Primary pupils swapped their classroom for the countryside to spend their school week learning about the rural life and farm production which surrounds their village.

Eastern Daily Press: Students from Barnham Primary School spent a week learning about farming and the countryside at the Euston Estate. Picture: Chris HillStudents from Barnham Primary School spent a week learning about farming and the countryside at the Euston Estate. Picture: Chris Hill (Image: Archant)

More than 150 children from Barnham Primary School near Thetford spent five days being tutored by rural professionals on the Euston Estate - a major agricultural producer which has struck up a mutually-beneficial educational partnership with its neighbouring village school.

During lessons based in and around a marquee on Euston Park, the youngsters learned about a diverse range of topics including beekeeping, deer stalking, game keeping, airgun shooting, modern agricultural machinery, high-value vegetable production and farm animals.

Headteacher Amy Arnold said: "It brings our curriculum to life, and enables the children to have first-hand real-life learning experiences.

"They get to ask more in-depth questions. Someone asked the beekeeper how bees turn nectar into honey. It all makes an impact back in the classroom.

Eastern Daily Press: Students from Barnham Primary School spent a week learning about farming and the countryside at the Euston Estate. Pictured: Dejay Brinkley, 10, from Thetford, learns to shoot an air rifle with Terry Behan of the British Association for Shooting and Conservation. Picture: Chris HillStudents from Barnham Primary School spent a week learning about farming and the countryside at the Euston Estate. Pictured: Dejay Brinkley, 10, from Thetford, learns to shoot an air rifle with Terry Behan of the British Association for Shooting and Conservation. Picture: Chris Hill (Image: Archant)

"Through this week we cover the science curriculum by learning about the growth of plants, they have the chance to experience the Olympic discipline of shooting, and we've covered history with the Euston archivist.

"This is all right in our local environment, and it is really important that they understand what the land around our school is used for."

READ MORE: Primary school pupils entrusted with £80,000 budget to buy farm's new forkliftEuston Estate farm manager Matthew Hawthorne said: "The benefit for me is the children and their parents are getting an insight into what is happening on their doorstep with regards to tractor and lorry movements, and the reasons why produce is being transported through the village, and the whole lifestyle of the Euston estate.

"I want them to know why that trailer is rumbling by on a Sunday, or why there is mud on the road. I want that knowledge to be ingrained in everyone who lives locally."

Eastern Daily Press: Students from Barnham Primary School spent a week learning about farming and the countryside at the Euston Estate. Picture: Chris HillStudents from Barnham Primary School spent a week learning about farming and the countryside at the Euston Estate. Picture: Chris Hill (Image: Archant)

Eastern Daily Press: Students from Barnham Primary School spent a week learning about farming and the countryside at the Euston Estate. Pictured: Aimee Pinkney, 11, from Thetford, learns to shoot an air rifle. Picture: Chris HillStudents from Barnham Primary School spent a week learning about farming and the countryside at the Euston Estate. Pictured: Aimee Pinkney, 11, from Thetford, learns to shoot an air rifle. Picture: Chris Hill (Image: Archant)

Eastern Daily Press: Students from Barnham Primary School spent a week learning about farming and the countryside at the Euston Estate. Pictured: Dejay Brinkley, 10, from Thetford, learns to shoot an air rifle with Terry Behan of the British Association for Shooting and Conservation. Picture: Chris HillStudents from Barnham Primary School spent a week learning about farming and the countryside at the Euston Estate. Pictured: Dejay Brinkley, 10, from Thetford, learns to shoot an air rifle with Terry Behan of the British Association for Shooting and Conservation. Picture: Chris Hill (Image: Archant)

Eastern Daily Press: Students from Barnham Primary School spent a week learning about farming and the countryside at the Euston Estate. Picture: Chris HillStudents from Barnham Primary School spent a week learning about farming and the countryside at the Euston Estate. Picture: Chris Hill (Image: Archant)