Secondary school visits at the Arboretum

Harcourt Arboretum is just six miles south of Oxford City Centre. It has 130 acres of endangered trees, natural woodland and native wildflower meadow.
We offer a range of sessions designed to enhance the curricula for all Key Stages. Sessions for further education groups are also available. Parking for cars and coaches is available on site.

We are fully booked for this academic year. We welcome enquiries for visits from September 2025.

About school visits

We offer a range of sessions for Key Stage 3, 4, 5 and further education groups. Each session lasts between 90 minutes and 2 hours and has a maximum capacity of 35 students.

Please note that there is a charge for all education sessions. Our sessions fill up quickly, so book early to avoid disappointment.

Sessions do not include a general tour of the Arboretum, so please make sure you book extra time with us if you wish to explore afterwards.

Find out more about our secondary education visits to Harcourt Arboretum here.

Information to help you write your risk assessment can be found here.

Wollemi pine - Harcourt Arboretum - Threatened Tree Trail

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KS4 or KS5: Evolution and Classification

Available to book Tuesday - Thursdays.

Recommended from April - October.

This session will cover plant evolution and taxonomy. Students will learn how plants evolved from primitive single-celled photosynthetic organisms to one of the most diverse kingdoms on Earth. Using the 'living fossils' in our collections, students will learn about the binomial classification system. Students will understand how evolutionary trees were constructed using morphology and how that has changed with advances in genomics, using examples from the Arboretum's extensive tree collection.

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KS3, KS4 or KS5: Biodiversity and Conservation

Available to book Tuesday - Thursdays.

Recommended year round.

This session will explore an incredible collection of endangered trees, including some of the oldest redwoods in the country, and will introduce the principles of in situ and ex situ conservation.
Students will learn about biodiversity in our native woodlands and managed collections, and the impact of climate change on the natural world.

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KS4 or KS5: Wildflower meadow sampling practical

Available to book Tuesday - Thursdays from the end of May to the end of July.

This session will introduce your students to 63 acres of native wildflower meadow. This rare habitat will enable them to practise their observation skills and will serve as an introduction to plant identification. These skills can be used to complete the required GCSE or A Level sampling practical.

Quadrats, ID guides and a workshop booklet are provided.

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KS3 or KS4: Adaptations at the Arboretum

Available to book Tuesday - Thursdays.

Recommended from March- October.

This session will explore the Arboretum's diverse plant collection to examine the adaptations of trees and woodland plants from around the world. Students will learn how different species are adapted to different environments and learn about the impact of human activity and climate change on species survival.

Can't find what you're looking for?

There are more secondary education sessions available at our other site, Oxford Botanic Garden, the oldest botanic garden in the UK with over 5,000 plants from around the world.

Click the link below to find out more.

Secondary Education at the Garden

Charges

Session	Max numbers	Charge
Secondary school half-day session facilitated by Education Officer	35	£125.00
Secondary school full-day session facilitated by Education Officer	35	£250.00
Bespoke school programmes (full day, selection of workshops)	Flexible	Contact us
Self-guided secondary education visits (pre-booking essential)	35	£3 per student