British Museum, London:
https://www.britishmuseum.org
A beautiful, calm, wonderful space. Most of the museum is free, but you can pay extra for the (usually) fantastic exhibitions (expensive for adults, but free for under 16s). Great trails for younger ones and HE days for ages 7-11.

Burghley House and sculpture park, Stamford, Lincs:
https://www.burghley.co.uk
A beautiful day out. Pricey, but the water park is fun, walks are plentiful, school tours are good and they do a really good Easter egg hunt (assuming you go on Easter day, of course).

Cartoon museum, London:
https://www.cartoonmuseum.orgA small but lovely museum. A must for anyone who claims to love comics. The session was great and really engaged the kids. I just loved the Hogarths… probably because I see something of myself in Gin Lane… (2016)

Design Museum, London:
https://designmuseum.org
Really, really want to go, but haven’t had a chance yet. Will let you know what it is like when I finally make it there.

Ely Stained Glass museum:
https://stainedglassmuseum.com

Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge:
https://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk
The do some fantastic family days, kiddy activity trails, educational groups and a big range of arts to look around (for outside London). As with most of the Cambridge museums, it is free to go around, but shut on Mondays.

Henry Moore Studio and Gardens, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts:
https://www.henry-moore.org/visit/henry-moore-studios-gardens
Great art, but for those that are less bothered by the ‘negative space’, there are also beautiful walks all round that area. You really need good weather though. (2014)

House of MinaLima, London:
https://minalima.com/visit-us/
A shop, but a gallery too!!! It really is a wonderful place to visit if you love design and/or Harry Potter. It is free, but you will probably buy something, so not that free after all… (2018)

Ironbridge Gorge — Jackfield Tile Museum, Telford, Shropshire:
https://www.ironbridge.org.uk/explore/jackfield-tile-museum/
One of the Ironbridge museums. There are so many up there that we wanted to see, that we took a school trip holiday and it was the best!!! You buy the annual family pass for about £70 and it gives you access to all the Ironbridge museum for the year. This one is an Arts & Crafts lover’s happy place. (2016)

Kettles yard, Cambridge:
https://www.kettlesyard.co.uk
If I could move in, I would. Possibly don’t want to take lots of small, fidgety children though. Can stay in the house as long as you like, sitting in the chairs, taking in the atmos, picking up a pencil and sketch pad and imagining what it would be like if you could actually draw. Exhibitions in the main gallery change fairly regularly and are also free entry. (2020)

London Transport Museum, London:
https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk
Absolutely fantastic for young families, design lovers and the nostalgic. Tickets last a year and kids go free.

The Lowry, Salford:
https://thelowry.com/visit-us/
They are really trying to keep it as family friendly as possible. Lots to see and do around there, new exhibitions up all the time, and yes, one or two Lowry’s to inspire everyone’s inner artist. (2019)

Manchester Art Gallery, Manchester:
https://manchesterartgallery.org
Great art gallery and free, but the best thing about Manchester museums is that they really seem to like younger learners. Weird, I know!! (2018)

Museum of the Home (used to be the Geffrye Museum), London:
https://www.museumofthehome.org.uk
Absolutely fantastic. Hits all my buttons. Great for small children too. Slightly annoying to get to, but worth it. Free. Great cafe as well. (2014)

National Gallery, London:
https://www.nationalgallery.org.ukStill my children’s favourite gallery. It’s Whistle Jacket, the Fighting Temeraire, Surprised and Van Gogh’s Chair that keep pulling us back… and possibly the massive Waterstones over the way. Also have a SEND learning programme that looks good and is free. (2019)

National Portrait Gallery, London:
https://www.npg.org.uk
The National’s less popular younger sister. Shame, because they have cracking stuff in there and really cool school resources to use as you take yourself round. Like the National, is also free. Not done one of their led sessions, but they look really good too. (2019)

National Theatre, London:
https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk
Of course you can go and see some theatre, but they also do a brilliant behind the scenes tour (generally on in half-terms), and there is a small exhibition permanently on that goes over the top of some of the set design rooms, so you can see what they are doing, and how a production comes about. They also have changing exhibitions such as posters, costumes etc. that are also free to look round(https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/your-visit/exhibitions). The cafe is good too. (2016)

Nene Valley Sculpture walk, Peterborough:
https://www.nenepark.org.uk/visit-us/things-to-do/sculpture
Who doesn’t love a sculpture walk?

