Bristol Zoo awarded quality badge for its education provision
Bristol Zoo Gardens has been awarded a badge of recognition for its outstanding education provision.
TheZoo has been given the Government-developed ‘Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge’. The badge is a nationally recognised benchmark that brings together all existing safety and quality badges into one easily identifiable mark of quality.
As part of the Zoo’s assessment, inspectors looked at all aspects of the Zoo’s education provision, including its education policy, web information, marketing material, information for teachers, health and safety policy and risk assessments.
Inspectors also sat in on education sessions, spoke to members of the Zoo’s learning department and examined the Zoo’s high-level ropes course, ZooRopia.
Simon Garrett, head of learning at the Zoo, said: “Being awarded the Quality Badge is great because it sends a clear message to teachers that the education provision and the health and safety standards at Bristol Zoo are of the highest standard.”
Quality badge assessor, Tony Thomas, said: “Diverse, innovative and accessible, Bristol Zoo Gardens is a leading education provider, offering a vast array of quality experiences for school children and families.”
He added: “It was wonderful to share the experiences of young and old having 'close encounters' with animals, both large and small, during their education sessions.
“The Zoo’s skilled educational facilitators support learning through exciting programmes which offer the opportunity for face-to-face experiences with animals, whilst exploring where they come from, how they live and what needs to be done to conserve their future.
“Elsewhere in the Zoo, visitors can venture through the tree-tops on the ZooRopia course and take the opportunity to see animals playing, eating, sleeping and relating to one another. A trip to Bristol Zoo is a memorable experience whether you come
as a school group, club or family.”
The Quality Badge is awarded to organisations which have pledged to sustain good-quality learning outside the classroom and have met certain criteria.
It makes it easier for teaching professionals to organise activities out of the classroom, by helping them to identify organisations which provide good quality learning activities, reducing paperwork and red tape.
A couple of years ago, Bristol Zoo took part in a pilot of the badge scheme, before it was launched, to review and evaluate the quality of the Zoo’s learning and its safety standards. This pilot helped set the standard for how other learning providers would be measured.
Bristol Zoo has been teaching school groups since 1990, when it taught around 12,000 students per year. Now the Zoo teaches over 37,000 pupils each year, from Early Years to degree level, from special needs to children’s clubs, on over 40 subjects. This autumn the Zoo is due to welcome its 500,000th pupil through the doors.
Education sessions take place in themed classrooms in the Zoo’s Conservation Education Centre. Teachers can arrange a free pre-visit of the Zoo’s facilities, after making a provisional booking with the Zoo. For more information, click here www.bristolzoo.org.uk/education or phone 0117 974 7369 or email education@bristolzoo.org.uk.
ENDS
For press enquiries please contact the Bristol Zoo Gardens press office:
Lucy Parkinson, T: 0117 974 7306, E: lparkinson@bristolzoo.org.uk
Vanessa Hollier, T: 0117 974 7309, E: vhollier@bristolzoo.org.uk
Notes to the Editor
Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge
The Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge is awarded to organisations which have pledged to engage in an ongoing process to sustain good-quality learning outside the classroom and have demonstrated that they meet six quality indicators. These indicators show the provider:
- has a process in place to assist users to plan the learning experience effectively;
- provides accurate information about its offer;
- provides activities, experience or resources which meet learner needs;
- reviews the experience and acts on feedback;
- meets the needs of the users; and
- has safety management processes in place to manage risk effectively.
To find out more about the Quality Badge and to search for Badge holders in your area, please visit www.lotcqualitybadge.org.uk
Bristol Zoo Gardens
- Bristol Zoo Gardens is an education and conservation charity and relies on the income from visitors to support its work.
- Throughout 2010 Bristol Zoo will be running a series of events to highlight the importance of conserving the world’s biodiversity, as part of the international Year of Biodiversity. For more information visit the Zoo website at www.bristolzoo.org.uk/about/conservation/campaigns/iyob
- To find out more about the UN’s International Year of Biodiversity visit the website at www.biodiversityislife.net
- Bristol Zoo is open from 9am every day except Christmas Day.
- The Zoo is involved with more than 100 co-ordinated breeding programmes for threatened wildlife species.
- Itemploys 140 full and part-time staff to care for the animals and run a successful visitor attraction to support its conservation and education work.
- Bristol Zoo Gardens supports – through finance and skill sharing – 15 projects in the UK and abroad that conserveand protectsome of the world’s most endangered species.
- Bristol Zoo Gardens is a member of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums. BIAZA represents more than 90 member collections and promotes the values of good zoos and aquariums.
