Schools Education - Kew

Setting the scene

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; a world heritage site, are situated on the south bank of the River Thames, about 10km south-west of London. The Gardens combine exceptional plant collections, unique architecture and breathtaking landscapes- whilst being easily accessible from the city.

The 300 acres (120 hectares) of the estate are made up of stunning grounds which hold many of the plant collections, plus a number of glasshouses and other buildings. There are four main glasshouses, each presenting examples of different climatic regions and the plants that are found in them. These are used extensively by the education programmes at Kew. As well as this, the grounds offer a range of habitats for exploration- from the conservation area and dipping platform to the arboretum. There are also two art galleries, two historic houses and a permanent exhibition on economic botany within the gardens.

Education at Kew

Kew gardens offer a variety of opportunities for education. Kew's outstanding glasshouse collections allow children to experience and explore extreme habitats. Children and students have the chance to investigate the way plants adapt to different environments, learn about the uses of plants and look at some of the problems faced by the natural world.

Some of the sessions offered also include a period of time in the classroom before going out into the collections so that children can get "up close and personal" with plants.

Kew's conservation area, which includes a pond-dipping platform and bird watching station, helps children understand environments a little closer to home and to develop their field study techniques.

The gardens also contain two art galleries, two historic houses, a permanent exhibition about economic botany (plants and people) and run a seasonal festivals programme, all of which provide further scope for education within the site.

Climbers and creepers

Climbers and creepers is Kew's newest addition, a botanically themed play centre for children aged 3-9. At Climbers and creepers, children explore a giant world of plants, and find out about how they interact with animals, including topics such as pollination and carnivorous plants.

Schools at Kew