Schools
There are many falconry groups who visit schools... but none with our creative educational programme! We are regularly told that the children rated our visit the best school day - ever! And teachers rather enjoy us too.
We imaginatively use falconry as a vehicle to reveal the important role played by birds and people during British history. Far more than simply focusing on the natural science of birds we also delve into society, culture, religion, traditions, monarchy, language and all the other factors that made up daily life for people in the past. For later time periods we incorporate science which allows us to explore the popular topics of evolution and extinction. It may surprise teachers to discover that falconry bears relevance to some of the most important human figures and landmark dates in history.
We are highly experienced and knowledgeable professionals who offer a quality learning adventure for children of all ages. Having worked with children as young as Year 2 right up to secondary school age we know how to get the pitch just right for our audience, no children fall asleep or get fidgety on our watch! Most importantly we are fully insured to conduct educational visits although the presence of a teacher is required at all times.
Children do not benefit from being lectured so our approach is lively, sensual and fast paced. We use music and sound effects, lots of props and word cards, we stage role plays and little cameos using the children as volunteers, we pass around feathers for examination and discussion, sometimes we even dress a child or two up. With live birds safely tethered to perches and wearing beautiful costumes, we literally bring the story to life. Every single school visit we have conducted has been different to the last because we design our visit around you and your area of study. We can celebrate the Tudors and Henry VIII, demonstrate medieval life, reveal the bravery of animals in the Second World War, discuss Darwin and the origin of raptors or spin fantastical old tales to inspire creative writing. Give us the outline and we will give you a proposal.
We offer schools a carefully planned workshop which, depending upon the amount of children you wish to include, can last from 30 mins to 1 hour. We can repeat that workshop 3 or 4 times to different classes during our visit, and dependent on their length. The inclusion of an outdoor flying display is an optional extra dependent on time, facilities and budget - but as many children as you like may attend the display.
Indoor workshops require exclusive use of the school hall (classrooms are unsuitable). Here we erect a small historic scene of live birds on perches surrounded by period furniture and props, it is from this backdrop that we deliver our workshop to children seated on the floor. We remain in situ while different classes or year groups visit at a scheduled time. If you choose to complete the visit with a flying display we require a large grassy playing field. We regret we are unable to fly over a hard surface playground or within a safety cage. For safety, while flying, we erect a simple rope barrier which the children must stay behind. We supply a portable PA system at no extra charge so everyone can comfortably hear our commentary.
Should you simply be looking for a public falconry display to entertain your students for whatever reason, in other words you do not require the indoor educational workshops, please make this clear on enquiry so we give you the correct quote.
Falconry Workshop Themes
- Roman
- Ancient Folklore, Myths & Legends of Birds
- Anglo Saxon/Norman
- Warriors, Warlords & Birds of Battle
- Medieval
- The Knight, the Lady and the Noble Falcon
- Tudor
- The Sport of King Henry VIII
- Victorian
- Experiments, Evolution & Extinction
- Edwardian
- Birds of the British Empire
- 1940s
- Birds & Animals of World War II
- 21st Century
- Senses, Flight, Feather & Nocturnal v Diurnal Study
Rates & Booking
We know that schools have to work to tight budgets so we offer a simple basic rate with optional add-ons plus travel and expenses. This allows you to customise the visit and control its cost. Dependent on how far away you are and how many children you wish to accommodate, the fee will be between £300 to £500 + VAT and plus expenses. Please note however - the cost of an educational visit is very different to the cost of an event day, if you wish us to visit for entertainment purposes as part of a public event, please visit our "Events" page. School bookings are available March to December.
Enquiries are best made by email in the first instance. Please give a brief description of your interest, your location and the number/ages of children you wish to include. We will return our ideas with a suggested programme and quote.