Educational Visits to the Park

Here at Blackbrook we can offer a fantastic day out for your group of young people.

Blackbrook is a wonderful place for schools and groups to visit and provides a great opportunity for children to learn about birds and animals. We will tailor your visit to suit your individual requirements and can provide educational tours of the park from our experienced keepers.

We can accommodate coaches and have good facilities and access for disabled visitors. As well as the gift shop and tearoom, we also have various areas that groups can enjoy a picnic. We also have an education centre for groups to visit and is equipped with tables and chairs.

Group prices are based on a minimum of 12 at a price of £5.50 per child, accompanying adults are also charged at £5.50, however for every 5 paying children 1 adult would gain entry to the park free of charge.

In addition to this we also offer a tour of the park with a zoo keeper. Your keeper will take your group to key points on the park, and talk about the different species, whilst combining some feeding of the animals, usually the penguins, pelicans, meerkats and cassowary. This is a great addition to the day and adds an extra educational element to your visit. The tour is charged at an extra £40 ( maximum 30 people per tour )

As a new additional experience, we are now able to offer a wonderful classroom based lesson using our new interactive technology. These classroom sessions cover a wide range of topics, designed to fit alongside the national curriculum and ranging from foundation level to key stage 2.

Below is a brief description of the lessons we now offer.

Foundation/Key stage 1

We are Animals - An introduction to the different animals of the world and how our place among them. Looks at the differences between them.

Animal Detectives- Using different identification methods, children will be able to identify the major characteristics of a whole range of species. The session ends with a detective activity around the zoo.

What animal am I - Mainly aimed at foundation level children, A simpler take on the Animal detectives session.

Key stage 2

Life process - Looks at a range of life process that both we and animals go through, using animals as a base for each process and comparing them to a human.

Food Chains, Biodiversity and Ecosystems - An introduction to each subject and how each works. This is done through a wide range of hands on activities.

Animals in Danger - A look at what threats animals are facing in the wild and the we can do to help. The session aims to bring a wide range of conservation issues to the children's attention.

Adaptations - Looks at how animals adapt to their environment and the importance of these adaptations.

All lessons involve a mostly hands-on session and a short presentation session. Copies of lesson plans can be obtained by contacting  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it An introductory PowerPoint presentation for your trip to blackbrook is also obtainable from the above email.

Risk assessments are also available and we advise a pre-visit to the zoo before your trip to enable you to carry out your own risk assessment, familiarise yourself with the zoos layout e.t.c. These can be arranged when making your booking.

These sessions are charged an additional £30.