Epping Forest Field Studies Activity Environment Centre Field Studies Council

Field Studies Council offers fieldwork and outdoor learning for groups of all ages at centres across the UK. Trips use adventure and outdoor learning to expand children’s experiences and teach curriculum focused work to inspire everyone about the environment.

Primary field trips enable you to pick and choose from a range of exciting adventure or curriculum sessions to build your own trip. A visit to our centre will immerse primary school children in the natural world, taking in its sights, sounds and smells.

For secondary and A level groups we offer geography, biology and environmental science courses. Courses can be tailored to your own requirements to ensure you get the most from your visit and trips utilise the local environment to fully engage students.

Epping Forest Field Studies Activity Environment Centre Field Studies Council
Field Studies London
Residential school trips London
STEM London

Epping Forest Centre sits within an area of 2,400 hectares of wood-pasture a Site of Special Scientific Interest/Special Area of Conservation, it has six classrooms/facilities, including teaching sites within woodland, grassland and river banks.

Epping Forest Field Centre is situated in the heart of Epping Forest, an area of around 2,400 hectares of wood-pasture. Visit Epping Forest for fun and engaging primary or secondary one day outdoor field trips. The centre is purpose built and fully accessible with direct access into our teaching sites which include woodland, grassland, heath and river. We are easy to reach, just a few minutes from the M25 and Loughton Tube Station.

The centre has a high standard of accommodation with twin en suite rooms in two blocks.

We have an island location, the centre is right on the coast and close to field sites. It is easily accessible on a 10 minute ferry from the mainland at Largs.

Outdoor Learning courses are created to complement the curriculum, and engage pupils with subjects in fresh, hands-on ways.

Adventure learning encourages children to push beyond their comfort zones and discover what they’re capable of. With carefully tailored, age-appropriate challenges, every child is supported to grow their knowledge and learn in new and exciting ways.

• All our day centres will provide you with:
• A qualified tutor to oversee your trip
• Pre-trip planning including itinerary, kit lists, and risk assessments
• We hold Learning Outside the Classroom’s Quality Badge so there is less paperwork for you

The GA Secondary Geography Quality Mark

The GA SGQM Centre of Excellence

John Muir

Geography:

We offer a range of sessions and courses covering human and environmental geography through fieldwork. We can deliver courses from KS2 to A level.

Teaching is delivered by fully trained and experienced tutors.

KS4 and A level we link our courses to the exam board requirements for each subject and can tailor the course to your specific needs.

KS2 pupils can use maps, stories and games to explore the woods.

Science:

We can offer a range of biology courses from KS2 to curriculum-based A level trips. Students undertake ecological investigations in a variety of inspiring habitats and complete relevant required practicals, from a range of a range of topics.

We also offer contextualised learning opportunities for KS3 science, where pupils explore a local environment, habitat or ecosystem, eg rocky shore, freshwater or woodland.

Students will look at a variety of plants and common animals using age appropriate classification keys to identify living things we find in our woodland and in our pond habitats.

Primary:

KS2 pupils can look at a range of habitats, learning about microhabitats and how they provide the basic needs for living things. Pupils can learn to identify the different structures of plants and name a variety of common animals. We will mini beast hunt and observe them in their microhabitats.

We have a wide range of activities such as minibeast hunt, pond dipping, hiking, low ropes, eco-activity, rock climbing, bushcraft, orienteering.

Identify basic survival needs, explore the woods, build a shelter and forage for wild foods. Follow a woodland trail and search for tracks and signs. A day filled with team building and problem-solving activities.

We can cater for groups of various sizes. Courses have a minimum of 10 students and have a maximum capacity of 180

Our courses are created carefully to link to curriculum requirements. We can work with you to tailor content to fit in with work back in the classroom. Tailored resources will be supplied to use before and after your trip to prepare students and encourage follow-up work to be completed.

We provide a variety of resources to support outdoor learning, on the Field Studies Council.

A detailed risk assessment for activities and teaching sites is undertaken which forms the basis of a dynamic approach to assessment by trained staff whilst in the field.

Contact our team for latest prices and availability:

01743-852100

or enquiries@field-studies-council.org

We are always looking for ways to make trips affordable for all schools.

Off-peak pricing available 

– Different price bands are offered throughout the year to offer value for money. Many of our visiting groups take advantage of our off-peak prices between November and February. Talk to our team about the best options for your group.

Prices include: 

Course planning; fully risk assessed teaching sites; specialist tutors; teaching resources; fieldwork equipment; classrooms. The only thing you need to add-on is transport.

Please contact us regarding your needs. We provide a full kit list here

All field teachers are trained in first aid and group management.

Capacity: 180 in six classrooms 

Car Parking: Public car park 

Disabled Access: The location has disabled access. 

Hot and Cold Drinks: We have hot and cold drinks making facilities accessible around the centre.

Toilets: On site toilets 

Wi-Fi: Free guest Wi-Fi is available throughout the centre.

Disabled Access: The location has disabled access.

Mon-Fri, 9am–5pm

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By road – we are near M25 Junction 26, take the A121 towards Loughton and follow signs to ‘Epping Forest Centres’. From M11 Junction 5 take the A1168 towards Lougthon then the A121 and follow signs to ‘Epping Forest Centres’. From the A406 North Circular take the A104 towarrds Woodford and Epping, and at the Robin Hood pub follow signs to ‘Epping Forest Centres’. There is Car and Coach parking on site

By train: the nearest station is Loughton Underground Station on the Central Line, the Centre is about a 45min walk, or a short taxi journey. It is also a short taxi journey from Chingford station on the London Overground. Before travel, please check the TFL website to plan your journey or for status updates.