Nature Visits
Educational Visits
Bring your nursery, school or college to the Grange Farm Centre to explore the great outdoors and develop practical skills through programmes linked to the curriculum.
£500 of funding towards the cost of your trip may be available thanks to the Grange Farm Trust Learning Grant.
Our meadow and the nearby EWT nature reserve provide a fantastic resource for activities such as orienteering, bushcraft and habitat exploration such as pond dipping and minibeast surveys. Our activities can be adapted for a wide range of groups.
Please see below for the School Education Programme 2021.
To find out about our full offer and to discuss your tailor-made educational package email Emma at emmag@essexwt.org.uk
‘We really hope that we can take advantage of such an amazing trip as there is so much learning that can take place. We know that without the grant, we will not be able to participate’
‘Many thanks and our year 3 is looking forward to this trip very much - a very first time for our children to experience this. Thank you once again.’
Fleecefield Primary School
(Interested parties should contact the office for more information)
Schools Education Programme 2021
To find out about our full offer and to discuss your tailor-made educational package email Emma at emmag@essexwt.org.uk
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Costs
Full Day: £7 donation per child EYFS, KS1 & KS2
Half Day: £5 donation per child EYFS, KS1 & KS2
Minimum deposit of : £120 full day | £80 half day
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Timings
Visits available Tuesday – Friday term time.
Full day visits: 10am to 2pm or 2.30pm unless otherwise arranged. Lunch breaks are roughly 30 – 45 minutes. Time for morning snacks can be arranged.
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Site Facilities
We aim to spend the majority of time outdoors whatever the weather, please ensure students dress accordingly. The Centre has toilets and a classroom for lunch storage.
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Health & Safety
Full site and activity risk assessments are carried out. Copies of the relevant risk assessment will be sent to you prior to your visit on request. A qualified first aider will be present on site and all group leaders carry first aid kits. However, we are unable to provide antihistamines, insect repellent or sun cream.
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Other
Please ensure children and adults are appropriately dressed in suitable outdoor clothing: waterproofs, wellies and warm clothing essential in colder months and hats and sun cream are advised through summer.
Children are the responsibility of your school group leader at all times. It would be useful for children to be allocated to groups prior to your visit.
Our sustainability policy states that schools must take any rubbish away with them. Top tip: reusable lunch boxes are great for encouraging sustainability for the children.
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Our Programmes
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Bushcraft & Survival | Half Day | KS1, KS2
Learn how to track animals and understand how they survive in the wild. Work together to put up a shelter, will it protect you from the cold, the wind and the rain? Optional fire lighting and marshmallow toasting can be included in this session upon request.
Seasonal Senses | Full Day | EYFS, KS1
Use your senses to explore the park in the current season. Experience our environment through touch, see, hear and smell. Include links into literacy with describing the environment and art with artwork using natural materials.
Teddy Bears Picnic | Half Day | EYFS
Children bring their teddies to learn about needs for life by exploring what animals need in the wild – shelter, water, air and food. Create dens for shelter, hunt for wild foods: nuts and berries and take part in a bug hunt.
Plant Detectives | Half Day | KS1, KS2
Look for plants, trees or flowers, and understand what they need to grow. Find those growing in different places and understand how they are suited to their environment. Visit our sensory garden for hands-on plants discovery. Use simple classification to identify different plant types. Take part in games and activities to learn about plant structure and survival. KS2 look at parts of our flowering plants and explore the plant life cycle.
Where in the world? | Half Day | EYFS, KS1, KS2
Work as a team to understand direction. Use maps to find your way around the park, follow a trail to find hidden clues. Look at Arial photographs of the park – what features & landmarks can you find? EYFS combine with minibeasts ‘Understanding our World’.
Minibeast Hunt | Half Day | EYFS, KS1, KS2
What are minibeasts? Discover the creatures that live on the land, learn to identify them and look at their habitats. Use magnifying glasses, sweep nets and bug pots to investigate our creepy crawlies. Use picture keys to find out what they are. For KS2 look at how minibeasts are adapted to their habitat, look at classification and be able to describe minibeasts and food chains and look at life cycles of different creatures.
Homes and ‘Habitats’ | Full Day | KS1, KS2 (pond dipping, seasonal availability)
Explore the different habitats in the park, the meadow, woodland or pond. Answer questions about what a habitat is and why they are important for wildlife. Discover both plants and animals that are adapted to these habitats. Look at adaptations of our pond creatures, how do they breathe underwater?