Learning that breathes.
A working farm on the old Maypole Airfield near Hoath. Open skies, animals, and hands-on activity. For children who come alive outdoors.
Where nature does some of the teaching
Maypole Farm sits on the site of the old Maypole Airfield near Hoath, CT3 4LN. It is a working farm with animals, growing space, and the kind of open, unhurried environment that helps children to decompress, engage, and find their confidence.
Led by Jamie Pickles, the farm team offers vocational programmes that range from animal care and horticulture to forest school and outdoor enterprise. Academic support is woven in naturally — maths through measuring, science through the seasons, literacy through observation and reflection.
Maypole Farm has transformed the outlook of many students who arrived believing learning was something that happened to other people.
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What Maypole Farm offers
Animal Care
Daily care of farm animals, small animals, and livestock. Building responsibility, empathy, and routine.
Horticulture
Planting, growing, and caring for outdoor spaces. Science and sustainability through real, seasonal work.
Forest School
Child-led outdoor learning. Risk, independence, resilience, and teamwork in a natural environment.
Construction & Maintenance
Practical work around the farm — building, fixing, maintaining. Tangible skills and visible results.
Food & Enterprise
Farm-to-table activities, food preparation, and enterprise skills for older students.
Outdoor Academic Support
Core academic sessions in an outdoor or nature-connected context — often transformative for reluctant learners.
Jamie Pickles — Head of Maypole Farm
Jamie leads provision at Maypole Farm, managing the site, the animals, and the vocational learning programmes. His warmth, patience, and genuine connection with the young people in his care make Maypole the place it is.
Jamie and his team approach every student with curiosity and without judgement. Many of the young people who come to Maypole have struggled elsewhere. Most leave with a very different sense of what they are capable of.
Location
Old Maypole Airfield, Hoath, Canterbury CT3 4LNFind out if Maypole Farm is right for your child.
Call 01227 935773 or email info@tuition-extra.co.uk to discuss a visit or placement.