School Visits – Outdoor Learning
Based at Ferry Meadows, our friendly education team offers a fantastic range of curriculum-based outdoor learning (CBOL) activities, all designed to support national curriculum requirements across every key stage. Teachers can pick from a variety of fun, themed days that focus on specific curriculum areas, or work with our knowledgeable team to create a bespoke day perfectly tailored to their class.
Nene Park Trust is proud to hold the Learning Outside the Classroom (LoTC) Quality Badge, awarded by the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom. This means our educational experiences have been carefully assessed and meet schools’ learning and safety needs. We’ve also earned the Adventure Mark, showing that our adventure activities are run safely and to the highest standards, so you can enjoy every exciting moment with peace of mind.
Read on to find out more, or email us at education@neneparktrust.org.uk to have a chat and book your visit!
- Exclusive use of one of our indoor classrooms
- All activities led by fully trained staff
- All equipment and materials included in the cost of your visit
- Full risk assessments for all activities
- Wide range of study locations including; lakes, river, woodland, grassland, wetland
- Toilet facilities, including accessible toilets
- Free places for accompanying adults
- Day courses cost £245 for up to 36 pupils.
To find out more, please email education@neneparktrust.org.uk
We offer a range of fun, hands-on educational activities perfect for Early Years groups. Each activity lasts around an hour. You can choose two activities for a half-day visit, or three for a full day, including exclusive use of one of our indoor classrooms for a comfy lunch break.
Activities include:
Pond dipping
What creatures are hiding in the waters of Ferry Meadows? Join our education team to hunt for minibeasts in the ponds and discover their fascinating lifecycles and quirky eating habits!
Minibeast safari
No lions or tigers here, but you’ll be amazed at how many minibeasts call the woods of Ferry Meadows home! Our team will lead a mini safari to spot these little creatures and learn all about their lives.
Sensory games
Ever wondered what it’s like to have the ears of a rabbit or the nose of a badger? Children will use all their senses to explore the world around them through a variety of fun games and activities.
Treasure hunt / Orienteering
Little explorers can take part in exciting activities that build confidence with maps and directional language. Our staff will help choose the right challenges for your group’s age and abilities.
Going on a bear hunt
Inspired by the popular book, children will follow directions to find and name all the colourful bears scattered around Ferry Meadows, an adventure full of surprises!
Build a Gruffalo home
On his journey through the Deep Dark Wood, the Gruffalo discovers lots of animal homes, but what would his look like? Children can get creative and work together to build a Gruffalo house in this imaginative team activity.
Wild art
Let nature spark creativity! Children can make art inspired by the outdoors, sculptures, collages, masks, and more. Sessions can be themed around colour, texture, or linked to your school topic—just ask, and we’ll help bring your ideas to life!
To see our sample programmes, please email education@neneparktrust.org.uk
We offer a wide range of fun, hands-on outdoor learning activities specially designed for Key Stage 1 pupils. Our sessions encourage curiosity, creativity and teamwork, giving children the chance to explore the natural world, discover new skills and enjoy learning in the fresh air.
Plant Detectives
A fun-filled day exploring the common and wild plants in our Nene Nursery and around Ferry Meadows. Pupils will investigate, observe, and learn all about the plants around them. (Available on Tuesdays, but please contact us for availability on other days as we may be able to accommodate you.)
Once Upon a Time
A cross-curricular day using traditional tales as inspiration for outdoor learning. Children will bring stories to life while exploring the environment and discovering new ways to learn through play and imagination.
Alive!
A hands-on exploration of plants and animals in the local area. Pupils will learn to tell the difference between living things, non-living things, and things that have never been alive.
Finding the Way
Children will use simple fieldwork techniques to get to grips with maps and understand how they can be used. A great way to spark early geographical skills and adventure!
Natural Art
A day dedicated to creativity inspired by nature. Pupils will explore the environment and experiment with different ways of representing what they see, sculptures, collages, drawings and more.
