ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

You can find out about the content of our workshops by visiting our workshop pages here.

The Learning Centre is wheelchair accessible by level access or ramp depending on the room. We ask that you make us aware of any wheelchair users when booking so we can ensure the best possible experience.

We know that students learn in a variety of ways. We cater for a wide spectrum of learning needs and therefore have a range of differentiation techniques which we can employ. Our education team are very happy to work with teachers to adapt sessions, considering each student’s needs and requirements.

We have eight sets of toilets facilities around the zoo, all of which have baby changing facilities and disabled facilities. We also have a disabled changing room at the Jubilee Toilets (near June Food Court) with a hoist facility. Please note that we are currently limiting the number of people into the toilets at one time to ensure we follow the latest government guidelines. We suggest that school groups stagger toilet breaks, as there may be a small queue.

We have lots of lovely picnic areas around the zoo. Currently we have very limited indoor seating to ensure we are following government guidelines around social distancing. For other outdoor and undercover ideas, please email our bookings team on learning@chesterzoo.org.

To add a little extra peace of mind we offer wristbands to schools bringing younger children so that you can add your contact details. Our wristbands are free of charge and if you’d like us to send these to you, just ask for them at the time of booking. You’ll need to book in advance, giving us around 10 days to get the wristbands to you and giving you plenty of time to write your contact mobile number on the bands.

Unfortunately, we’ll be unable to offer lockers for hire due to current guidelines around hygiene.

There are lots of things to remember on a school trip so here is a list of some items which might be useful:

1. There’s no such thing as bad weather, but rather bad clothing. Please bring appropriate clothing for your visit, particularly warm waterproof items. On particularly wet days we would definitely recommend wellies!
2. During the warmer months, the weather can get hot and some areas of the zoo have little shelter, please remember to come prepared with appropriate clothing and items. This should include sun cream, hats and drinks.
3. Packed lunch. Please remember that these will need to be carried with you as our lockers are currently unavailable.
4. A camera or iPad to record memories from your day at the zoo.
5. Any resources you would like your group to complete whilst on your visit. We have a range of exciting activities to download before your visit.

Yes we do! You can view our certificate here.

Chester Zoo is operating in line with the latest government guidelines on Covid-19. We reserve the right to cancel your visit if we are unable to open or reduce visitor numbers due to reintroduced covid restrictions. We are not liable for any other costs incurred including travel and catering.

Please note: for biosecurity reasons, facemasks are required for entry into Fruit Bat Forest.

If the Department for Education or local authority reinstates a ban on domestic school trips due to a regional or national spike in Covid-19 cases, schools will not be charged for the cancellation of the visit and we will endeavour to run a virtual workshop in place of an onsite workshop.

Our outreach workshops are available to schools and community groups with the only restrictions being our availability and the travel times – see below:

You can find out about the content of our workshops by visiting our workshop pages here.

All our workshops are designed to be delivered in classrooms or large spaces. They can be delivered in a hall or other space but this is not necessary. KS1 workshops work well on floor/carpet spaces with children sitting in a circle so they can see the items that are being shown.  KS2 upwards may prefer to be on chairs around tables.

Our staff will be required to maintain adequate social distancing from all attendees so the spaces must allow for this.

We can work with up to 30 children per workshop, providing there is space to maintain adequate social distancing for our staff in the space provided.

If your school would like to enforce the wearing of face coverings or has any other Covid specific procedures that our outreach team need to be aware of please discuss this with us at the point of booking. In line with our own risk assessments our team will be required to maintain social distancing from any staff and pupils they interact with during the sessions.

Our education team will bring a variety of engaging resources to bring learning to life in your classroom. The resources we use and how your students interact with them will be reviewed regularly to ensure we are working in line with government guidelines and that your pupils are safe. We do not use any live animals in our workshops.

Yes. We will lead the workshop or session with your class, but school teaching staff must remain with them and are responsible for ensuring the behaviour and welfare of the students.

Our online workshops allow our experts to share unique knowledge with your learners through a digital platform. We will use Microsoft Teams to connect your learners from their classroom, venue or from home with our experts in the zoo.

All of our virtual zoo sessions include virtual tours of our animal and plant collections, opportunities for Q+A’s with our team of experts as well as exclusive resources for your learners to complete before, during or after your virtual zoo session. Each session is slightly different so please check the different options here.

We can bring conservation stories to life and connect your learners with animals from around the world, without the need to leave your classroom or learning space.

Whether you are in the Scottish highlands or the Pembrokeshire coast, our virtual trips can be accessed by educators across the world (time zone permitting). These sessions are designed to be flexible around your timetable and can be used to enrich your current curriculum or even introduce new topics.

