Opening Times

Open Daily from the 1st March to the 30th November. 10am to 6pm, last admission 4pm.

What makes this a great venue for School group Fun or Educational Visits?

The Arboretum Trust is a unique learning environment for all ages. It provides a safe and inspirational place for school group visits with acres of space and a wide variety of flora and fauna to explore.

What are the Curriculum Topics or Benefit to the students from a visit?

We take a cross-curricular approach to outdoor learning and cover almost all subject areas.

The benefits of learning outside the classroom are well documented but the arboretum is particularly well suited for outdoor education. The rural setting, abundance of wild flowers, birds and insects in our woodlands and around our lake and ponds excite all who visit us. We offer fun, structured activities that promote independent learning and exploration. Our approach and activities suit a wide variety of learning styles and we receive excellent feedback from students and teachers alike.

What are the activities?

Teachers and community group leaders are able to choose from a menu of activities including; Story Sticks, Pond Dipping, Minibeast Hunt and Habitat Creation, Meet a Tree, Colour Collection, Seasonal Story Trails, Amazing Art, Lumberjack Challenge, Amazing Autumn, Decomposer Detectives, Explorienteering, Ecosystem Surveys, and others as requested by and developed for individual groups.

Further details of the activities available can be found at;
http://www.kewatch.co.uk/educationmenu.html

What is the age range of the activities?

Age 4 and upwards. Our activities are adapted for the age and ability of each visiting group following a pre-visit discussion with the group leader.

Sample programme of the activities:

A typical day for a visiting primary school opting for a fully assisted daymight be;
Arrive - Introduction
Activity 1 - Minibeast Hunt and Habitat Creation
Lunch at covered outdoor classroom
Activity 2 - Colour Collection and Seasonal Story Trail
Activity 3 - Meet a Tree and Amazing Art
Departure - Conclusion

What materials to you provide or suggest groups bring to support the visit?

All materials and equipment are provided for pre-booked assisted activity sessions.

What are the minimum and maximum group sizes and the free Teacher Ratio?

For groups booking assisted activities;
Minimum group size = 10 (exceptions are made for SEN groups)
Maximum group size = 75

The free teacher ratio depends on the age of the children in the group and ranges from 1:1 for students with special needs to 1:10 for Year 5+

Do you have or how do you arrange risk assessment?

Generic risk assessments for all assisted activities and general moving about the site are avaialble to all teachers booking a group visit.

Do you offer Teacher familiarisation days?

Yes. All teachers booking a group visit are invited to attend a free pre-visit meeting with the Education Officer at The Arboretum Trust.

The Arboretum Trust also runs regular CPD courses for teachers, Using The Outdoor Classroom and Cross-Curricular Minibeasts, which are bursting with activity ideas should teachers wish to run all or part of their visit themselves. For full details visit;
http://www.kewatch.co.uk/educationhome.html

What facilities are there for school groups for food and drink, shop etc?

On-site facilities include:
- Free coach parking
- Covered outdoor classroom area for teaching and picnicking
- Bird Observatory with bird feeding station
- Composting area with interpretation
- Dedicated minibeast zones
- Cafe
- Gift shop
- Toilets

Is specific clothing required?

Outdoor clothing and footwear suitable for the prevailing weather conditions is required.

Do you have first aid on site?

Yes. A first aid box is located at the Visitors Centre and the Education Officer is a trained First Aider.

Are there any restrictions on photos, copyright etc?

No.

Additional information.

The Arboretum Trust Outdoor Learning programme has been awarded the Quality Badge by the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom.

Further information about the Outdoor Learning Programme can be found at;
http://www.kewatch.co.uk/educationhome.html