Top School Trips -Issue 6

Planting A SEED Encounters with extraordinary plant life can transport your class and transform their engagement with the science curriculum... S cience and everyday life cannot and should not be separated.” “I love this quote from Rosalind Franklin, a chemist, molecular biologist and one of the key figures behind unlocking the structure of human DNA,” says Helen Gill, formal learning and development manager for learning and participation at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. “It sums up what we are trying to do here in the schools team at Kew. My aim is for all learners to view science as something that is for them, to develop their understanding of why plants are important in their lives and here at Kew, and to realise that their actions can make a real difference to current global challenges and those faced in the future.” Nurturing growth South West London’s botanical gardens are one of a host of horticultural treasures around the UK, each offering school groups the chance to marvel at the architectural qualities of awesome specimens while learning about the incredible complexity, diversity and adaptability of our planet’s plant life. From Inverness Botanic Gardens in the north to the Eden Project in the south, a string of grand glasshouses and carefully curated gardens make great destinations for school parties. Visiting in person really does imprint a wonder and fascination on pupils. “Botanical gardens have a crucial role to play in supporting pupils to make the connection through the experiences we provide,” says Helen. “Questioning and exploring pupils’ ideas is key to them making that connection and then wanting to know more. We know that learning is a multifaceted experience, and pupils all learn in different ways. In-person school visits provide an invaluable opportunity for learning beyond the classroom, for broadening horizons, and for framing education in new and dynamic contexts. The experiences stick: many of the teachers and parents who accompany the pupils regularly comment on their memories of visiting when they were at school, and what they found out about.” Stepping into a soaring glasshouse, sensing the warm air on one’s skin, feeling moist leaves and smelling the scent of flowers, foliage and even mulchy growing mediums is an immersive experience that botanical collections excel at. “Seeing how our school visitors interact with these spaces is a sight my team and I never tire of,” says Helen. “We’re fortunate enough to engage with Kew Gardens each and every day – but sharing the wonder of these first-time experiences is something that continues to surprise and delight us all. Nature has the power to stop us in our tracks, engage all of our senses, and make us experience the world in entirely new ways. It’s a real privilege to share these experiences with so many of our young school visitors.” Curating curiosity In 2019 Kew Gardens collaborated with Royal Holloway, the University of London and two Inner London primary schools – St Monica’s Catholic Primary School in the Borough of Hackney and Wilberforce Primary School in the Borough of Westminster – to create pupil-curated museums, echoing a common practice in schools in the late 19th and early 20th “Sharing the wonder of these first-time experiences is something that continues to surprise and delight us all” 24 | www.teachwire.net/school-trips