Science school trips

Study Physics, Chemisty or Biology outside the classroom

Science can definitely be one of the more difficult school subjects in which to inspire and engage pupils. It certainly was at my school, where an unfortunate trio of drab individuals failed spectacularly to deliver what was actually a thoroughly fascinating subject. Often, scientific ideas are quite complicated to fully understand, especially for children at primary level, so practical work is essential. In addition, a recent report issued by the Association for Science Education (ASE) concluded that outdoor learning was necessary when teaching science. Giving pupils the ability to directly link first hand experience with classroom ideas will enable pupils at any key stage to get the most from the subject.

Fortunately there are a wide range of excellent venues that will help your pupils develop a love of science, from the traditional, such as wildlife centres promoting biodiversity, and transport museums who chart the historical development of scientific achievement, to the more modern dedicated science centres who offer high tech, interactive classroom style learning. Whether your science topic is Life processes and living things, investigation, materials and properties, physical properties, or Earth and space. We can help with inspiration.

We have divided our school visit recommendations between the three core areas of science, though there is a fair amount of cross over between each so be sure to take a look at all three.

Primary Science

When looking for your KS1 and KS2 science school trips, there are a few things to consider: how will the trip fit into our curriculum for the year, and will it give the school children an enriching learning experience? Plan My School Trip works with a number of science venues, science museums and science workshops that offer the type of learning outcome you are looking to achieve.

When working with KS1 you are looking for them to gain an understanding of the natural science and physical science that is all around them. This can be achieved in various ways and at various venues around the UK. Working scientifically can be learnt through various science workshops and most science museums and technology centres can offer the right worksheets and tools to help you achieve this.

To get an idea of some of the venues that can cater for your next school visit please have a look at some of the venues within our Biology, Physics and Chemistry sections above.

Secondary Science

KS3 and KS4 science trips are great fun and have many enriching activities for students to take part in. The science venues we work with create interactive learning experiences coupled with curriculum based workshops. Most students are learning about Biology, Chemistry and Physics and the day trip venues we work with cover off all of these subject areas.

If you are looking at a biology topic for your school trip then an environmental centre is a great place to visit as it offers a wide range of activities where students can immerse themselves in the natural habitat. For Chemistry school trips you can go to various Science museums to learn about the history of chemistry and also the latest chemistry procedures and techniques. With Physics then an observatory is ideal to go to on your school trip as they are very interactive and have some fantastic displays to view.