Saatchi Gallery, London:
https://www.saatchigallery.com
A really well done educational session. One of the best art ones we’ve done (and we have done a few). And after… you can sit outside and watch all the privately educated kids in their silly school uniforms. Very funny. (2016)

Science Museum, London:
https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/home
You might be a bit surprised to find this under ‘art trips’, but they actually have a fab section on materials and fabrics. Came in very handy for my son’s Arts Award project. (2017)

Sir John Soane’s Museum, London:
https://www.soane.org
Glorious, but underrated by small people… or mine at any rate. They start to get it when they are in their teens. It is all about light, antiquity and Hogarth. And at the entrance price of £free, it is worth every penny!!! Not for big groups or those with fidgety children though. (2018)

Tate Britain, London:
https://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-britain
A bit harder to get to than other art galleries in London, but well worth it when you do go. (2016)

Tate modern, London:
https://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-modern
Right in the centre so easy to sneak in a 10 mins trip if you are in the neighbourhood to see something else. Possibly not the most accessible for younger children, but being free one is able to just do a quick trip, should you have an anti-art lobby group on your hands. (2015)

The Makings of Harry Potter, Hertfordshire:
https://www.wbstudiotour.co.ukThe school trips are absolutely fantastic, but you do need to re-mortgage your house to go. The ‘free’ school sessions can focus on business, art and design, English, film and media or STEM. (2017)

Victoria & Albert, London:
https://www.vam.ac.uk
My all-time favourite museum. Just fantastic every time. The exhibitions are incredible, but they do cost a fair whack for adults. And I never say ‘no’ to a cuppa in the William Morris dining room, so that pushes up the price, for us anyway. But because it is free, you also don’t feel bad for just going in for the odd 10 mins before you take the children off to visit the dinosaurs over the road, so that evens everything out. (2019)

Wallace collection, London:
https://www.wallacecollection.org
Has it’s very own HE sessions, hoorah!! A great collection of art at its finest. Beautiful.

Wellcome Collection, London:
https://wellcomecollection.org
Mixes science and art beautifully. A wonderful space to be in. Also, the most incredible free trail bags for small children. Look out for the torture chair. Who knew something that beautiful could be made for something so horrendous?! (2017)

Bank of England Museum, London:
https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/museum
More fun than it sounds. Really. We found it fascinating, and you get to lift a bar of gold! Best bit, it’s free. A good thing to add on to the end of another trip. Monument is just down the road if you are doing the Great Fire of London. It is also fun to drag your children through the Square Mile and keep a tally of business people who glare at children and the others who look like their hearts will melt because they had forgotten what children look like. Just the best architecture round there too. (2020)

LegoLand, Windsor:
https://www.legoland.co.uk/schools/workshops/
The KS2 workshop we did was a bit of a waste of time (on underwater creatures), the KS3 and 4 might be better(?), but it did mean cheap (relatively) entry into Legoland, which was well worth it. And going during the week meant absolutely no queues, it was the best!!! You are paying for a day of extreme targeted advertising, so expect expensive consequences when you leave via the gift shop. £4 for a single lego brick on a key ring… and I bought two. Has workshops covering science, English, ecology, engineering, history, geography, film, and business, oh yeah, and underwater creatures. (2016)

Museum of Brands, London:
https://www.museumofbrands.com
The workshop was so so, but the museum itself was great for looking round. Nothing fancy, no technology or special effects, just plain old tins of golden syrup and beans, but so interesting. Equally useful for design and sociology as business, and anyone who fancies a trip down memory lane. (2018)

The Makings of Harry Potter, Hertfordshire:
https://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk
The school trips are fantastic, but you do need to re-mortgage your house to go. The ‘free’ school sessions can focus on business, art and design, English, film and media or STEM. (2017)

British Museum, London:
https://www.britishmuseum.org
A beautiful, calm, wonderful space. Free entry to museum with (usually) fantastic exhibitions (although these are expensive for adults, but free for under 16s). Great trails for younger ones and HE days for ages 7-11.

Museum of Classical Archeology, Cambridge:
https://www.classics.cam.ac.uk/museum
Lovely people to book sessions with. The museum itself is small and perfectly formed. A Cambridge University museum, so free entry.

