About our centres

Nottinghamshire County Council oversees the running of two environmental education day centres to provide cross curricular activities in the outdoors.  Groups can visit for full days with or without teacher support and your visit can be planned and tailored to your needs.

Introduction to the Environmental Education Day Centres [PDF 272KB]

Teachers and activities

Each centre is staffed by experienced teachers who are able to plan and work with visiting groups across a very broad range of programmes and activities linked directly to the schools curriculum, areas including literacy, numeracy, geography, history, science and art.  Visits to the centres also develop environmental understanding and contribute to PSHE and citizenship programmes.

The Environmental Education Day Centres:

• are aimed at pupils of all abilities
• are all Eco Centres and provide activities linked to sustainability issues
• provide a wide variety of teaching resources materials to allow teachers to make the most of a visit to these excellent centres
• Nottinghamshire schools' visits are subsidised by the Local Authority with remission of fees available for pupils eligible for free school meals
• all risk assessments/operational procedures meet Local Authority and Department for Education guidelines.

See below for more information on each centre or download the Activities at the Environmental Education Day Centres booklet [PDF 446KB] .

The Lesson Planning For A Visit [WORD 51KB] document is designed to engage children in the process of organising a visit and to make them aware of the wide-ranging implications of taking children to an off-site educational experience.

Booking form

Environmental Education Day Centres booking form [PDF 72KB]

Perlethorpe Environmental Education Centre

Head of Day Centres: Gary Richards tel: 01623 822218 e-mail: perlethorpe@nottscc.gov.uk	Perlethorpe Environmental Education Centre
Perlethorpe Risk Assessments [WORD 410KB] Location of Perlethorpe Environmental Education Centre [PDF 66KB]	The Victorian Classroom

Perlethorpe is a wonderful place for learning outdoors. Pupils of all ages and abilities will enjoy the broad range of cross-curricular themes and activities available at the Centre. Through literacy activity days or exploring life processes in the woodland, experiencing Victorian life or meeting a personal challenge at orienteering, they'll have the chance to learn about the environment and themselves in real and exciting ways.

The centre is housed in the former village school set in the beautiful countryside surroundings of the Thoresby Estate in the historic 'Dukeries' of North Nottinghamshire. Visiting schools have access to a wide range of habitats; lake, river, farmland, woods, village and parkland. Visits to the church can also be arranged.

• Demonstration wildlife gardens.
• Victorian classroom.
• Adventure playground.
• Woodland log circles and sensory trail.
• Orienteering courses for all.
• Space for two class groups.

Brackenhurst Environmental Education Centre

Centre Teacher: Corby Lewington tel: 01636 817059 e-mail: corby.lewington@ntu.ac.uk
Brackenhurst Risk Assessments [PDF 256KB] Location of Brackenhurst Environmental Education Centre [PDF 63KB]

The centre is run in partnership with Nottingham Trent University and located on the Brackenhurst campus near Southwell. The site contains access to working mixed farms, animal care and horticultural units, tropical house, an equestrian centre, conservation areas, Victorian kitchen garden, willow pattern garden and formal gardens.

• Learn about food production.
• Discover farm animals at close quarters.
• Experience life as a child in World War II Britain.
• Explore green lanes, dumble, hedgerows and ponds
• Orienteering courses.
• Space for up to two class groups.