With the Jubilee holiday and the mid-term break over, everyone is back at school for the last stretch before the summer holidays. Here in the education centre, we are gearing up for one of our busiest times.

So why do school groups come to the theme park and zoo? Many come for their end of year day out, as a reward system for good behaviour and good grades. But more and more teachers are seeing the impact of a zoo visit on their students. The zoo sessions that we run are in line with the national curriculum so coming to the zoo, learning outside the classroom, can really bring topics to life for many students.

Deborah Fairclough, our education officer commented “by working with the teachers before a visit we can really tailor the requirements of the class on the day; therefore, the students get the most out of the trip”. Ongoing research in the zoo is looking directly at this impact; education research within zoos is extremely important as it allows us to look at how successful our efforts in educating people about conservation and the environment are!

– Marie Athorn (CIRCLE education research assistant)