Saffron Walden Museum, Saffron Walden:
http://www.saffronwaldenmuseum.org
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Just the right size for a child who isn’t sure if they like museums or not – in a good way. Big range, but not too much of anything. (2015)

Victoria & Albert, London:
https://www.vam.ac.uk
My all-time favourite museum. Just fantastic every time. The exhibitions are incredible, but they do cost a fair whack for adults. And I never say ‘no’ to a cuppa in the William Morris dining room, so that also pushes up the price. Because it is free, you don’t feel bad for just going in for 10 mins before you take the children off to visit the dinosaurs over the road, so it evens up the costs on the pricer V&A trip days. (2019)

Verulamium Museum, St. Albans:
https://www.stalbansmuseums.org.uk/visit/verulamium-museum
All things Roman. Absolutely fascinating, assuming you like Roman stuff. (2016)

Museum of London Docklands, London:
https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london-docklands
Really good for seeing how an area can be regenerated. Probably for the older ones rather than the young ones, but a fascinating history of slavery, trade and reinvention. Free. (2019)

National Army Museum, London:
https://www.nam.ac.uk
I didn’t think I liked anything army-ish, but was surprisingly interested nevertheless. Quite touching in places. Lots of shiny buttons on quite splendid uniforms. Free. (2014)

Parliament, London:
https://www.parliament.uk/visiting/
This is the one all the dads come out for. Always great. Always free. They also do the occasional home ed day where you book individually as a family. They get hundreds and hundreds of us on those days… and no, it doesn’t lead to you being registered with your LEA. Free and you get a badge at the end saying ‘I love Parliament’, justin case you weren’t 100% sure. (2019)

People’s History Museum, Manchester:
https://phm.org.uk
Good for kids, but the content is something everyone should see. Equality, democracy, empowerment, Peterloo. It doesn’t get talked about enough. Oh! and it’s free. (2019)

British Library, London:
https://www.bl.uk
Well delivered work shops, fascinating manuscripts and a surprisingly large shop. (2014)

Charles Dickens Museum, London:
https://dickensmuseum.com
Never done it, but really fancy it.

The Handlebards, tour:
https://www.handlebards.com
Travel all over the place in the summer months. Really fun, fab for the younger audience who aren’t really sure they like Shakespeare.

LegoLand, Windsor:
https://www.legoland.co.uk/schools/workshops/
The KS2 workshop we did was a bit of a waste of time (on underwater creatures), the KS3 and 4 might be better(?), but it did mean cheap (relatively) entry into Legoland, which was well worth it. And going during the week meant absolutely no queues, it was the best!!! You are paying for a day of extreme targeted advertising, so expect expensive consequences when you leave via the gift shop. £4 for a single lego brick on a key ring… and I bought two. Has workshops covering science, English, ecology, engineering, history, geography, film, and business, oh yeah, and underwater creatures. (2016)

Museum of the Home (used to be the Geffrye Museum), London:
https://www.museumofthehome.org.uk
Absolutely fantastic. Hits all my buttons. Great for small children too. Slightly annoying to get to. The rooms through time can really help to bring literature to life, such as the sitting room that has Sherlock Holmes written all over it (pun fully intended).

The Makings of Harry Potter, Hertfordshire:
https://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk
The school trips are fantastic, but you do need to re-mortgage your house to go. The ‘free’ school sessions can focus on business, art and design, English, film and media or STEM. (2017)

Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge:
https://www.spri.cam.ac.uk/museum/Scotts letters are some of the most touching things you will ever read. Free to go in and these are loads of fascinating things to talk about with small children. The school sessions are really good, but the chill factor of the sun worshipper outside is always a worry though. (2019)

Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, London:
https://www.shakespearesglobe.com
Expensive, but an experience.

