The teaching and learning of science can take many forms due to the large number of branches of the discipline, but all of them involve a large element of doing things, of experimenting, of making and breaking, of trying out new ideas, whether at primary or secondary level. This has been appreciated by museums and visitors centres, so that we now have a plethora of possibilities.
The Association for Science Education is the lead body helping schools to develop their teaching and learning. It offers support for primary and secondary science subject leaders, teachers and schools, and keeps schools abreast of curriculum and assessment changes and reforms. The Association aims to enrich science teaching and learning with free resources, which can be found at: www.schoolscience.co.uk
Some venues are obviously specifically suitable for science groups, but others, which are more cross-curricular, are less obvious. Below we give staff a pointer to these as well as making it easy to access the websites of the well known attractions.
CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, has long been popular with British school groups. It is celebrating 60 years this year and is encouraging teachers to look at its Cern Education website.
CAT, the Centre for Alternative Technology in Machynlleth, is also celebrating a major birthday this year – its 40th. It is a very different experience from CERN, but fascinating nonetheless.
The announcement in April 2015 that the new SKA radiotelescope is to be built in the UK will also be a huge boost for scientists looking for projects to follow and then visit as the telescope is built in readiness for full operational capability in 2025.
We should draw your attention to the fact that farm visits are popular with primary schools and there is a growing number of farms offering excellent opportunities – from feeding animals to driving tanks. But there are some stringent health and safety rules to be observed. For advice and guidance please contact Handsam by calling 03332 070737 or emailing [email protected].
Main organisations:
Association for Science Education
Membership through Handsam
Radiation Protection Officer services through Handsam
Inclusion: NASEN
Thought of visiting?
Centre for Alternative Technology
Michael Faraday Museum, London
National Conservation Centre, Liverpool
Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester
Techniquest (various locations in Wales including Cardiff, Wrexham and Pembrokeshire)
The Conduit House is part of the monastic waterworks which supplied nearby St Augustine's Abbey.
The remains of this medieval conduit house stand in King’s Park, Canterbury, on a steep west-facing hillside to the east of St Augustine’s Abbey, whose spring water supply it was built to protect.
The British Red Cross runs a museum containing a variety of materials from its beginnings in 1870 to its modern activities. The collections include posters, photographs, badges worn by Society members, medals awarded to Society members, medical equipment and fundraising materials and contain a fascinating portrait of our humanitarian work.
This delightful Charles II house is an extraordinary example of a Kent country home. Owletts and its gardens have many treasures, especially from when it was home to its most famous owner Sir Herbert Baker, whose architectural influences can still be found throughout the house.
Located in Port Sunlight, the historic home of Unilever in the UK, the Unilever archives are amongst the most important collections of business records in the world.
Find out the origin of the terms:
Shank´s Pony´
Crickets ‘In the Slips’.
‘Money for old rope’.
See:
Actviities include Ski & Snowboarding, Science-Geography-Technology Discovery, TeamWork Sports Tours, and Academy Tours for Performing & Expressive Arts.
Bethlem Royal Hospital was founded in 1247 and was the first institution in the UK to specialise in the care of the mentally ill. The hospital continues to provide in-patient care as part of the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, and has been based since 1930 in the outer London suburbs.
Canterbury Cathedral is the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion and seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Cathedral is both a holy place and part of a World Heritage Site. It is the home of a community of people who seek to make the Cathedral a place of welcome, beauty and holiness and take part in one of our 2,00 services each year.
In a commanding position on top of Bembridge Down, Isle of Wight, this derelict Victorian fort is now open for volunteer-run guided tours.
Guided tours are available every Tuesday from April to October. Additional weekday tours for groups of 10 plus may be possible on request.
The museum is housed in part of a building which is in itself a museum piece; a small manor house dating from the 17th century which was used as a parsonage in 1724.
The Stockwood Discovery Centre is designed with environmentally green and sustainable principles in mind.
With interactive display, variety of gardens, children play area, special events and activities, bee gallery and much more, it is a wonderful visitor attraction and museum. Collection highlights include the Wenlok Jug, the Shillington gold coin hoard and the Mossman collection.
A friendly, family run business with a wonderful collection of over 30 birds of prey to see, including owls, hawks, and falcons. A number of experiences available for accompanied children aged 14 and older.
Recent additions that the kids won’t want to miss are a Great Grey Owl and a Steppe Eagle, there is also a Green Winged Macaw called Woody!
Birds of prey are constantly showing off their skills at this amazing centre, where breeding and conservation are of paramount importance. Many different types of birds of prey are on display here, including eagles, hawks, owls and falcons.
Cotswold Falconry Centre aims to be one of the friendliest Raptor centres in the country.
Formed by a series of volcanic eruptions, the craggy landscape of St Abb’s Head on the Berwickshire coast is a National Nature Reserve famous for its clamouring seabirds, rugged coastline, rich grasslands and crystal-clear waters.
A veritable ‘seabird city’, St Abb’s Head is a year-round haven for birdwatchers, walkers and wildlife lovers.
Set in part of a 600 acre working farm, which provides a varied selection of animals to see including llamas, goats, peacocks and red deer. Kids will also enjoy the adventure playground and the go kart track!
Educational Visits
Bayham Abbey makes a fascinating day out on the Kent-Sussex border. The impressive ruins include much of the 13th to 15th-century church, the chapter house, and a picturesque 14th-century gatehouse.
This area of natural beauty was bought in memory of Thomas Hardy, to protect the landscape in which his novels are set. Fontmell Down and Harding's Down offer stunning views that stretch for miles across the Blackmore Vale.
Come and explore our unique tropical haven of wonderful plants and animals situated in the heart of the city.
Why Plantasia?
Stone tools and remains of animals found in the caves by archaeologists provide evidence for a fascinating story of life during the last Ice Age between 50,000 and 10,000 years ago. Great idea for family days out in Nottinghamshire.
Explore the earthworks from both the Roman and Iron Age periods and imagine what it would've looked like thousands of years ago.
Take a closer look at the five entrances through the ramparts, two of which are Iron Age, two Roman and one medieval. And once inside the hill fort you'll see remains of buildings and property boundaries in the form of circular hollows and ridges.
Travel back in time to the Jazz Age at the holiday home of the D'Oyly Carte family.
You can lose yourself in the magical 12-hectare (30-acre) garden: viewpoints give enticing glimpses out to sea, paths weave through glades past tranquil ponds, and tender plants from the Mediterranean, South Africa and New Zealand thrive in the moist and sheltered valley.
A lovely little museum that covers the local history of the small market town of Tring from its earliest days to the recent past.
You can also learn about the industrial revolution and how the rural way of life in Tring was affected by the changes through time.
Stand on the world famous Greenwich Meridian Line at the Royal Observatory, high on the hill above Greenwich.
Harewood House is a country house in Harewood near Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Designed by architects John Carr and Robert Adam, it was built between 1759 and 1771 for wealthy trader Edwin Lascelles, 1st Baron Harewood.
The site comprises 130 acres containing the best collection of trees in Oxfordshire with some of the oldest redwoods in the UK
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.