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

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.

An intimate Arts and Crafts style family home and complementary gardens

Discover the cherished family home of Noel Goddard Terry, owner of the famous chocolate-making firm Terry’s of York. The house was designed by architect Walter Brierley in the Arts and Crafts style and is complemented by four acres of gardens, designed by George Dillistone. A hidden gem - only a stone's throw away from York City Centre.

The Wash is the largest estuary and the most important wetland site in the UK. The south east corner of the Wash forms the largest National Nature Reserve in England.

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.

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.

Take a walk on the wild side and explore an ecological paradise

Discover the beautiful countryside and rugged scenery of Marsden Moor. With more than 5000 acres of moorland to explore, there is always something new to see.

Discover more than just history

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

Welcome to the Cathedral Church of Saint Barnabas, the seat of the Bishop of Nottingham and the chief Church for Roman Catholics living in the Diocese of Nottingham.

Cistercian abbey, elegant Georgian water garden and medieval deer park

For centuries people have been drawn to this inspiring place.

From humble beginnings the magnificent abbey was established by devout monks seeking a simpler existence. The atmospheric ruins that remain are a window into a way of life which shaped the medieval world.

The Grand Union Canal at Stoke Bruerne is an idyllic picture of passing boats and local wildlife. It’s a relaxing and lovely place for a day out.

There are loads of different things to do – boat trips and walks, bird watching and fun for kids at Rookery farm.

The exotic luxuriance of Mount Stewart's celebrated gardens, created in the 1920s by Edith, Lady Londonderry has helped make it one of Northern Ireland's most popular Trust's properties with all the family.

There's a natural surprise waiting around every corner

For all lovers of nature and the great outdoors, Escot is a unique experience and offers a great

The Reserve covers 369 acres of the Meon Valley, encompassing a mosaic of natural habitats. River, fen, pools, reedbed and meadow are carefully managed, giving protection to a range of special wildlife.

Educational Visits

Farm Shop, Butchery, nature trail, restaurant and activities

Jimmy’s Farm caters to large or small groups seeking education and/or adventure!

We offer formally structured courses for children and young people…

A landscape abandoned by a generation of progress

A step into Lanlay Meadows is a step back in time, where sprawling, unkempt hedgerows meet gnarled, twisted old oak trees.

Farmed for centuries, this small fragment of land has lain unchanged for decades, avoiding the wrath of today's flail hedge trimmers and fertilisers and becoming a rare haven for a huge array of wildlife.

Kellie Castle in Fife dates from as early as the 14th century and has magnificent plaster ceilings, painted panelling and fine furniture designed by Sir Robert Lorimer.

There are excellent facilities for school groups, including a fully equipped education room, adjacent to the walled garden.

The 'leaning tower' and walls of this large late medieval church survived bombing during the Second World War. The graveyard is now a public garden.

Bristol’s Temple Church is so called because the original church was built by the Knights Templar, perhaps the most famous of the medieval military orders.

12th-century Welsh castle, historic house and 18th-century landscape park, enclosing a medieval deer park

A magical land of power and influence for more than 2,000 years, Dinefwr Park and Castle is an iconic place in the history of Wales. Two forts are evidence of a dominant Roman presence. The powerful Lord Rhys held court at Dinefwr and influenced decisions in Wales.

The visionaries, George and Cecil Rice designed the superb 18th-century landscape that you see today.

Spectacular walks, secluded beaches and exceptional views

A spectacular coastline, combined with a lively working Cornish port, lends this area its unique character and charm. 

There's a network of footpaths to discover, making the area great walking country, with the South West Coast Path offering sweeping views and a few hilly challenges.

Middleton Hall is a "unique" Grade II-listed country house in Staffordshire. The hall shows evidence of several phases of English domestic architecture from the late thirteenth to the early nineteenth century. There is a fine Great Hall that is of Tudor origin, which makes a classic setting for weddings, for performances and for parties.

Glorious gardens overlooking the River Thames.

Set high above the Thames with far-reaching views, Cliveden’s impressive gardens and majestic woodlands capture the grandeur of a bygone age.

Welcome to the National Botanic Garden of Wales. The first botanic garden of the new millennium is 568 acres of beautiful Carmarthenshire countryside, about an hour west of Cardiff. It is easy to get to but hard to forget.

Two nature reserves, a huge open field, busy Countryside Centre with cafe facilities, adventure play area and easy access from the city or the motorway, make this site very popular with a variety of visitors. Whether you are looking for birds, swings, coffee, flowers, footpaths or all of these and more, you've come to the right place at Worcester Woods Country Park.

The natural world is incredible!  And Portsmouth is a very special place for wildlife in Britain. It has many different habitats in a very small area, and at Portsmouth Natural History Museum you can explore them all.

Late 15th-century stone house

Little Clarendon was built in the late 15th century for a family of some local distinction, but its origins and early history remain mysterious.

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