School Travel Organiser looks at what schools can see and do when visiting Palm House and how trips can tie in with school curriculums.
Located in Sefton Park, Liverpool, Palm House is home to a selection of florals and a botanical collection, with the backdrop of Sefton Park.
Palm House is a grade II listed Victorian glasshouse, which was first opened in 1896. The Palm House glass was shattered during The Blitz, however the basic structure was left intact.
It eventually fell into disrepair and became derelict, and so closed during the 1980s.
However, in 2001, a local fundraising campaign led to a full restoration and a grand re-opening.
Palm House’s position and selection of exotic plants made it the grand centrepiece of Sefton Park.
Volunteer led talks and tours
Schools can enjoy talks at Palm House that discuss the architecture, heritage and horticultural interest within the venue.
Pupils will be offered tours of the glasshouse too, which are ideal for pupils studying Art, History, Science and Geography. The tours can be tailored to suit the particular Key Stage of the group visiting.
On these tours, schools will be shown the wide botanical collection, and will learn about their significance at both Palm House and within the environment.
This could be tied into Science curriculums and groups learning about plant life.
Pictured: A school trip to Palm House in Sefton Park
Included in the botanical collection are 20 varieties of palm, 32 orchid plants, a selection of bougainvillea, jasmine, angel’s trumpet and hibiscus, and 35 food plants including olive trees and banana plants, all of which are from varied parts of the world.
Seeing this range of unusual plants and florals could tie into Art curriculums too, with pupils able to sketch and paint what they have seen after their visits.
Palm House includes plant life from five continents, making it a great location for schools to go to on a Geography trip as well.
Among some of these plants are: Canary Island date palms; windmill palm from Asia; tree ferns from Australasia; agaves and cacti from America; and Mediterranean fan palm from Europe.
From this pupils can learn about the different environments in which these plants grow, their surroundings and their unique features.
Refreshments will also be offered to schools taking part in these talks and tours.
Entertainment
Palm House and Sefton Park also host a variety of events, including themed children’s entertainment and theatre productions which get the pupils involved.
The glasshouse also hosts annual art exhibitions and musical concerts by other schools.
This entertainment not only connects with subjects already mentioned, but with Drama and Music too.
For more information visit www.palmhouse.org.uk or call 0151 726 9304.
