Key Stage 4 (15-16)

Key Stage 4 (15-16)

At KS4, there has been a gradually burgeoning number of types of educational visits – foreign language school exchanges, cultural visits all over Europe and further afield, sports competitions, youth conferences, winter sports and adventurous activities in more extreme environments. The Duke of Edinburgh Award becomes available at 14 years old and continues to be offered for those up to 24 years of age, and pupils of many ages start work on specialist awards in areas such as mountaineering, sailing and river sports. This increase in venue variety has led to a proliferation of specialist companies catering for these activities.

The aims of history trips tend to be more focused in KS4, with study trips to the 1940 Dunkirk evacuation and the 1944 Normandy Landings often proving popular along with the 1815 Waterloo battlefield. Venues of this type are often catered for by specialist travel companies to ensure participants get the best experience available.

A lot of schools have a tradition of school trips with their choirs, orchestras and musical/theatre students. There are specialist companies that can help any school wishing to explore this possibility, and many venues have tailored activities for groups that can help improve performers’ confidence and motivation.

British schools have been the forerunners in Europe for undertaking challenging outdoor activities both at home and abroad (you can visit here for good list of activities and gateway sites) but there is a notable increase of interest at KS4 in science-based trips – most notably the Science and National History museums in London, the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester, the National Railway Museum in York, Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre in Macclesfield, Techniquest in Cardiff, and the Bristol Science Centre, all of which have reported an increase in visitors in recent years.

Suitable Venues

Whitnash Brook forms the eastern limit of the built up area of Leamington and Sydenham. It contains a diverse mixture of habitats including the brook, marshy grassland and swamp, woodland, grassland, tall herb and scrub. The site attracts many birds both during the breeding season and at other times of the year and is attractive to many invertebrates.

Daffern's Wood was declared the first Local Nature Reserve in North Warwickshire on 29th April 2013.

Daffern's Wood is an Ancient Semi-Natural Woodland dating back to 1600 and is irreplaceable. Ancient woodlands are an important habitat for many rare and threatened species of animals and plants. We need to conserve what remains for future generations.

Abbey Green Park is one of four green spaces in North Warwickshire dedicated as Local Nature Reserves.

Abbey Green LNR is situated within the larger Abbey Green Park along its northern boundary. A series of backwater channels connecting to the River Anker intersect the site. 

By offering a variety of experiences in the outdoors - from Family Forest Days to Forest School Leadership and from targeted Forest Schools to  courses and special events- we engage a wide variety of people, to re-connect them to nature, and infuse them with our passion for the world around us. 

An extraordinarily beautiful dune landscape

Murlough National Nature Reserve is a fragile 6000 year old sand dune system owned by the National Trust and managed as Ireland’s first Nature Reserve since 1967.  It is an excellent area for walking and bird watching due to its spectacular location at the edge of Dundrum Bay and the Mourne Mountains.

A beautiful sprawling wilderness to explore for retreat and adventure

The New Forest Northern Commons comprise of five commons that we care for. Each one is a unique landscape of woodland, heathland, mire and grassland, shaped by man and nature since the Bronze Age.

Tŷ Mawr Country Park lies on the banks of the River Dee in the beautiful Vale of Llangollen, part of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is located adjacent to Cefn Viaduct, built by Thomas Brassey in 1848 to carry the Shrewsbury and Chester Railway across the valley of the River Dee.

St. Theresa's Church was built in 1932 in Hamilton City Bermuda. This Catholic church was constructed to replace the St. Edward's Church which was opened way back in 1859. St. Edwards was a small church and was unable to accommodate the growing congregation. In 1915, the priest Father Isaac Comeau purchased a land on Cedar Avenue in Hamilton on which St. Theresa's church was later built.
The gateway to the Surrey Hills

Open the gate and step into a colourful mosaic of purple, greens and gold. All is quiet apart from the sounds of nature. Visit and discover why Hindhead Commons and the Devil’s Punch Bowl is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

A quiet backwater with a busy Medieval past, now bursting with wildlife

This is the only National Nature Reserve on the Isle of Wight. It is a beautiful retreat that has something to offer boat owners, walkers, wildlife enthusiasts and historians or just those in search of peace and tranquility.

Rockcliffe is one of Scotland's prettiest stretches of coastline. It is perfect for exploring, with a network of paths giving access to most of the area, including the important Dark Age trading post of Mote of Mark.

School visits can be arranged with the Ranger Service.

Explore Marwell Zoo and get closer to the wonders of the natural world
  • 100s of animals – including giraffes, tigers & penguins
  • 140 acre park, train and 3 adventure playgrounds

A small, mature, mixed broadleaf and conifer woodland oasis in the northern residential suburbs of Warwick, probably originally planted as a shooting wood in the 1920s. Tree species include sweet chestnut, oak, Scots pine and larch with some holly, ash, beech, silver birch and younger elm trees.

Faskally Wood is an extensive woodland area within Tay Forest Park on the banks of Loch Dunmore, approximately one mile north west of Pitlochry.

A tranquil Elizabethan manor house set in beautiful 18th-century gardens

Built by the Drydens using the remains of a medieval priory, the house and gardens have survived largely unaltered since 1710 and are presented as they were during the time of Sir Henry Dryden, a Victorian antiquary, passionate about the past.

Bishop's fish pond amidst stunning heathland and abundant wildlife

Frensham Little Pond and Great Pond were originally created in the 13th century, to supply fish to the Bishop of Winchester and his court, whilst visiting Farnham Castle. Today the pond and surrounding area is a sanctuary for wildlife with always something new to see.

An ancient and atmospheric estate with a medieval garden and historic house

Discover Godolphin, rich in archaeology and wildlife. Travel back in time as you wander around the 16th-century garden, one of the most important historic gardens in Europe.

A delightful Norman church, displaying one of the most outstandingly complete and well preserved sets of medieval wall paintings in England, dating from the 12th and 14th centuries.

A gardener’s world, a picnicker’s paradise

Explore the evolution of the English garden and take a stroll through three centuries of landscape design at Wrest Park.

From dazzling parterres and fragrant borders, to sweeping landscapes and woodland walks – Wrest Park is a real treat for the senses. Explore over 90 acres showcasing French, Dutch, Italian and English styles side by side.

William and Mary-style country house, garden and park

Built in 1701 by Thomas Vernon, a lawyer and whig MP for Worcester, Hanbury Hall is a beautiful country house.

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

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 w

Ancient royal hunting forest

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.

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.

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.

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