Living Things & Habitats
A journey into the world of plants and animals, exploring their habitats and the relationships between living things. Children will develop a hands-on understanding of the natural world around them.
Pirates
Ahoy, young explorers! Pupils will step into the shoes of pirates for the day, working together to build pirate ships and camps, and hunt for hidden treasure. Adventure, teamwork and imagination all in one exciting session!
To see our sample programmes, please email education@neneparktrust.org.uk
Our Key Stage 2 activities are designed to inspire teamwork and outdoor learning. Pupils get to explore the natural world, develop new skills, and enjoy hands-on experiences that bring learning to life. From history and science to adventure and creativity, there’s something to spark every child’s imagination.
Farming and Land Use
In this half-day course, pupils visit the Nene Park Rural Estate to explore different land uses and discover how farming practices can affect the environment. It’s a great opportunity to learn about sustainability and the role of agriculture in our local landscape.
Classification
Children spend the day exploring how to group a wide variety of living things, from plants to vertebrate and invertebrate animals. A hands-on way to understand the diversity of life and how scientists organise it!
Explorers
Step into the shoes of an explorer for a day. Pupils will take on challenges that test their survival skills, teamwork and problem-solving, an exciting way to build confidence and resilience.
Living Rivers
Through a range of cross-curricular activities, pupils study a section of the river to understand how physical and human processes shape it and influence the wildlife around it. A perfect mix of science, geography and observation.
Outdoor Literacy
Swap the classroom for the great outdoors! Pupils practice reading, writing, and grammar in real-world settings, testing their reading skills on trails, learning about word types and homophones and turning observations into creative writing.
Plants and Their Requirements
This day gives pupils the chance to observe and identify different species of flowering plants, including trees, and learn about their parts and what they need to grow. Hands-on science at its best!
Romans
Pupils explore the history of Roman settlement in the local area. Hands-on, seasonal activities, including willow-based projects, help bring ancient history vividly to life.
Stone Age
A cross-curricular day exploring the lives, art, and settlements of our Stone Age ancestors. Pupils discover how early humans lived and created in this immersive experience.
Using Maps
Children develop their map skills through a variety of practical activities, learning how to navigate and understand the world around them.
To see our sample programmes, please email education@neneparktrust.org.uk
Ferry Meadows is home to a variety of habitats that provide excellent opportunities for in-depth study. We offer a wide range of activities to support teachers in delivering fieldwork experiences for Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4 and Post-16 science and geography. Our practical sessions are designed to meet curriculum requirements while giving students hands-on, memorable learning experiences.
A-Level Biology – Fieldwork Sampling Techniques
Based at our Rural Estate hub near the village of Castor, students can explore a variety of agricultural and natural habitats within easy walking distance. Practical investigations can include:
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Studying the distribution and abundance of plants
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Investigating how environmental factors affect plant species diversity
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Exploring the influence of biotic and abiotic factors on plant morphology
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Assessing how biotic and abiotic factors impact invertebrate diversity and abundance
Our team works closely with teachers to tailor investigations to meet the requirements of your exam board, focusing on species that are easy to observe during your visit. These sessions are ideal for fulfilling the assessed core practicals for all major exam boards and specifications.
Key Stage 3 and 4 Geography – River Landforms
Students will explore the River Nene valley to investigate river landscapes and processes. Pupils will examine river features to answer the question: “Is this river in its upper, middle or lower course?” Landforms observed may include:
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Flood plain
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Levee
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Meander
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Oxbow lake
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River cliff
In addition, students will have the opportunity to carry out practical fieldwork, such as calculating river flow, interpreting maps and creating field sketches, essential skills for geography coursework.
Key Stage 3 Geography – Woodland Landscapes
This half-day course focuses on understanding human and physical geography through woodland study. Pupils will explore how human activity and natural processes have shaped UK woodlands, identify their positive and negative characteristics and learn how these factors influence woodland quality.
To see our sample programmes, please email education@neneparktrust.org.uk