House of MinaLima, London:
https://minalima.com/visit-us/
A shop, but a gallery too!!! It really is a wonderful place to visit if you love design and/or Harry Potter. It is free, but you will probably buy something, so not that free after all… (2018)

Knebworth House, Stevenage:
https://www.knebworthhouse.com
A really fun place to visit for all ages, but they do have a whole exhibition area dedicated to the films that have been made at Knebworth. They sometimes have a film and media educational programme too. (2019)

LegoLand, Windsor:
https://www.legoland.co.uk/schools/workshops/
The KS2 workshop we did was a bit of a waste of time (on underwater creatures), the KS3 and 4 might be better(?), but it did mean cheap (relatively) entry into Legoland, which was well worth it. And going during the week meant absolutely no queues, it was the best!!! You are paying for a day of extreme targeted advertising, so expect expensive consequences when you leave via the gift shop. £4 for a single lego brick on a key ring… and I bought two. Has workshops covering science, English, ecology, engineering, history, geography, film, and business, oh yeah, and underwater creatures. (2016)

The Makings of Harry Potter, Hertfordshire:
https://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk
The school trips are fantastic, but you do need to re-mortgage your house to go. The ‘free’ school sessions can focus on business, art and design, English, film and media or STEM. (2017)

Cambridge University Botanic Gardens, Cambridge:
https://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk
Great, whatever the weather. Under 16s free. School trips free. Twilight at the Museum, free. Can take in your own picnic, and in good weather, easily spend the whole day there.

Denny Farm, No Man’s Land, somewhere between Cambridge and Ely:
http://www.dennyfarmlandmuseum.org.uk
English Heritage members free. A really lovely museum. Good for all ages. (2015)

Giants Causeway, N. Ireland:
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/giants-causeway
One of the most mesmerising places in the world (says the lady who doesn’t go south of Paris, north of Denmark, West of Ireland or East of Germany). If you ever get a chance to go, go. Good geography exhibitions too.(2016)

Green Britain Centre, Swafham:
http://www.greenbritaincentre.co.uk
Been a couple of times and loved it each time. Sadly, they seem to have had to shut it due to lack of funding, but it is worth keeping an eye on, should they open it up again. (2018)

LegoLand, Windsor:
https://www.legoland.co.uk/schools/workshops/
The KS2 workshop we did was a bit of a waste of time (on underwater creatures), the KS3 and 4 might be better(?), but it did mean cheap (relatively) entry into Legoland, which was well worth it. And going during the week meant absolutely no queues, it was the best!!! You are paying for a day of extreme targeted advertising, so expect expensive consequences when you leave via the gift shop. £4 for a single lego brick on a key ring… and I bought two. Has workshops covering science, English, ecology, engineering, history, geography, film, and business, oh yeah, and underwater creatures. (2016)

Museum of London Docklands, London:
https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london-docklands
Really good for seeing how an area can be regenerated. Probably for the older ones rather than the young ones, but a fascinating history of slavery, trade and reinvention. Free. (2019)

Natural History Museum, London:
https://www.nhm.ac.uk
You could spend a lifetime in there and you still wouldn’t cover everything. Something for everyone. A truly fantastic resource. The school sessions are great too. Not one to do in the holiday’s as the queues, particularly for the dinosaurs, get awful. Free. (2018)

Peak District National Park:
https://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/learning-about/education
Really fantastic hands-on, practical geography experience, in an incredible setting. The school sessions were second to none and it was all organised by one of those HEors you keep meaning to become, but somehow forget to. (2019)

Saffron Walden Museum, Saffron Walden:
http://www.saffronwaldenmuseum.org
I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. Just the right size for a child who isn’t sure if they like museums or not – in a good way. Big range, but not too much of anything. (2015)

Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge:
https://www.spri.cam.ac.uk/museum/Scotts letters are some of the most touching things you will ever read. Free to go in and these are loads of fascinating things to talk about with small children. The school sessions are really good, but the chill factor of the sun worshipper outside is always a worry though. (2019)

Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, Cambridge:
http://www.sedgwickmuseum.org
Fossils, rocks, massive elk. It’s all here. Great sessions and free. Will loan out boxes to school groups. (2019)

Thames Barrier Information Centre, London:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-thames-barrier#visiting-the-thames-barrier
If you do the group tour, it’s not the cheapest, although really helpful for my son’s GCSE. But even if you just fancy a little tootle along there while you are hanging out in Greenwich, it is really quite something to look at. (2018)

Burghley House, Stamford:
https://www.burghley.co.uk
Fab school sessions, but it costs a fair bit. (2015)

Burwell Museum and Mill, Burwell:
http://burwellmuseum.org.uk
Fascinating place, lovely volunteers. Couldn’t ask for more. (2018)

Ely Cathedral, Ely:
https://www.elycathedral.org/learning
An impressive building with an equally impressive range of educational sessions, covering both history and RS.

