Guided school visits at RHS Garden Harlow Carr

Bring your students for a guided visit with workshops for schools and home-education groups in our adaptable learning spaces

We are open for self-guided school visits and guided learning workshops.
Please submit a school visit enquiry form to book a guided or self-guided school visit.

School workshops

Our exciting workshops offer hands-on sessions for children at Foundation Stage and in Primary and Secondary schools (KS1-5), including those with special educational needs (SEN). Download our brochure / leaflet to see the diverse range of workshops we offer for schools at Harlow Carr.

PRIMARY / SECONDARY SCHOOL BROCHURE SECONDARY SCHOOL LEAFLET
Harlow Carr Primary School workshops brochure

How to book guided visits and workshops

  • Please note: Free entry on your pre-visit only applies to teachers who will be accompanying children on the day of the school visit.
  • Use the self-guided resources to help you plan the self-guided part of your day
  • Please help Harlow Carr create less waste and pollution by carrying home and recycling your lunchbox rubbish

All pre-booked educational visits are free of charge. If you feel able to give a donation to the RHS to help support our educational work this would be much appreciated; we ask you to consider a donation of £3 per child for your visit.

Secondary school workshops

We have a range of workshops suitable for Secondary school guided visits, (KS 3–5), which can be adapted to suit your requirements. We are also happy to develop new tailor-made workshops to meet your individual objectives.

Workshops

  • Planting for the planet – soil health and food security: Learn about our impact on the environment and why humans depend on soil and plants to survive. Try your hand at analysing field test samples to understand the different characteristics of the soil
  • Inspirational nature: Promoting wellbeing and a sense of calm. Students will reflect upon and respond to the constantly changing shapes, colours and textures of our gardens. Select from a range of activities to build a portfolio of images to inspire your next art project
  • Field studies: Use the variety of habitats and microclimates to enrich classroom learning; have a go at measuring factors that affect communities; investigate biodiversity and explore plant adaptions

  • Capturing carbon and keeping cool: Understand how adaptations are essential for survival. Explore the garden, collect data, analyse and explore how leaves have adapted to their environment to increase photosynthesis
  • ​Blooming botanists: Using close observations and magnifications of specimens from our garden, consider how reproduction and evolution means no plants looks exactly the same. Understand how classification makes such diversity easier to study
  • Plants for the plate: Bring to life a number of biological concepts by visiting the food-growing areas of the garden. Learn about the nutritional benefits of a plant-based diet and how it also benefits the planet

Special educational needs (SEN) workshops

These are just some of the workshops we hold for SEN groups. We cater for children of all abilities aged between 3 and 18 years old, and can adapt existing workshops or create workshops for your specific requirements.

Workshops

  • Who lives in our garden?: Explore the exciting diversity of wildlife in our garden, discover their habitats and learn the important role they play for the plants and the soil
  • Fantastic food: Identify fruit, vegetables and herbs. Use your senses to explore our Kitchen Garden and learn where your food comes from and how it is grown

  • Gardens are good for you: Promote wellbeing by connecting to the world and appreciating nature as an inspiring space
  • Inspirational nature: Create artwork inspired by the garden, responding to the changing colours, shapes and textures through the seasons

Home school workshops

Bring your home-schooled family to RHS Garden Harlow Carr for a day of workshop discovery. These workshops are designed for home-educating families, with curriculum-adjacent sessions for each Key Stage. Families can book themselves into activities that fit with their own home learning. Each workshop gives young people the opportunity to learn practically outdoors and to experience plants and the garden first-hand.

For further information regarding home school visits at Harlow Carr, see our frequently asked questions.

See home school workshops

Booking a visit

To arrange a guided or self-guided school visit, please complete and submit the school visit enquiry form. We will reserve one of your preferred visit dates and send you a booking form to complete. Please get in touch with the Schools Team at Harlow Carr if you have any questions or specific requirements.
 

Call: 01423 724646
Email: [email protected]
Sign up: receive our RHS schools updates

More about self-guided visits

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.