Some of the best experiences linked to sea life and oceans

• SEA LIFE - London

Treat your school group to a day in London, visiting one of the the UK’s most popular SEA LIFE centres. The attraction not only offers visiting Primary and Secondary schools discounted term rates, but also the chance to book onto one of its educational talks and workshops where pupils will gain invaluable knowledge from the experts provided.

• National Marine Aquarium (NMA) - Plymouth 

The aquarium invites children to come face-to-face with their favourite sea-creatures during and interactive tours self-guided visits. NMA offers programmes which are fully inclusive to SEN children too, no matter the age group. Trained staff are on hand to give support and ensure that visiting schools with SEN requirements get the best out of their visit. A booklet outlining every workshop on offer to pupils at the NMA can be downloaded from its website. EYFS and Key Stage 1 children can also opt for a Mermaid Experience where a costumed member of the team will bring some magic to the interactive session.

• The Deep - Hull

More than 30,000 pupils from Primary and Secondary schools usually visit The Deep every year, which welcomes groups to its purpose built learning centre. Workshops, presentations and hands-on activities are delivered to groups from pre-school pupils to post sixteen by in-house teachers. A wide selection of topics are covered, including science, geography, English, citizenship, maths and for older students marketing, customer care and travel and tourism. The aquarium also has immersive Sea Labs, with each learning space complete with an 84-inch interactive learning screen, child-friendly microscopes, infinity mirrors and multi-coloured sensory bubble tubes. All school trips include a workshop which is specific to the Key Stage visiting. 

• Bristol Aquarium

With a range of educational packages which cater for Primary and Secondary aged pupils, Bristol Aquarium invites schools in at a reduced rate, giving children a taste of life under water. Key Stage 3 and 4 pupils can learn how to look after the world’s oceans on the Save our Seas package which includes a guided tour which aims to ’encourage children to connect to the natural world by observing aquatic creatures up close’. The tour also provides a discussion of positive and negative human impacts on the aquatic world. Pirates & Piranhas! is suitable for Key Stage 1 and 2 pupils, introducing pupils to some basic scientific facts about a range of native animals including sharks, and tropical species of piranhas and river monsters. Pre-visits can be arranged once a booking has been made. 

Blue Reef Aquarium - Hastings

Pupils can get up close and personal with lobsters, seahorses, sharks and rays on their visit to the Blue Reef Aquarium. Teachers booking a trip to the aquarium will receive a free familiarisation visit, goody bags for pupils to take home to remember the trip (at a small extra charge upon request) and optional tour guides. These tours will be led by one of Blue Reef’s knowledgeable aquarists, venturing around the various zones to understand different areas of marine life. If you’re brave enough, you can even explore the Jungle Discovery zone that’s full of creepy crawlies and reptiles.