Opening Times

School term time 10 am to 3 pm

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

Diverse range of habitats to study – chalk grassland meadows, grazed by sheep and Highland Cattle; deciduous woodland, ponds and a traditional orchard, complete with observation beehive.
At its heart is the historic Wandlebury Ring – the remains of an iron age hill fort and 18th century gardens.
Plenty of space for games and picnics, in a lovely parkland setting on low chalk hills.
Activities led by enthusiastic and experienced field teachers and rangers, the emphasis is on practical, hands-on investigations and activities in the open air.

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

Habitat Studies linked to the QCA Science Units, Environmental Art , Orienteering – links to PE and geography curriculum.

What are the activities?

Nature Trails: an activity based walk, adapted to different age groups, exploring the Wandlebury countryside. This includes hands-on investigations, comparison of grassland and woodland habitats, and a look at our observation beehive.
Pond Investigations: fits particularly well with the nature trail or orienteering. Includes identification of plants and animals in this habitat, their adaptations, life cycles and food chains/webs.
Seasonal Studies: particularly suited to reception classes. ‘Signs of Spring’, ‘Signs of Summer’ and ‘Autumn - nature preparing for the cold of winter’.
Art Activities: inspired by nature. Observe nature’s lines, shapes, colours, textures and patterns all around you. Draw using pencils, oil pastels, charcoal or chalk and collect natural objects to construct relief collages. Imaginative 3D sculpturing from natural objects.
Orienteering (Key Stage 2 and above): an adventurous sport, learn about maps in an exciting and energetic way. Use accurate, but speedy observation to relate features on the ground to symbols on the map using magnetic north. Keep track of where you are by ‘thumbing’ the map. Plan routes, discuss, race against others, compare and analyse tactics and performance. Half or full day sessions.

What is the age range of the activities?

We cater for pre-school, school and college groups from the Foundation Years, through Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 4 , and Sixth Form Studies. We also offer visits for youth groups, home educating groups, out of school clubs and adult groups.

Sample programme of the activities:

Arrive 10.00 am
Activity: e.g. Pond Dipping
Lunch 12 noon to 12.30 pm
Activity: e.g. Nature Trail
Finish 2.30 pm

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

All equipment and resources are provided.

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

1 adult for every 2/3 pupils for pre-school and Reception, 1 for every 6 pupils in school years 1 to 3, 1 for every 10 pupils in school years 4 to 6, 1 for every 15 pupils in school years 7 upwards. We recommend you bring 2 extra adults if possible for orienteering sessions.

Do you have or how do you arrange risk assessment?

All activities are risk assessed and copies are available on request.

Do you offer Teacher familiarisation days?

Yes – dates for 2010 are: Sunday 16th May at 11am and Saturday 12th June 2pm, or come to our Science Festival Open Day Sunday 21st March from 11 am to 3.30 pm – see our website: www.cambridgeppf.org for details of this and other events.

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

No catering or shop facilities on site, visiting groups bring a picnic, water bottles can be refilled

Is specific clothing required?

Children and adults should come suitably dressed for an active day outside, wearing sensible comfy shoes, long trousers (essential for orienteering), and equipped with sun hat / sun tan cream / warm or waterproof clothing as required.

Do you have first aid on site?

Visiting groups are responsible for their own first aid. Our staff are first aid trained as back up.

Are there any restrictions on photos, copyright etc?

No