School Travel Organiser takes a look at what’s available for Key Stage 1 and 2 students visiting Howe Park Wood Education and Visitor Centre in Buckinghamshire.
About the site
Howe Park Wood Education and Visitor Centre, located in Milton Keynes, is operated by The Parks Trust.
The centre was commissioned to provide a focal point for delivering environmental education, and to raise awareness of the natural history of Howe Park Wood and Milton Keynes, and the work of The Parks Trust.
The woodland setting is a good one for Science school trips, and also offers a base for students to learn about the History of the surrounding area.
The centre provides a base for local schools as well as those from further afield to come out for a half day or full day of environmental education activities.
Primary education
Curriculum enhancement activities for both half and full days are available for Key Stages 1 and 2. Topics can vary from habitats and seasons to plants and animals, relating to various topics within the Science curriculum.
Key Stages 1 and 2 children can choose from six sessions that last for two hours each. They can choose one for a half day visit, or combine two for a full day of activities.
Workshop example
For Key Stage 1, a Pond Investigation session includes National Curriculum links to Science: working scientifically, animals, living things and their habitats.
Learning Objectives include:
• Observing the pond closely, using simple equipment
• Comparing living things and, with help, deciding how to sort and group them
• Identifying and naming a variety of common plants and animals in their habitats
• Identifying that most living things live in habitats to which they are suited
• Learning about simple lifecycles
Other workshops
Other workshops include Seasons and our Senses, Plants and Trees, Habitat Study, Dens and Dandelions and Bugs and Mini beasts.
Further information
The Howe Park Wood Education and Visitor Centre comprises two education rooms, toilet facilities, a café and a covered outdoor patio area that overlooks the pond.
It also boasts green technology such as PV Panels, an air source heat pump and low water usage taps, which can be used to demonstrate sustainable energy use.
On site, there are bird nesting boxes and insect habitat boxes, as well as a newly constructed pond dipping platform area that enables access to the ponds for study.
Activities can also be arranged for Secondary school visits; sessions can cover topics such as ecological techniques, survival skills, urban planning and woodland management.
To book, call 01908-233600 or e-mail education@theparkstrust.com.
For more information visit www.theparkstrust.com.
