Broughton Castle is a moated and fortified manor house near Banbury in North Oxfordshire.
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
In the footsteps of giants...
Flanked by the wild North Atlantic Ocean and a landscape of dramatic cliffs, for centuries the Giant’s Causeway has inspired artists, stirred scientific debate and captured the imagination of all who see it. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
This beautiful medieval manor sits in peaceful countryside. Cross the upper moat, passing barns, gatehouse and delightful parish church to enjoy fine oriel windows and the soldiers, griffons and monkey adorning the rooftops.
Romantic gardens offer terraces, topiary houses, gazebo, lily pond, roses and views across the spring-fed fishpond.
The Dodman is the highest headland on the south Cornish coast. Offering spectacular views, this area is also of great archaeological interest.
A massive Iron Age earthwork, nearly 666m long and over 6m high, encloses the headland. Over 2,000 years ago, this earthwork could have housed a series of dwellings, known collectively as a promontory fort or cliff castle.
The story of Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian life is told by our costumed staff and volunteers in a unique living and working museum which hosts over 300,000 objects.
Nestling in 300 acres of countryside, Beamish boasts a railway station, a farm, a mill, a colliery village and police and fire stations.
Stoke-on-Trent is world famous for its pottery and no visit to the city would be complete without experiencing this unique Museum.
Discover how bone china tableware was made in the original workshops and giant bottle kilns of the former Gladstone China Works, now preserved as the last complete Victorian Pottery factory in the country.
Take this extraordinary glimpse into the beloved holiday home of the famous and much-loved author Agatha Christie and her family.
Where can you do all these things in one day?
Wander wistfully through a wildflower meadow? Travel the world through Africa and China with the Gascoigne family? Come face-to-face with exotic feathery friends? Imagine yourself living in a grand Edwardian house? And enjoy a picnic while watching a herd of deer?
Lotherton Estate, of course!
Includes sheep, cattle, dogs and geese. Large shop with sheepskin rugs, sheepy gifts, clothing, books etc
Come indoors and be enthralled & educated in our unique farm show. Includes sheep, cattle, dogs and geese. Large shop with sheepskin rugs, sheepy gifts, clothing, books etc. Our cafe serves hot meals & snacks. Licensed bar. Lots of free parking.
Chester Farm is an archaeologically and historically important site covering 34 hectares, which includes a large area designated as a Scheduled Monument and a complex of Grade II and Grade II* listed buildings.
The site is not currently open to the public so please do not visit unless by appointment.
Greenbank House and its walled garden were built for Robert Allason in the 1760s. In 1962, the estate was purchased by William Blyth, who set to work transforming the garden into the design you see today. In 1976, William gifted Greenbank House and Garden to the NTS.
The Grant Museum of Zoology is the only remaining university zoological museum in London. It houses around 67,000 specimens, covering the whole Animal Kingdom.
Boasting stunning scenery, a temperate climate and a sheltered harbour, Canna is the most westerly of the Small Isles of the Inner Hebrides, and also one of the most hospitable. Guided walks are possible by prior arrangement with the property manager.
Fine 18th-century house with costume collection, hillside garden and estate. Home to the 'Paulise de Bush' costume collection, with over 9,000 outfits. Delightful hillside garden featuring rhododendrons, magnolias, and rare trees. Stunning parkland walks all year round.
Discovery centre brings history and the environment to life.
A local nature reserve and country park with a large lake and extensive woodland. A fairly wild sort place with natural features only, but a wonderful environment to explore, and free!
It is also the site of a Roman villa (although unfortunately there are no visible remains).
A trip aboard an Edwardian River Launch in Oxford offers a taste of a slower life, where cares drift away with the gentle flow of the water and lifeâs pleasures can be enjoyed to their utmost. Great idea for a family day out in Oxfordshire.
For a great family day out in beautiful surroundings and the opportunity to see spectacular flying demonstrations, it’s a visit not to be missed. It’s also a great photography opportunity and courses with experts are also available. For a great present you can also book special experience days and get to handle the birds.
A delightful garden, typical of the small country estates on the banks of the Clyde purchased by merchants and industrialists in the 18th and 19th centuries. Attractive features include a walled garden and a burn, winding through the wooded glen.
School visits are welcomed by prior arrangement.
Hatchlands Park was built in the 1750s for naval hero Admiral Edward Boscawen and his wife Fanny. They gave architect, Robert Adam, one of his first interior design commissions. His work can be seen throughout the house, particularly in ceilings and fireplaces.
The GWR is a steam and diesel heritage railway in the English Cotswolds. Since 1981, the volunteers have restored over 10 miles of line, together with platforms, buildings, steam and diesel locomotives and rolling stock. In addition to a scheduled service, GWR hosts a number of galas and enthusiast events.
‘I could live here!’, is what most people say when visiting Gunby Hall and Gardens. Modest-sized rooms full of character and charm make it easy to imagine you can move in yourself.
With links to Tennyson, Darwin and Vaughan-Williams there is so much to discover about the family home of the Massingberd family.
A grand place for a truly entertaining day out.
Once part of one of the most important 18th century picturesque landscapes in Scotland, an attractive woodland walk leads though spectacularly large Douglas firs (including one of the tallest trees in the country) to the amazing folly, Ossian's Hall overlooking the Black Linn waterfall.
Explore 270 acres (110 hectares) of ancient parkland, where a historic herd of fallow deer roams freely and magnificent trees and breathtaking views abound.
With its dramatic clifftop setting, Robert Adam architecture, fascinating history and beautiful surroundings, it's easy to see why Culzean Castle is one of Scotland?s most popular visitor attractions.
Pages
Featured Provider
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.