jamie’s Farm. Measuring our impact and listening to young people and visiting staff is extremely important to us to shape the future of the Jamie’s Farm programme.

Methods

We know that a visit to Jamie’s Farm can be life changing, and we aim to capture this as fully as possible using a wide range of sources.
Not only do we ask students themselves to complete the internationally validated Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS) using bespoke electronic software; we also take ratings from teachers and data from school systems both 6 weeks and 6 months following a visit, to ensure we understand the complex long-term impact of Jamie’s Farm.

Latest impact at Jamie’s Farm

Our impact measurement cycle follows the academic year. Below is the latest data from the academic year September 2018 to August 2019.

Download the latest Annual Review and our 2021 Finding Seeds of Hope report:

Case Studies

Amy's Story, Year 11

“My first residential to Jamie’s Farm was in Year 9. I was 13 years old and had gone through situations that made me feel hopeless. I felt alone and as if I couldn’t achieve anything. The first time I went I was so nervous, but I’m so glad I didn’t give in and went, it was the best experience of my life! Whilst being there I began to understand that I didn’t need to be so angry and that things weren’t as bad as it had seemed beforehand. The ‘life swap’ was so beneficial, it helped me in more ways than I could ever describe. For one it made me realise there is no such thing as can’t, anything is possible and the sky is the limit! At the end of the day I am now so confident within myself and around people! The experience is life changing and I would recommend it to everyone. Through this whole experience I have come to realise what I want out of my future, and I for one cannot wait!”

“Before being selected to come to Jamie’s Farm, Amy was a student who struggled openly in the school environment. Her behaviour was unpredictable, and self-esteem was low. However, that all changed following her first trip to the Farm. Amy immediately got involved in all tasks and met any challenges she faced with a smile and determination. After leaving the Farm, Amy was determined to change her behaviour in school. Over time, she reduced her number of behaviour points and remained in more lessons than she was removed from. Inspiringly, she also decided she would like to raise money for Jamie’s Farm as a way to show her gratitude for ‘changing her outlook on life’ and making her believe in herself. As she moved into Year 10, the school decided she would benefit from another trip to the Farm, this time as a mentor. This was a role that she took to immediately; showing the other students the ropes, encouraging them to succeed in all challenges and acting as a fantastic role model. After returning to school, she vowed to improve her attainment and meet her GCSE target grades. She also decided that she would like to have a career in Childcare. Her behaviour dramatically improved, her name was never heard unless she was being positively praised, staff were commenting on the complete transformation of herself; she had matured, become more confident and was working harder than she had ever worked before. Amy achieved excellent results in all of her exams and is incredibly grateful to all at Jamie’s Farm who helped and encouraged her. Jamie’s Farm truly changed Amy’s outlook on life and has given her a brighter future.”

Assistant Director of Learning, The Nuneaton Academy

“The experience is life changing and I would recommend it to everyone. Through this whole experience I have come to realise what I want out of my future, and I for one cannot wait!”

Paul's Story, Year 12

“I went through a life changing tragedy leading me to social services. I was sadly a bereaved child, who lacked confidence and self-belief. The fear I had before going to the farm was rapid. However, easily within 10 minutes on arrival I discarded those fears and felt at home. The experiences have been a huge factor for making me be the person I want to be. I have now gained strong bonds with friends from the social skills I developed on the farm. My passion for the craft of story has brewed because of the motivation and self-belief the farm showed me I had. Directing involves working with others to make something brilliant, I love that and perhaps some of the love for that bred from the way the farm works. To be able to work together in unison, it’s important. Finally, the skills and core beliefs of the farm have made me want to spread it, thus I have started a youth group at school which holds those same testaments.”

“Paul was a very quiet, unconfident 13-year-old when he first went to Jamie’s Farm. Nearly five years on, and Paul says he can’t imagine life without it. He has loved his visits from the moment he first arrived and felt so welcomed. He has thrown himself (sometimes literally as well as metaphorically!) into the activities at Jamie’s Farm, and has gained so much from this experience throughout his teenage years. He really thrives on the mixture of practical achievements, teamwork, helping others, banter and good chats. The farm has been a warm, safe and welcoming place to be, where he has grown hugely in confidence, independence and empathy. From his initial caution, Paul has grown to become a great advocate and champion of Jamie’s Farm.” Paul’s carer

“I loved the responsibilities I had on the Farm, and how there was always something to do. I enjoyed the fair way I was treated, and how everyone worked together to make the Farm work and look after the animals. I never thought I’d want to wake up in the middle of the night to look after some piglets, but I did, and it made me happy.”

Amena's Story, Year 10

“Considering my strong distaste for animals and countryside life prior to this trip, when I was first offered this opportunity, I immediately pulled a face. Me? In the countryside? Pft. Having first arrived at the farm and asked to hand in our food and phones, I was truly sceptical of whether I would even last the week. Then it all began from there. I found myself doing things I would have entirely refused to do back in London. Jamie’s Farm became my happy place. All my worries and troubles and stress disappeared just like that. There were parts of me I left behind there, and some amazing new parts I gained. As well as bringing back my newly found love for dogs, I also brought back something far more special than that: memories of the experience of a lifetime.”

“Amena joined the school in Year 8 and struggled to settle in with her peers. She unexpectedly lost her father before Christmas, something she struggled to deal with. Amena matured and gained so much confidence through going to Jamie’s Farm. She started doing exceptionally well in school; excelling in most of her subjects. Amena has faced some challenging moments since coming back from the farm, however she has been composed and mature when dealing with them, something she possibly would not have been prior to attending the farm. She is also looking to attend successful 6th forms in the area and is seeing a counsellor for her bereavement.” Head of Safeguarding, St George’s

“Amena is full of life whenever she goes to Jamie’s Farm, motivated and more self-confident. She knows herself more when she is there – as if she finds a precious part of herself which she is proud of to discover. The most important thing is the happiness; I can see her happiness through her eyes, her words, her voice and body language. I really can’t explain her happiness enough. Thank you.” Amena’s Mum

“As well as bringing back my newly found love for dogs, I also brought back something far more special than that: memories of the experience of a lifetime.”

Our Alumni

Meet some of our alumni from the last decade and read about their journey since visiting Jamie’s Farm.

Torrie - 2010

Coleen - 2012

Alaa - 2013

Tommy - 2013

Adele - 2013

Georgie - 2013

Improved behaviour

Pupils who visit Jamie’s Farm are often facing challenging circumstances at home and/or at school. As a result of this, they often display lower than average behaviour, self-esteem and a lack of engagement with education.

Improved engagement and attainment

Jamie’s Farm contributes to a marked improvement in attainment and engagement for the pupils who visit. This will enable them to make positive relationships, raise attainment and attendance, and allow them to develop goals and aims in their lives with a renewed sense of focus.

Improved mental wellbeing

Our most significant impact has been on young people’s mental wellbeing, demonstrated through the Shortened Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale. This will promote their self-esteem and nurture them to make the most of school and other opportunities in their lives.

Improved practice for education professionals

Each week, 2-3 members of accompanying staff visit alongside their groups of young people. Not only does this mean they can support them best through the programme and be their advocates on their return, but also improve their own practice through learning from our experienced teams and observing our approach.