They can be set up from a classroom, venue or a link can be shared with learners to access from home (subject to safeguarding measures and set up).

If you are a planning a trip to Chester Zoo or have our education team coming to visit your school, the virtual visits are an ideal pre or post-visit activity.

Yes. Whether you have a full class at home (due to COVID or other reasons) or a few individuals at home, our set up means that our virtual sessions can be accessed by everyone in your group*. Our team will be on hand to make sure all your learners have a great experience wherever they are!

*learners will need access to a laptop, tablet or phone device with an internet connection. They will also need access to an email account to access the session link.

• An internet connection
• Web browser
• Computer with microphone and speakers
• A webcam or built in camera
• A large screen, interactive white board or similar to show learners the livestream
• Any resources listed on the Set up Guide (this will be emailed to you with your booking confirmation)

We will email you a Set up Guide after you have booked the session which will include all resources that you need to print or will need available. All details of what to expect during the call are included in the Set up Guide.

Don’t worry you do not need a Teams account to access this service. It can be accessed through your web browser. All you need is the link that will be sent you the week before your session.

A Test Call will be booked in after you have booked your Virtual Zoo session. This free Test

Call is an essential part of your booking.  It enables us to check that Teams works and that the connection is strong enough to run the session and gives us an opportunity to talk through the session with the class teacher. This must be booked at least one week before your scheduled session.

When you book you will be given a specific time for your session. A member of the team will start a Teams call with you and your learners at the time the session begins. With each of our virtual zoo sessions we will provide additional resources and activities to engage your learners before, during and after the session.

In order to ensure the safety of all participants, all of our learning activities are thoroughly risk assessed with all members of our delivery team subject to an enhanced DBS check. The link to join the virtual zoo session is secure with only the zoo delivery staff and participating groups having access to the call. We provide additional safety information with your booking confirmation, please take time to familiarise yourself with this. If you have any concerns, these can be discussed with the team during your test call.

Unfortunately, we are not able to carry out risk assessments on behalf of groups because we are not aware of all the individual circumstances regarding your particular visit. However, we hope the questions and answers below will help you to complete your own risk assessments. Please also refer to specific details about visiting safely during the COVID-19 pandemic

If you lose someone from group, please ask a member of staff or a volunteer to help (they are recognisable by their blue uniform and zoo logo). They will radio or phone security who will coordinate a search so that you can be reunited.

For younger students wristbands are available to pre order. For older students please ensure they have the contact number of the group leader available in case of an emergency.

It is a condition of booking that you provide us with a contact number for a group leader who will be present at the zoo on the day of your visit.

Chester Zoo has a trained team of first responders who are available during opening hours. There is also a dedicated first aid kiosk located at the main entrance near the Zoomobility kiosk. If you require any assistance during your visit please contact the nearest member of staff or a volunteer.

Due to social distancing our first aider may request that people self-administer treatment as per (Covid) guidelines where this is appropriate to do so.

The zoo has a comprehensive emergency plan that has been developed in conjunction with the emergency services. These include incidents such as fire, animal escapes and site evacuation. We have trained staff on hand at all times.

Teachers and other accompanying adults are admitted to the zoo for free or at a discounted rate on the understanding that it is the school’s responsibility to ensure students have a safe and enriching experience at Chester Zoo. We have temporarily adjusted our adult to child ratios for year 7 upwards on the understanding that schools will provide enhanced supervision required around site.

All children (under the age of 16) need to be actively supervised at all times during an educational group visit. This means they should be within sight of a supervising adult.  All groups (under the age of 16)  will need an accompanying adult to enable them to enter ALL animal houses and walkthroughs, our main retail outlets, our major food outlets and ALL play areas.

For groups of students aged 16+, please arrange to meet students at pre-determined locations around the zoo throughout the day. We expect group leaders to maintain a visible profile, moving around with their students as appropriate.

If you have fewer teachers and/or accompanying adults than our recommended supervision ratios please contact us before your visit learning@chesterzoo.org .

The zoo has a dedicated security team, which is able to deal with any security issues on site. To help ensure your safety, CCTV is in operation on site.

Chester Zoo is operated under strict licensing conditions. A dedicated team of animal keepers care for the animals. All animals are housed in suitably constructed habitats to ensure visitor and animal safety.

There are some areas where animals are in free flight and are not separated from visitors. There should be no attempt to touch animals in these areas. Specific guidance on hand washing and entry conditions apply to these areas.

All our Conservation Education and Engagement team have current up to date DBS checks. If you are booking an outreach visit please let us know prior to the visit if you require staff to bring this along.