Science

Science

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.

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 0844 335 1737 or emailing info@schooltripsadvisor.org.uk.

 

Main organisations:

British Science Association

Association for Science Education

CLEAPSS

Membership through Handsam

Radiation Protection Officer services through Handsam

Science Learning Centres

National STEM Centre

Inclusion: NASEN

 

Thought of visiting?

The Science Museum

Natural History Museum

National Space Museum

Centre for Alternative Technology

Cern Education website

ThinkTank, Birmingham

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 Wellcome Collection, London

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Earth Centres

 

For a complete list of venues and providers who deliver specialist courses and activities for this subject see below

William and Mary-style country house, garden and park
Venue Type: 
Historic Buildings & Monuments
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Built in 1701 by Thomas Vernon, a lawyer and whig MP for Worcester, Hanbury Hall is a beautiful country house.

Inside, a mix of interiors await to be discovered, from the restored Hercules rooms and recreated Gothic corridor, to the recently re-decorated smoking room and stunning staircase wall-paintings by Sir James Thornhill which underwent major restoration work in 2010 and look magnificent.

Venue Type: 
Museums
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This award winning Museum takes you back through time to explore the story of the Lake District and its inhabitants. Isolated before the arrival of the railway and motorcar, this area developed its own unique customs and traditions.

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Also known as Manor House Zoo, Anna's Welsh Zoo boasts Rhinos, gibbons, llama, Oryx, zebra, wallabies, meerkats and tapirs amongst many other animals.

At Manor House you can connect with animals and their environments, connect with natural surroundings, connect with the environment and the serious challenges and threats facing the survival of the planet.

Hidden woodlands, lush green meadows, tranquil ponds and an ancient common
Venue Type: 
Wildlife and Nature
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The Harewoods estate was created over a number of years by the Victorian London stockbroker, Alfred Howard Lloyd, and forms a large part of the countryside in and around the picturesque village of Outwood - take a look at the Outwood village website to find out more.

Ancient royal hunting forest
Venue Type: 
Wildlife and Nature
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Hatfield Forest is the best surviving example in Britain of an almost complete Royal Hunting Forest. It has seen many owners, from Kings to commonors. No other Forest on earth evokes the atmosphere of a medieval hunting Forest so completely.

Venue Type: 
Zoos / Wildlife Parks
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Set in 33 acres of beautiful woodland with some stunning views of the surrounding countryside, Dartmoor Zoological Park is a unique family owned zoo with a fantastic collection of animals.

Our animal attractions include tigers, lion, lynx, cheetah, bears, wolves, tapir, capybara, racoons, meerkats, monkeys, a fantastic collection of bugs and reptiles and much more making Dartmoor Zoo a unique family attraction within easy reach of Plymouth.

Venue Type: 
Maritime / Sea Life
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Offering a weird and exciting mix of public aquarium plus thermal carp pool, creepy petrifying well, shiny gemstone and fossil display, vintage chinaware collection, regional history exhibition and one of the largest public displays of Holograms in Europe!

The Thermal Pool is fed by a warm spring and illuminated at night, containing plentiful common carp, mirror carp and koi.

Kids are more than welcome to feed the fish but naturally only with the approved food available on site.

Venue Type: 
Wildlife and Nature
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In this most southerly part of rural Derbyshire, Beehive Farm Woodland Lakes offers visitors lots of fun ways to enjoy a very special corner of the New National Forest. They have over 66 acres of emerging young woodland to explore with thriving wildlife, fishing lakes and a family-friendly animal farm.

Venue Type: 
Wildlife and Nature
Overall Rating: 
4

Attenborough Nature Centre is an award-winning education centre and visitor attraction located at Attenborough Nature Reserve, a nationally important wildlife site close to Nottingham and Derby.

An attraction with great vantage points and bird hides, this nature reserve is great for young and old. Managed by the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, the tranquil surroundings provide unique and accessible ways to watch wildlife despite being just four miles from central Nottingham.

Discover more than just history
Venue Type: 
Castles
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Leeds Castle welcomes school visits from all over the world, all year round. As part of our charitable mission we offer special subsidised rates to schools from Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Essex and London. 

The new National Curriculum

Leeds Castle has over a thousand years of history, so why not come and visit us for your Local History studies; did you know King Henry VIII stayed here in 1520? An updated workshop entitled ‘Party in the Park’ looks at this significant event.

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