They’re SENDsational

At Penstone Farm in Cheddar, Somerset, young people with autism, ADHD, Down syndrome and other additional needs are learning that hens can be unusually good teachers. Students feed and water the flock, learn how to cook with the eggs, and help put the birds safely to bed at night. Learning support assistant Tilly Bean says their size and temperament make them especially accessible. “They’re small enough to pick up, smart enough to be interesting, and gentle enough to hold. They’re not overwhelming like horses, or timid like sheep.” One student carries a hen around “like a treasured friend”, another excitedly checks for eggs first thing every morning. And when two students who had recently clashed were asked to collect eggs together, something changed. “They suddenly became a team – focused, calm, working side by side,” says Tilly. “The hens made that possible.” Perhaps most importantly, the work gives students something concrete to feel proud of: “I fed 30 hens today. I collected the eggs. I put them away safe.” As Tilly puts it, “it may not sound like much – but to them it’s everything.”

“They’re small enough to pick up. Smart enough to be interesting. Gentle enough to hold.”