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Education

Across 12 acres, we offer a diverse environment for school groups to explore. From edible gardens to ponds and waterfalls, students can engage with gardening, wildlife, wellbeing, and more. Our interactive activities emphasise play, teamwork, and exploration, fostering curiosity. We cater to schools, groups and clubs, offering tailored teaching sessions that align with the National Curriculum. Join us for an immersive journey, connecting education with the beauty of nature.

The Dorothy Clive Garden has a lot to offer young people. An edible garden, woodland walks, pond, waterfall, glasshouse and fantastic learningfacilities all help students learn about our natural world. All our activities are interactive and practical with a focus on learning through play, exploration, working together and asking questions. The garden is host to a wide array of wildlife including our hardworking bees, which are showcased in our wonderful Wildlife Hub. We provide a unique service, both to schools, colleges, SEN settings and nurseries in term-time, but also to holiday clubs, youth groups and uniformed groups (e.g., brownies, scouts) all year round.

adult education

Adult Education

We currently offer a series of adult learning workshops, led by local experts, throughout the season. These are run in the Bryan Mayer Pavilion and Wildlife Hub.

Please refer to the event section for more details.

bryan mayer pavillion

Hire of the Pavilion

Our Bryan Mayer Pavilion is available to hire for Artists and Crafts people to run workshops. We charge a £100 fee for the hire of the Pavilion for the day. An entry fee for those participants who are not members of the Garden will also be charged.

Please click here for further information and terms of hire.

If you would like to make a booking or require any further information please contact us at info@dorothyclivegarden.co.uk.

home schooling<br />

Home Education

We welcome children who are educated at home and organised home education groups.

We offer the use of the Bryan Mayer Pavilion as a base for the day for meeting or activities. We have an Education Officer who can plan and lead your activities on the day.

School Learning Ideas:

Science

Identifying plants and trees, growing seeds, potting up seedlings, looking for signs of seasonal change, naming parts of a plant, pollination, seed dispersal, flowering plants, exotic plants in our glasshouse.

Maths

Children can explore measurement and estimation, track growth patterns, follow maps and discover symmetry and sequences in plants. From counting petals to estimating tree ages, the garden provides a hands-on way to see maths in action.

Art

Observational drawing of plants using pens and water colours, flowers, collage, trees through the seasons, landscape, sketching, waterfall sketches. We can link to the work of famous artists such as – Van Gogh, Georgia O’Keefe, William Morris.

Literacy

The garden provides the perfect setting to inspire creative writing and poetry. Visitors can craft haikus by the waterfall, write woodland-inspired verse, or even hang poems from the trees. The changing seasons—autumn’s fiery colors, spring’s first blossoms—offer rich inspiration for descriptive writing and storytelling.

PHSE / RS

The garden offers a tranquil space for quiet reflection, allowing visitors to experience silence, stillness, and a deeper appreciation of nature. It’s a place to care for living things, create a special area for prayer, or practice meditation and mindfulness in a peaceful, natural setting.

School Charges

We offer both self guided and taught packages with a range of over 12 activities to book.

To enquire about a school visit, please email info@dorothyclivegarden.co.uk for a full brochure.

Get in touch

If you would like to find out more about bringing your school to the Dorothy Clive Garden then contact our Education Officer.

Email: info@dorothyclivegarden.co.uk

Telephone: 01630 647237