Secondary school visits at the Arboretum

Our Education Programme is currently fully booked. The Education Team are taking bookings from October 2023 onwards.

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.

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.

Wollemi pine - Harcourt Arboretum - Threatened Tree Trail

Evolution and Classification

Available to book weekdays from Monday 17th April - Friday 5th May (excl. bank holidays).

This session covers the evolution of plants and looks at ‘living fossils’ in our collections. Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection, the binomial naming system, and selection pressures that drive evolution will also be covered with exciting and unusual plants from our collections used to highlight key points. Students will have the opportunity to practise their observation skills and create their own identification key.

The session is adaptable to suit all secondary key stages.

Wildflower Meadow Experience and Practical

Available to book weekdays from Monday 12th June - Thursday 15th July (excl. bank holidays).

This session uses our 63 acres of native wildflower meadow . It covers the importance of habitat, species and genetic diversity; the role of classification in understanding species diversity; factors that put biodiversity at risk; and environmental conservation. Students will try out sampling techniques, collect data, calculate species diversity and make observations. This course is suitable to cover the required GCSE Biology Ecology Practical or the required A Level Biology Ecology Practical.

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
Outside lunch space at the Arboretum (45 minutes)	35	Free (but must book)

How to book

If you would like to make a booking for any of our sessions, please contact Lauren Baker at secondaryeducation@obg.ox.ac.uk to discuss your needs.

To discuss any bespoke programmes, joint visits to any of our partner sites, or if you have any questions about our sessions you can email us directly at secondaryeducation@obg.ox.ac.uk.

Not a Secondary School?

Oxford Botanic Garden and Arboretum is here to support all forms of education. It is an excellent location for groups from colleges, adult education establishments, home schooling groups and Universities to visit as part of their programmes. Our Education teams can arrange bespoke sessions to suit the specification and degree of difficulty required for any group. Please get in touch with Lauren Baker at secondaryeducation@obg.ox.ac.uk to discuss your exact requirements.