Key stage 2

£2 per pupil | Visit must include farmyard

A one-hour tour around the farmyard learning about the life cycles of our farm animals. On the tour, you will meet horses, pigs, sheep and hens as well as having the opportunity to handle/touch some of the animals.

Curriculum links: science

£2 per pupil | Visit must include the garden

During this session we will explore the wonderful world of trees in the garden and Stand Wood. We will understand why trees are so important to us and get to know some native and non-native species. Pupils will work out how old a tree is and how tall it is. Using simple keys we will identify different species using leaf shape and bark.

We will listen to trees and be able to name all the parts of a tree including roots, trunk, bark, branches, leaves, buds, seeds and fruit.

We will consider how a tree is a very important habitat and how many species rely on that tree for survival.

Pupils will identify and describe the functions of different parts of trees and making careful and systematic observations and measurements. They will also explore the lifecycle of flowering plants including pollination, seed formation and seed dispersal. They will learn how to identify and name a variety of living things, describing the differences in the life cycles of plants and animals and how they are adapted to suit their environment in different ways. Discuss how trees turn carbon dioxide into oxygen through photosynthesis.

Curriculum links: science and maths

£4 per pupil | Visit must include the garden and farmyard

During these two 90-minute sessions pupils will spend time in both the kitchen garden and farmyard learning about lifecycles of plants and animals.

Kitchen Garden

In the Kitchen Garden we will observe vegetables and fruits growing and find out whether the part we eat is above or below ground. We will discuss growing plants from seeds and seasonality and how climate impacts growing produce.

We will find out a plants requirements for growth (air, light, water, nutrients from soil, and room to grow) and investigate the importance of soil and why we need to look after it. We will consider the idea that plants also need nutrients and that they get these from the soil.

We will explore the cutting flower garden and identify all the parts of a flower and spot pollinators on the way. We will discuss how important pollinators are to the garden.

We will consider how the garden is sustainable and where the fruit, vegetables and flowers are used at Chatsworth.

Pupils will be able to describe and compare the structure of a variety of common animals and plants. Explore the part that flowers play in the life cycle of flowering plants, including pollination, seed formation and seed dispersal. Identify how pollinators and plants are adapted to suit their environment in different ways and that adaptation may lead to evolution.

Pupils will get the opportunity to taste produce from the garden.

Farmyard

The session will be exploring the farmyard learning about the life cycles of our farm animals. On the tour pupils will meet horses, pigs, sheep and hens. During the visit children will have the opportunity to handle/touch some of the animals.

During the session we will introduce children to the topic of farm welfare, where food comes from, the needs of the farm animals and how we look after them.

Pupils will learn how farming has changed over the years and how the farmyard at Chatsworth is home to some rare breeds and how important they are to our history.

Curriculum links: science & technology

£2 per pupil | Visit must include the garden

For this session, available April to September, we will explore the Kitchen Garden, orchard and wild flower areas within the gardens. We will discuss pollination and how this works and why it is so vitally important for our world. Pupils will learn about pollinators including bees, butterflies, beetles, wasps, moths, hoverflies, flies, and spiders and use simple keys to identify different species.

We will look at parts of bee – head, thorax and abdomen and understand how they gather food, protect themselves and what is a good habitat for them. We will also consider the challenges bees face in the modern world.

During our walk we will learn how flowers attract pollinators with colour and fragrance whilst looking and understanding the basic structure of a plant.

We will explore the part that flowers play in the life cycle of flowering plants, including pollination, seed formation and seed dispersal. Identify how pollinators and plants are adapted to suit their environment in different ways and that adaptation may lead to evolution.

Curriculum links: Science and health & wellbeing

£2 per pupil | Visit must include the garden

Explore different habitats including woodland, water, wildflower areas and gardens. Learn how the seasons affect plants and animals and how the day length varies.

Pupils will identify and describe the functions of different parts of flowering plants as well as explore the lifecycle of flowering plants including pollination, seed formation and seed dispersal. They will identify and name a variety of living things, describing the differences in the life cycles of plants and animals and how they are adapted to suit their environment in different ways.

Spring
Spot the signs of spring, days getting longer, weather warming, buds on trees, spring flowers, nesting birds, colours and sounds.

Summer
Long days, warm weather, flowers, green leaves, bees, butterflies, dragonflies, fruits and berries.

Autumn
Days getting shorter, cooler weather, autumn colours and crunchy leaves. Learn about animals that hibernate and how they prepare for winter.