Audley End, Saffron Walden:
https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/audley-end-house-and-gardens/
A full day out. Lots of things in the playroom and playground for younger ones. Beautiful building and grounds. They have really done everything to bring the history to life. If you can, go on one of the event days and see the horse riding demos. Loads to learn.

Hatfield House, Hatfield:
https://www.hatfield-house.co.uk/your-visit/
We enjoyed it. Great group session. Pricey. (2016)

History for Schools, Cambridge:
https://www.hist.cam.ac.uk/schools/introduction
Don’t be put off by the name, these sessions are for all 7-11 and 11-14 year old (booking permitted). They occur on Saturdays and are held either at the Faculty of History, Cambridge or the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. Download the programme to see what is going on.

Ickworth House, gardens and park, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk:
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ickworth
A beautiful house with a constant stream of events taking place throughout the year. My son still holds their hot chocolates up as one of the best he has ever had. (2015)

Ironbridge Gorge — Blist Hill Victorian Town, Telford, Shropshire:
https://www.ironbridge.org.uk/explore/blists-hill-victorian-town/
One of the Ironbridge museums. There are so many up there that we wanted to see that we took a school trip holiday and it was the best!!! You buy the annual family pass for about £70 and it gives you access to 8 incredible museums. Going in June before the schools break up or in September should give you the best weather with the minimal amount of crowds. (2015)

IWM Duxford, Cambridge:
https://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-duxford
It’s not just planes. Take a pack-up and take your time. It’s great. Free for school visits, and last time I went, there wasn’t a minimum number for a school trip, so you can book as a school trip for just your family.(2015)

Knebworth House, Stevenage:
https://www.knebworthhouse.com
A really fun place to visit for all ages, with great educational workshops. Bit pricey, but not so much that you feel cheated. (2019)

LegoLand, Windsor:
https://www.legoland.co.uk/schools/workshops/
The KS2 workshop we did was a bit of a waste of time (on underwater creatures), the KS3 and 4 might be better(?), but it did mean cheap (relatively) entry into Legoland, which was well worth it. And going during the week meant absolutely no queues, it was the best!!! You are paying for a day of extreme targeted advertising, so expect expensive consequences when you leave via the gift shop. £4 for a single lego brick on a key ring… and I bought two. Has workshops covering science, English, ecology, engineering, history, geography, film, and business, oh yeah, and underwater creatures. (2016)

London Transport Museum, London:
https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk
Absolutely fantastic for young families, design lovers and the nostalgic. Tickets last a year and kids go free.

Mountfitchet Castle, Stansted:
https://mountfitchetcastle.com
Expensive, but fun. 

Museum of archeology and anthropology, Cambridge:
https://maa.cam.ac.uk
Everyone should see the totem pole! It’s free! (2018)

Museum of Cambridge (AKA the Folk Museum):
https://www.museumofcambridge.org.uk
Great museum, particularly for younger ones. Not free, but not stupidly expensive either. (2017)

Museum of Classical Archeology, Cambridge:
https://www.classics.cam.ac.uk/museum
Lovely people to book sessions with. Small and perfectly formed. 

Museum of the Home (used to be the Geffrye Museum), London:
https://www.museumofthehome.org.uk
Absolutely fantastic. Hits all my buttons. Great for small children too. Slightly annoying to get to, but worth it, particularly given that it has free entry. Great cafe as well. (2014)

Museum of London:
https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london
One trip isn’t enough. Great for all ages and free. (2014)

Museum of London Docklands, London:
https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london-docklands
Really good for seeing how an area can be regenerated. Probably for the older ones rather than the young ones, but a fascinating history of slavery, trade and reinvention. (2019)

Museum of the Order of St. John, London:
http://museumstjohn.org.uk
A wonderful surprise of a place. We spent hours in there. Free.

