Holland Park Ecology Centre

Studying the natural environment

The Holland Park Ecology Centre provides an excellent facility for local schools to study and enjoy the natural environment, and can be booked throughout the year. Visiting groups can work independently or with a member of staff.;

Activities

We offer:

• Forest School programme
• environmental educational sessions
• self-led sessions
• field trips

We cater for:

• nurseries and EYFS groups
• primary and secondary schools and tertiary education
• SEND groups
• Informal groups such as home education groups and community organisations including Third Age and scouting organisations

Nurseries and EYFS groups

For young children, being hands-on outside is great for both their physical and emotional development. Our enclosed Wildlife Area is perfect for exploration and discovery. The Forest School programme would suit nurseries who lack outside space or would like to have time to explore a woodland habitat.

Primary and secondary schools

Forest School is often seen as the realm of EYFS or early primary school, but a Forest School programme can benefit children of all ages. It encourages risk taking, creativity and problem solving and can work to support children’s learning and development.

Our programme of environmental education sessions link to the science and geography curriculums and can also be tailored to support specific school topics.

SEND groups

Outdoor activities are often of particular benefit to groups with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). We welcome all SEND groups with and will work with you to meet your requirements. All our environmental education and Forest School sessions can be adapted to meet the needs of SEND groups. We can also work alongside teachers to create unique sessions to suit learners’ needs.

Our sessions

Our outdoor education sessions take place in Holland Park Wildlife Area, which features a wildlife pond with a dipping platform, woodland and grassland habitat. Other outdoor spaces used for education include:

• the Ecology Centre, an indoor classroom used for our environmental education sessions
• the Edible Teaching Garden attached to the Ecology Centre, which contains an array of edible plants to explore and learn about food provenance
• West Woodland, an area of accessible woodland
• wider Holland Park, which provides opportunities to discover a range of tree species and flowering plants

Accessibility

Most sessions take place in the securely fenced Wildlife Area. The Wildlife Area has a system of woodchip and grass paths and two log circles for sitting. If your group has additional physical needs, please discuss this with us when booking as we have more accessible sites which may be more suitable. 

Arranging your visit

Booking a visit

The Ecology Centre accepts bookings from school groups both within Kensington and Chelsea, the surrounding boroughs and beyond. We also take bookings from informal groups including home education groups and community groups including third age and scouting organisations. If we do not offer a session that meets your needs, we are happy to discuss a creating a bespoke session for your school or other group. 

Before visiting

Before a visit we can send photos and more information to enable learners to prepare. We highly recommend group leaders visit us prior to their visit to complete risk assessments and familiarise themselves with the facilities and location. 

Availability and capacity

• The Ecology Centre is available Monday to Friday, 9:30am to 3.30pm, during official school terms.
• Sessions last from two hours to a full day, depending on your requirements.
• Sessions normally run from 10am to noon and 1pm to 3pm .Earlier starts and later finishes can be requested. 
• The centre can cater for groups of up to 30 children with accompanying adults.

Lunchtime arrangements 

• Outdoor picnic areas, a café and ice-cream kiosk in Holland Park.
• Unsupervised play areas including a toddlers playground (0-5 years) and an adventure playground, both within easy reach of the centre.
• The Ecology Centre itself can be booked for lunch, as long as it does not conflict with another visit. 

Contact us

If you would like to arrange visit or if you have a general enquiry, contact us.

Accreditation

We are a holder of the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge. Visit the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom website for more information.