Dependent on the season the activities could include; completing a spotter sheet, using binoculars to spot wildlife, using a magnifying glass to identify different plant and tree species, using stethoscopes to listen to trees, learning to use simple keys, rolling logs for mini beasts and creating natural art.

Curriculum links: science, health & wellbeing and maths

£2 per pupil | Visit must include the garden

Exploring the landscape pupils will use their sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste as appropriate, and make and record observations.

Whilst exploring pupils will compare the differences between things that are living, dead, and things that have never been alive. They will describe how animals obtain their food from plants and other animals, using the idea of a simple food chain, and identify and name different sources of food.

Listening
Pupils will learn why certain animals have larger ears and how they need to hear really well to find food and to protect themselves. We will listen to trees using stethoscopes to hear gurgling and moisture.

Touching
Pupils can try barefoot walking and paddle in the trout stream. We will also feel different textures of trees and describe these. We will look for spiders and pond skaters on the water to learn how they feel vibrations with their feet to catch food.

Tasting
We will explore the kitchen garden looking for pollinators feeding and try to spot a butterfly feeding on nectar and observe bumblebees collecting pollen. Pupils will get the opportunity to taste some different herbs.

Smelling
During our walk we will use our sense of smell with all the flowers and plants we identify. We will learn how animals use their sense of smell to stay safe, find food and explore the world around them.

Seeing
We will finish our walk using binoculars to look at fabulous views from the Chatsworth gardens and see what the children can spot in the landscape. We will consider why some animals and birds have big eyes such as owls and how predators need amazing sight.

Curriculum links: science, health & wellbeing and technology

£2 per pupil | Visit must include farmyard

A 30-minute tractor and trailer tour through the Chatsworth parkland learning about the animals who make the park their home and the people who look after it. Full commentary will be given by the driver about the sheep (lambs during lambing season) and farming on the estate. Other animals you may see are cows and the two types of deer we have on the estate.

The trailer has lap belts, a ramp and wheelchair clamping facility.

Curriculum links: science

Available from September 2022

£2 per pupil | Visit must include the garden

A Victorian history tour through the garden. Pupils will learn about Joseph Paxton’s first heated glass conservatory, Victorian plant hunters and the Orchid delirium and see their legacy still growing in the garden today.

Pioneering engineering of the industrial revolution will be explored though examples of gravity fed water features and the creation of the largest rock garden of the 18th century.

Curriculum links: history, science, art & design, technology

£2 per pupil | Visit must include the house

Explore the house with our learning facilitators who will link your visit to the curriculum in an interactive 90-minute experience. Themes include ancient history, myths and legends, British history, the world around us, geology and the natural world.

Curriculum links: history, science, art & design, PSHE

£2 per pupil | Visit must include the garden

Using the diverse collection of plants in the Chatsworth Garden, this session connects with nature and explores shape and texture in natural and organic form. Pupils will be introduced to a range of looking and drawing techniques through creative exploration and development of 2D image-making skills.

The life cycle of the plant will also be introduced and learners will explore shape, texture, colour and detail, recording these observations through a range of mark making exercises.

Art workshops include an interactive talk and practical art-making activities; sessions are designed to enhance visual literacy and develop technical and creative skills.

Curriculum links: science, English, PSHE, art & design

£2 per pupil | Visit must include the garden

This two-hour session, available March to December, will introduce a range of printmaking techniques as processes, including mono-printing, relief printing and stencil prints.

Pupils will spend time foraging, collecting and drawing from plants and nature in the Chatsworth Garden, and have the opportunity to experiment with line, shape and colour whilst exploring the natural world.

Art workshops include an interactive talk and practical art-making activities; sessions are designed to enhance visual literacy and develop technical and creative skills.

Curriculum links: Art & Design, English, PSHE

£2 per pupil | Visit must include the garden

During this session we will consider how our climate is changing, and the impact this is having on plants and wildlife.

Pupils will understand the difference between climate and weather, and how humans contribute to climate change. Pupils will understand how human and physical processes interact to influence and change landscapes, environments and the climate.

How can we reduce our carbon footprint and make a difference?
In groups, we will explore the kitchen garden to consider how locally grown seasonal produce can reduce your carbon footprint. 

We will discuss how agriculture, the supply chain and consumption, including travel and preparation, releases greenhouse gases. Finally, we will discuss seasonal and sustainable food production. Pupils will design their own innovative seasonal menu using ingredients in the kitchen garden.

Key words: Climate, carbon footprint, flooding, drought, global warming, biodiversity, eco-systems, adaptation, extinction, net zero.

Curriculum links: Science and Geography