National Army Museum, London:
https://www.nam.ac.uk
I didn’t think I liked anything army-ish, but was surprisingly interested nevertheless. Quite touching in places. Lots of shiny buttons on quite splendid uniforms. Free. (2014)

National Maritime Museum, London:
https://www.rmg.co.uk/national-maritime-museum
Surprisingly good for small people. Really interesting, and free. (2019)

North Hertfordshire Museum, Hitchin:
https://northhertsmuseum.org
A sweet, little museum. (2014)

Oliver Cromwell’s House, Ely:
https://www.olivercromwellshouse.co.uk
Really brought to life and gave context to a whole period in history. (2014)

People’s History Museum, Manchester:
https://phm.org.uk
Good for kids, but the content is something everyone should see. Equality, democracy, empowerment, Peterloo. It doesn’t get talked about enough. Oh! and it’s free. (2019)

Peterborough Cathedral, Peterborough:
https://www.peterborough-cathedral.org.uk/home/learning.aspx
A beautiful building with great looking education sessions covering history and/or RS (2020)

Quarry Bank, Manchester:
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/quarry-bank
Really, really good. Can easily spend a whole day there. (2017)

Royston Museum, Royston:
http://www.roystonmuseum.org.uk
Not huge, but sweet and free. Worth a shmoozy if you happen to be in the area. (2019)

Saffron Walden Museum, Saffron Walden:
http://www.saffronwaldenmuseum.org
I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. Just the right size for a child who isn’t sure if they like museums or not – in a good way. Big range, but not too much of anything. (2015)

St Albans cathedral, St Albans:
https://www.stalbanscathedral.org
Particularly fascinating history. (2016)

Stibbington, Peterborough:
http://www.cees.org.uk/stibbington_daycentre.htm
We had a fantastic time being WWII evacuees. It’s really expensive, but worth it… if you can afford it. (2014)

Tower of London, London:
https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/#gs.4gvh16
Book as a self-led school group (there is no minimum number) and it is considerably cheaper. How can one place have so much history? (2016)

Verulamium Museum, St. Albans:
https://www.stalbansmuseums.org.uk/visit/verulamium-museum
All things Roman. Absolutely fascinating. (2016)

Westminster Abbey:
https://www.westminster-abbey.org
Tours all over the place!! A fascinating building with fantastic tours covering history and RS. It isn’t the cheapest, but you do get value for money and a whole lot of dead people. (2014)

Anglesey Abbey, gardens and Lode mill (National Trust), Cambridge:
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/anglesey-abbey-gardens-and-lode-mill
Beautiful gardens at any time of year. Great for all age groups.

Cambridge University Botanic Gardens, Cambridge:
https://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk
Great, whatever the weather. Under 16s free. School trips free. Take a picnic and spend the day there.

Denny Farm, Cambridge/Ely:
http://www.dennyfarmlandmuseum.org.uk
English Heritage members free. A really lovely museum.

Ferry Meadows, Peterborough:
https://www.nenepark.org.uk/about-us/locations/ferry-meadows
Just a nice place to be. Lots of other things to do if you are needing more than ‘just being’.

Giants Causeway, N. Ireland:
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/giants-causeway
One of the most mesmerising places in the world (says the lady who doesn’t go south of Paris, north of Denmark, West of Ireland or East of Germany). If you ever get a chance to go, go.

Hamerton Zoo Park, Sawtry, Cambs:
https://www.hamertonzoopark.com
I personally don’t like it as much as other wildlife parks… not really sure why. It’s ok though. Just not desperate to go back. Maybe the educational sessions are good (we didn’t have one)… And it was raining when we went…

Ickworth House, gardens and park, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk:
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ickworth
Great woodland area for den building.

Milton Country park, Cambridge:
https://www.miltoncountrypark.org
Loads to do if you like the outdoors, but you do have to pay for parking.

Museum of Zoology, Cambridge University, Cambridge:
https://www.museum.zoo.cam.ac.uk
Talks are great, display are good, cafe is extortionate and seriously over crowded when the children are not in school. The whale never ceases to be impressive and we always enjoy going, but there is a definite hoorah for being home educated and missing the hoards. Free

Natural History Museum, London:
https://www.nhm.ac.uk
You could spend a lifetime in there and you still wouldn’t cover everything. Something for everyone. A truly fantastic resource, especially as it is free. The school sessions are great too. (2018)

Natural History Museum at Tring:
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit/tring.html
Small and sweet. Great if you feel overwhelmed by the size of the other one, and decidedly less crowded. Free.

