‘English’ at all ages and levels at school contains many elements – learning the language and understanding how it is made up, developing skills at using the language, reading its rich literature, learning to read factual communications, writing personal works of fact and/or fiction, and learning to revel in this understanding and usage.
At GCSE and GCE A level the courses usually offer a skills based approach, allowing students to explore a range of literary and, in some courses, language topics. All of them rely mainly on ‘set books’ chosen from a list set out by the examination board
Teachers of English usually try to capture students’ interest in language and literature by attending plays and participating in conferences and debates. A number of educational visit companies offer such opportunities. And visits to localities featured in famous books and to authors’ and poets’ homes can inspire even the most reluctant student.
Main organisations:
National Association for the Teaching of English
Inclusion: NASEN
Thought of visiting?
The Tolkien Trails (Birmingham and Lancashire)
Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre, Bucks
Dr Johnson’s Museum and Library, Lichfield
Jane Austen’s House and Museum
Articles on English, Education and Trips on SchoolTripsAdvisor
We offer safe, exciting and educational holidays for young people. A place where children can meet new friends, build confidence, develop social skills and gain wonderful memories.
A place where parents and teachers can be sure their children are well cared for and are receiving high quality activities and English tuition.
Built between1283 and 1295 by an army of nearly a thousand skilled craftsmen and labourers, Harlech is part of the World Heritage Site of Castles and Town Walls of Edward I. We also provide Medieaval Treasure Chest handling and self-led activity packs on Castles, English and Science, Technology and Mathematics.
Welcome to Bring Yer Wellies! We provide fun and engaging outdoor learning for school trips and children’s parties in a unique, hands-on outdoor countryside environment.
We provide a whole range of educational visits and childrens’ parties in a unique outdoor countryside location in Hoghton, Lancashire.
With a striking triple-towered great gatehouse built atop a rock, Denbigh is a fine example of an thirteenth century castle with remarkable surviving town walls.
We also provide Medieaval Treasure Chest handling and self-led activity packs on Castles, English and Science, Technology and Mathematics. Replica artefact handling collection with KS2 History and English self-led resource.
The Museum of English Rural Life houses the most comprehensive national collection of objects, books and archives relating to the history of food, farming and the countryside.
The Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum offers fun and inspiring primary visits and outreach sessions covering literacy, history and more. Meet Kitty and Lucy the family servants, find out how books are made with Michael Johnson, handle original objects, dress up as a Georgian, join Hodge's Alphabet Hunt and make your own Dictionary!
Dr Johnson's House is a charming 300-year-old townhouse, nestled amongst a maze of courts and alleys in the historic City of London. Samuel Johnson, the writer and wit, lived and worked here in the middle of the eighteenth century, compiling his great Dictionary of the English Language in the Garret.
A must for kids studying local history, a visit will let you help out with their schoolwork and spend some quality time together. Special quizzes and hands-on trails take them through Bunyan's amazing life at their own pace.
The National Media Museum is home to over 3.5 million items of historical and cultural significance, and our diverse Collection encompasses some of the finest and most compelling visual material to be found anywhere in the world.
Our Arts in Education provision has been maintained through a specific emphasis on Youth Theatre, Dance and Visual Art Courses (see below), Sandfield Theatre and a considerable expansion of the Music Service.
Dragon Hall is a beautiful, Grade 1 listed medieval trading hall, renowned for its spectacular timber crown-post roof and intricately carved and painted dragon.
Built by a Norwich merchant with an international trading empire, Dragon Hall dates from a time when Norwich was England’s second city. In its heyday it would have been filled with wool, cloth, timber, spices and pottery.
A 210 hectare nature reserve with a diverse mosaic of habitats including marshes, ponds, pools, woods and grasslands. Find the Kingfisher Tearooms nestled in the middle of the reserve serving delicious homemade food. Lots of accessible paths and hides to view the brilliant wildlife. Take a session out with the education team to find out more!
The brand new Belfairs Woodland Centre offers your school the perfect base to discover the natural world. With guidance from our skilled education team, children will experience hands-on learning in both an exciting and safe environment.
EYFS:
Exploring Senses, Pond Power, Go on a Bug Hunt, Teddy Bears Picnic, Natural Art
Learning at our outdoor education centre makes Mill on the Brue a perfect environment to inspire people. With over 40 activities to choose on our 25 acre estate, we can tailor-make your programme to suit the needs and requirements of your group.
A working cattle farm on the urban fringe of Huddersfield. We promote healthy food growing in the community and wildlife conservation, with indoor and outdoor learning facilities.
Foxburrow Farm is a mixed arable farm with a mosaic of wildlife habitats including ponds, woodlands, meadows and an old orchard alongside the cropped fields. The education facilities are centred on the traditional farmyard and include the barn classroom, toilets, covered activity areas and wildlife garden.
Welcome to Hereford Cathedral. This beautiful building is the home of a community which has worshipped and worked together here continuously for well over 1200 years.
It is a place where the mission of the church to proclaim Christ's love is central, and therefore the community has always warmly welcomed visitors. We all hope that you enjoy your visit.
A gallery of rogues and rascals, wizards, witches and wild things unfolds throughout the atmospheric spaces of The Story Museum in our immersive exhibition '26 Characters'.
Sail to a tropical island, walk through the wardrobe into Narnia, listen to stories, dress up and meet a talking throne. Exhibition runs until November 2014
Our fantastic new Visitor Centre offers a modern base for your visit. Discover a wide range of Environmental Education programmes and also visit the nearby water treatment works to learn about the water cycle.
EYFS:
Exploring Senses, Pond Power, Go on a Bug Hunt, Teddy Bears Picnic, Natural Art
Key Stage 1:
Visit our working arable farm to learn about food production and sustainable farming methods to help our farmland wildlife. Find different habitats and understand the effects of breaching the sea wall and the salt marsh created.
Adapted for KS1-4:
FARMING AND WILDLIFE...
We deliver tailor-made sessions for EYFS to KS4, on various topics including minibeasts, habitats, sustainability and woodland management, through investigations of our ancient woodland, reservoir, pond and grassland.
EYFS:
Exploring Senses, Pond Power, Go on a Bug Hunt, Teddy Bears Picnic, Natural Art
Key Stage 1:
Our Education Centre at Magor Marsh is able to cater for groups of up to 32 children and for a variety of age ranges from pre-school and beyond, including teacher training days at all times of year! All our activities have been designed specifically for schools by qualified teachers and a teacher and forest school leader is available at the centre to discuss your individual requirements.
Chafford Gorges Nature Park offers a variety of activities for schools and nurseries. Topics covered: Habitats Studies, Ponds, Bugs, Plants, Rock and Soils, Bush craft and Den-building, Birdwatching. We have an on-site classroom, toilets, gift shop and more.
EYFS:
Exploring Senses, Pond Power, Go on a Bug Hunt, Teddy Bears Picnic, Natural Art
Fingringhoe Wick is one of the county’s top wildlife sites. Uncover the secrets of woodlands, meadows, ponds, heathland and the Colne Estuary. Our varied hands-on Environmental Education programme caters to all ages, from bug hunts for the early years to vegetation sampling for secondary pupils.
EYFS:
Visit the home of the famous literary Brontë sisters - Emily, Charlotte and Anne. The parsonage in which they grew up and wrote countless works in the 19th Century is beautifully preserved.
The Bushcraft Company offer residential school trips with a difference, taking students into the wild and giving them real back-to-nature experiences they will never forget.
A 15-year-old boy fell 60ft over the edge of a cliff whilst on a geography school trip, miraculously only suffering minor injuries.