RSPB Bempton Cliffs near Bridlington invite more school trips after summer success

RSPB Bempton Cliffs have had an extremely successful summer, and are now looking for more school trips to visit in the autumn months. Photo: Maria Prchlik/RSPB

It comes as the charity celebrates one of its most successful summers for school visits in England to date. Unprecedented demand already this year means the programme is set to reach a new record.

Across England, 98 percent of teachers visited an RSPB reserve rated their visit as outstanding or very good. Now staff at RSPB Bempton Cliffs are looking forward to welcoming new classes this autumn and beyond.

Over the summer term, more than 1,250 school children visited RSPB Bempton Cliffs in East Yorkshire.

Lisa Yarrow, Learning Officer at RSPB Bempton Cliffs, said: “It’s brilliant to see the excitement and appetite for getting children out on school trips in nature again this year and we’ve had wonderful feedback.

“There’s nothing better than seeing school children connecting with nature, whether it’s their first time spotting a puffin or watching Gannets, the largest seabird in the UK, soaring overhead.

“Teachers often comment on how valuable it is for children to see these things in real life. We meet many children who have never been to a dramatic coast like this. It’s a unique experience for them.

“As we move into autumn it’s a wonderful time of year on the reserve and a school trip is a great way to bond a new class. School trips are an essential part of a child’s education and providing the opportunity for children to discover nature in its truest form is inspiring.

"It’s so important to connect our children to the natural world and our hands-on school sessions allow that to happen.”

The dedicated education team deliver curriculum linked sessions that encourage discovery, exploration and hands on learning that is designed to be fun, informative and linked to the habitats on-site.

At RSPB Bempton Cliffs the nature-based sessions primarily link to science and geography, with sessions for early years and primary and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) pupils.

These activities allow students to use equipment, work scientifically and use technical vocabulary in a meaningful context. Sessions also provide inspiration for writing stories, poems and local history.

Visit https://www.rspb.org.uk/fun-and-learning/for-teachers/ to find out more.