What Daws Hall can
offer you
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Two qualified teachers, Simon Perry and Richard Wren, are employed by Essex County Council, through the County Youth Service. Both have many years of experience including classroom teaching in secondary schools. Other members of staff may be available to help the school with their visit, particularly with larger groups.
Daws Hall welcomes schools across the whole age range, from Nurseries and Reception classes (3 and 4 year olds) to A level Biology and Geography fieldwork courses. We have built a good reputation for the quality of sixth form courses, with regular visitors from two of the top state schools in the Country.
Charges range from £4.50 per pupil for a primary school visiting in the middle of winter to £20 per student for a eight hour day course for an A level group in the summer. Some younger groups may wish to visit for a half day at a reduced cost.
We levy no charge for teachers and other adults; many schools see this as informal INSET for their staff. Other adults accompanying primary schools have an invaluable role in leading small group work.
Daws Hall is an outdoor classroom with no set menu of activities or environmental programmes. We pride ourselves on being flexible, responding to the needs of the visiting classes. At Key Stages 1 and 2 (primary schools), many of our practical investigations are related to Science topics, often to do with habitats and plant science, or Geography (especially river studies).
However there is still much scope for a cross-curricular approach with opportunities for literacy and numeracy, art and information technology. If you wish, a "menu" of example activities is available from the Centre.
In addition we always provide that element of true environmental education which can not be provided in the indoor classroom; first hand experience of wildlife and the countryside. We also try to emphasise the importance of environmental responsibility and stewardship and maintenance of biodiversity. The Eco-Centre scheme is a good example of how this can be integrated into the day.
We welcome groups from Year 7 upwards, and at GCSE and A level Daws Hall can help to deliver the fieldwork component of examination courses. Often this enables students to carry out their own practical investigation, which is assessed and counts towards their final mark. Feedback from teachers indicates the high standards achieved and the value they place on our contribution.
Above all we try to make all school visits enjoyable and rewarding; not just another school trip, but a day or days which should make a lasting impression.
'Apart from school groups, what other tuition is available at Daws Hall?'
While school visits right through the academic year provide the bulk of our visitors (around 3000 per year), we also play host to a few teachers' courses, the weekend natural history course series and a few non-school groups e.g. local Cub scouts. Each year we are also asked to organise guided walks for local Conservation and general interest groups. During the winter months especially, Centre staff take equipment and expertise into the schools, with tree planting projects and other supporting activities for teaching in the school grounds.
As well as a well-equipped classroom, we are lucky to have use of the small Bee Room situated on the Wildfowl Sanctuary. Hosting the observation beehive during the summer, this can also accommodate small groups or act as a laboratory for A level individual projects. One feature, which always proves a hit with the children, is the bird nesting box with infra red video camera, situated on the wall of the Centre. For the fourth year running a family of blue tits has been raised under the watchful eyes of countless young visitors.
New this year are purpose built dipping plaforms and bridges along the brook to allow safe and easy access. A full colour intrepretative panel with map and illustrations now has pride of place outside the Centre, courtesy of donations in memory of a friend of the Reserve.
As well as a toilet for the disabled, there is good access into the classroom via the cloakroom. We have recently replaced the gravel around the building with concrete and future improvements will have wheelchair access in mind. Special schools from Sudbury, Braintree and Colchester visit regularly and some children have mobility problems or are in wheelchairs.
Most of the paths are wheelchair friendly and the new bridges have improved access. For adult wheelchair users an alternative parking area is available at the bottom of the valley.
