Wildheart Animal Sanctuary
Visit Website
Email us
Wildheart Animal Sanctuary, Sandown, Isle of Wight, PO36 8QB
MONTHS OPEN
DAYS OPEN
AGE GROUPS SERVED
Listed under: Environmental Studies | Biology | Wildlife Parks | Conservation | Zoos | Team Building | Special Educational Needs (SEN) | Outdoor Education | Ecology & Green Awareness | Animal Welfare | Day Trip Destinations | Science | Mathematics | History | Geography | Animal Experiences
What we offer on a school trip
Our sanctuary may be small, but it has a big heart. We are able to offer you a qualified teacher for your morning or afternoon visit who will provide you with a Learning & Discovery Session. This includes a discussion about our animal’s stories, how they came to live with us at the sanctuary, threats to their species in the wild, and what we are doing to promote the species as part of our conservation work.
We are very flexible and can design your group a specialised session if you have a specific curriculum link you would like to be covered. Please let us know in advance and we will ensure the focus of your session will include aspects of that subject at a level required for your group.
During your visit, if you book a Learning & Discovery session you will have use of the Learning & Discovery Centre which you can utilise for a bag drop. The Wildheart Café is available all year round for food and drink, and we have an ice cream hut open by our picnic area during the summer period. We also have a great gift shop and animal adoptions available to help support our charity further
What makes us a great choice for education
A visit to the Wildheart Animal Sanctuary provides students with inspirational experiences that enthuse them for the natural world and help them to develop a sense of awe and wonder that will last a lifetime!
- Education visits are led by our highly experienced and knowledgeable staff
- Visits include a trip through our immersive walkthrough lemur dome where students can get up close to our fabulous lemurs
- Free entry for teachers/group leaders/support staff
- Free pre-visits for teachers/group leaders
- Free coach parking with complimentary drink and meal for the coach driver
- Free downloadable resources available on our website to support your visit
- A range of Kahoot! quizzes available online to do with your students before or after your visit
- Great location right opposite a safe, sandy beach
- Curriculum linked lessons for all key stages
- Fascinating animal encounters up close, to engage your students
What is typically included on our school trips
A guided tour by a member of our education team, tailored to your topic or curriculum requirements
Group Sizes Catered For
Our minimum group size is 15, typically we take groups of around 30-60. We can cater for larger groups (80+) with advanced notice
Materials, Resources & Information Provided
Free curriculum-linked downloadable resources are available on our website. With advanced notice we can also produce worksheets to accompany your group visit. Please email discovery@wildheartanimalsanctaury.org for more information.
Photography, Filming & Audio Restrictions
Groups are more than welcome to take photos, we just ask that they do not use flash photography and remain behind the safety barriers
Risk Assessment Details
We have risk assessments for school groups and for workshop sessions already in place. We also offer free RECCE visits to teachers and organisers.
Education Officer Information
Zeb Fisher – Learning & Discovery Manager
Discovery@wildheartanimalsanctuary.org
01983 403883 extension 124
Pricing Information
We are able to offer our best possible discounted prices to our school groups in 2023 whether you want a guided or a self-guided tour. If you quote the code: UKST2023 when booking we will also include a free set of stickers for your kids to takeaway with them.
GUIDED Child £7.50 1 leader free per 5 children. Additional adults £7.50
SELF-GUIDED Child £6.00 1 leader free per 5 children. Additional adults £6.00
*Please note that bespoke workshops and lunch options can be costed out based on the requirements of the group. Call our Learning and Discovery Manager today to find out more.
Clothing Requirements
It is mainly an open-air site and we recommend that our guests wear appropriate clothing for the weather and sensible shoes.
Available Facilities
- The Wildheart Café sells ice creams, snacks, hot and cold food and drinks. In the main season there may also be satellite catering outlets operational.
- The main toilet block, which includes disabled facilities and baby changing, is by the lemur domes. There is also an accessible toilet with baby changing in the Wildheart Café.
- The Wildheart Shop welcomes school groups and has a wide range of products, including pocket-money priced items. Our staff are friendly and patient with young customers.
- There are several picnic areas in the Sanctuary, including one covered area.
- There are no age restrictions for the playground equipment. We ask teachers to exercise their judgement about the suitability of the equipment for their students.
Accessibility & Disabled Facilities
- The site is mainly level. Please note that there are gravel paths in some areas.
- Fully accessible toilets are available by the lemur domes and in the Wildheart Café.
Opening Hours & Information
- The Sanctuary is open every day except Christmas and Boxing Day.
- The Sanctuary is open 10 – 4 in the winter and 10 – 5 in the summer, please check our website to find out if the closing time will be 4pm or 5pm on the day you wish to visit.
Testimonials
“The educational tour was brilliant. Very engaging and matched perfectly with what we learnt subsequently in class, it was also really informative and packed full of interesting anecdotes. It made the children feel very lucky to be able to get so close to the animals with their own guide. Thank you for going the extra mile.”
“The children enjoyed all aspects of the Sanctuary session. However, the history behind the BIG CATS really made an impression on them which led to some excellent discussion once back in the classroom. I think they empathised with the ‘GOOD’ that the Sanctuary are doing in actually providing for these animals who, if left in their previous situations, would have had a dreadful existence. Therefore a greater understanding of how Zoos can in fact be good places for animals.”
“I think the session was pitched perfectly. The leader was superb with the children both in her delivery but also in the manner with which she interacted with the children. Thank you!!”
“Thank you for a wonderful visit. The children gained so much from the afternoon and we would highly recommend this visit to others.”
