A glimpse of the museum from Runnymede Gardens, which is situated next to The Landmark Theatre on Ilfracombe's seafront. A fascinating place to visit come rain or shine and one of the best value for money attractions in North Devon.
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.
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 trips@handsam.co.uk.
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)
Venues for this Curriculum
The remains of the largest castle in Devon, in a stunning setting on a wooded spur above the rushing River Okement. Begun soon after the Norman Conquest as a motte and bailey castle with a stone keep, it was converted into a sumptuous residence in the 14th century by Hugh Courtenay, Earl of Devon, much of whose work survives.
The North Devon Maritime Museum offers a fascinating insight into the rich shipbuilding and seafaring history of the area. It is housed in a fine, Georgian Grade II listed building which has been the home of several ship owners and master mariners in the past 200 years and is situated in the picturesque village and sea port of Appledore.
The Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon is the perfect way to find out more about North Devon. Our collections and displays cover the natural and human history of this beautiful part of the country. Highlights of the Museum include the Tarka Gallery, the Story of North Devon and the Regimental Collection of the Royal Devon Yeomanry.
It’s a day out for the whole family with model/miniature railways and a country park as well as heritage steam and diesel locomotives operating and a host of other attractions. Sometimes you can see special visitors, be it Thomas the Tank Engine, a vintage Steam or historic Diesel Loco.
Discover the craftsmanship and heritage behind Bombay Sapphire at our distillery in the heart of England. Laverstoke Mill in beautiful, rural Hampshire is the setting where you are invited to go behind the scenes as we make our gin in our state-of-the-art distillery.
Bognor Regis is a traditional West Sussex seaside town. We’ve got three contemporary resort hotels, a funky spa, a restaurant by celebrity chef Brian Turner, a 2012 Quality Coast Award beach and the South Downs National Park on our doorstep.
“I have looked further into space than any human being did before me.” William Herschel
Create your very own glowing slime, catch a star-spangled planetarium show or scare yourself silly with the new Frankenstein: Escape the Monster 4D ride.
The Science Centre's permanent exhibitions focus on different aspects of scientific process and discovery.
Over the winter we will be carrying out a transformation of the castle, creating new displays and preparing to tell new, previously untold, stories. 2015 will mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, so make sure you set aside time in your diary to visit when we reopen from April.
Welcomes you to journey back to a bygone age and experience the thrill of steam and diesel on their preserved railway.
Peak Rail welcomes you to journey back to a bygone age and experience the thrill of steam and diesel on their preserved railway, operating between Rowsley South and Matlock Platform 2 for a distance of 4 miles and open to the public throughout the year.
Come explore amongst the 200-year-old trees!
Penn Woods are achingly explorable, ideal for minibeast hunting, leaf collecting, pond dipping, ladybird spotting, snail racing, picnicking and almost anything else you like to do outdoors with the kids!
In an area renowned for its rich stock of ancient woodland, Penn Wood, at its very heart, stands out as one of the largest.
Woods Mill is a 44-acre Nature Reserve that covers a variety of habitats including meadow with hedgerow, freshwaters and woodland. Most of the reserve is now accessible by wheelchair. There is a classroom with a wide range of equipment for indoor and outdoor studies suitable for all age groups.
Take a walk around Rodbaston Visitor Centre Animal Zone and say hello to over 750 animals, from meerkats to monkeys, rabbits to alpacas.
Glorious beach with dramatic sand dunes, surrounded by sweeping coastal pinewoods
Red squirrels, natterjacks, prehistoric footprints and miles of coastal walks are just waiting to be discovered - part of Formby's amazing and ever changing landscape.
Enjoy breathtaking sea views or a picnic; head out on a bracing coastal walk or find out about Formby's fascinating coastal history with links to asparagus growing and the early days of aviation.
Nature reserve with bird hides, a visitor centre with wildlife explorer backpacks and picnic area. Free to visit.
These packs include trail notes, games and spotter sheets with different wildlife to look out for. Kids can follow the trail through the grassy glades, woods and pond at their own pace.
Majestic views across mid Wales, and a 72m high dam holding back 50,000 megalitres of water, makes this one of Severn Trent Water's most spectacular visitor sites.
Found deep beneath the limestone hills on the edge of the historic Derbyshire spa town of Buxton. This secret underground world once echoed to the sound of a glacial river that scoured the rock for millions of years.
BedZed (Beddington Zero Energy Development)is the UK's first and largest carbon neutral eco-community. Situated in the South London borough of Sutton, BedZed provides 100 comfortable and futuristically-styled homes with community facilities and workspace for another 100 people, without contributing any extra CO2 to the atmosphere.
Fascinating displays and a few hands on experiments inspired by local mathematical physicist George Green, housed in his families' working windmill. Really interesting stuff plus lots of community and family events like seasonal crafts and cooking classes.
Offers crazy golf and children's play area for 3-12 year olds as well as natural green space and a cafe.
Nearly 350 heactares of ancient woodland that is full of butterflies and moths. 2 trails have been set up so that everyone can enjoy them. Information boards along the way provide details of the species that you may see.
Situated in the Tees valley close to Middlesbrough, Nature’s World is “the North of England’s pioneering eco-experience”. Opening in 1992, we are a thriving visitor attraction, training centre and educational facility with over 29,000 visitors every year.
An enormous green space with woodland children's play area, a selection of way marked nature trails with panoramic views, hidden sculptures and 1,200 rare and exotic trees in the Arboretum! Plus park cafe, picnic spots and BBQs.
A great little local museum with plenty to discover such as a panoramic view of Victorian Louth, the story of the Ghost of the Green Lady, rock and fossils, plus 200,000 years of local archaeology!
Louth Museum will take you on an amazing journey of discovery, with several galleries, plus a courtyard to explore.
Pages
Featured Provider
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.
Login/Sign Up
Latest News
Schoolboy Falls From 60ft Cliff on School Trip
A 15-year-old boy fell 60ft over the edge of a cliff whilst on a geography school trip, miraculously only suffering minor injuries.