Saffron Walden Museum, Saffron Walden:
http://www.saffronwaldenmuseum.org
I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. Just the right size for a child who isn’t sure if they like museums or not – in a good way. Big range, but not too much of anything. (2015)

Sacrewell Farm, Peterborough/Stamford:
https://www.sacrewell.org.uk
Always lovely. Makes me want to have small children again, just so that I can go and do the little kiddy stuff once more… Wonder if they would be prejudice against a dog in a baby blanket… he is very advanced and shows exceptional maturity for his two years…

Sealife London Aquarium, London:
https://www.visitsealife.com/london/
Great fun. So much cheaper booking as a school trip than as a member of the public. When we went there was no minimum school group numbers, so could just book in as a school of 5. The staff are really informative and very keen to engage all the visitors. A really good trip.

Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, Cambridge:
http://www.sedgwickmuseum.org
Fossils, rocks, massive elk. It’s all here. Great sessions and free. Will loan out boxes to school groups. (2019)

Shepreth Wildlife Park, Cambridge/Royston:
https://sheprethwildlifepark.co.uk
A really nice day out… when the sun is shining. Fab hands-on group sessions too.

Raptor Foundation, Huntingdon:
https://raptorfoundation.org.uk
Fantastic. Just love them birds. (2017)

Tiggywinkles, Haddenham Buckinghamshire:
https://www.sttiggywinkles.org.uk
Absolutely fantastic. Long way to go (from Cambridge), but definitely worth it. The staff were the most informative I have found on any school trip. Really keen to share all their knowledge with you. And the best bit, you get to see baby hedgehogs. So sweet. Was rather taken with the tortoise who didn’t like trainers too.

Whipsnade, Luton:
https://www.zsl.org/zsl-whipsnade-zoo
Pricey, but always worth it. If you are luck enough to be able to afford the members ticket, you get unlimited trips to whipsnade and London zoo for the year. Absolutely fantastic if you have animal lovers in your family. The schools sessions are great too.

Wicken Fen Nature Reserve (National Trust), Ely:
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/wicken-fen-nature-reserve
When you are already out that way, why not?

Wimpole Estate – house, farm, gardens and park (National Trust), Cambridge:
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/wimpole-estateThe farm is really cool. Great for demonstrating how pigs have curly willies. My children were absolutely fascinated. An education all in its self.

ZSL London (AKA London zoo), London:
https://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo
Not as good as Whipsnade as it doesn’t have all the big animals, but it does do all the little ones incredibly well… however, given the choice between an elephant and a stick insect, we generally pick the former.

Nature reserves:

Cambridge Past, Present and Future: https://www.cambridgeppf.org/places/

Cambridge City local nature reserves: https://lnr.cambridge.gov.uk/visit-the-cambridge-nature-reserves/

Wildlife trust Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire reserves: https://www.wildlifebcn.org/wildlife/reserves

Countryside Restoration Trust, Lark Rise Farm Barton: http://www.countrysiderestorationtrust.com/properties/lark-rise-farm/ 

Foxton Wood: https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/visiting-woods/wood/?woodId=41003&woodName=foxton-wood

RSPB nature reserves: https://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/reserves-a-z/ 

Some of these places of worship do specific tours for educational groups, others were just kind enough to allow a group of HEors into their premises and explain the basics of their faith to them. If you do phone up to organise something, remember to be nice. They don’t have to help us out. 

Cambridge Central Mosque, Cambridge:
https://cambridgecentralmosque.org
Recently re-done, a ‘green’ temple for the 21st Century. They regularly do educational tours and are very generous in welcoming the wider world into their worshiping space. (2020)

Cambridge Gurdwara, Cambridge:
https://www.cambridgegurdwara.org
The most generous hosts. They don’t usually do tours, but they very kindly and engagingly share their faith with a large group of HEors. (2015)

Ely Cathedral, Ely:
https://www.elycathedral.org/learning
An impressive building with an equally impressive range of educational sessions, covering both history and RS.

Great St Mary’s, Cambridge:
http://www.gsm.cam.ac.uk
Really fantastic tours, and they take you up the tower too!!! (2020)

Jewish Museum, London:
https://jewishmuseum.org.uk
We haven’t been able to go so far, but really, really want to. It looks great.

Kings College Chapel:
https://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/chapel
Do great tours, but focus on history rather than RS. Fantastic building though. Well worth a trip. Cambridgeshire Schools can have tours for free. 

Our Lady of the Assumption and the English Martyrs, Cambridge:
https://olem.org.uk
Incredible building to look around, anyone can just pop in for a butchers, but they weren’t really sure how to explain their faith to a load of school-aged children who weren’t of the faith, so just showed a really boring cartoon. Given that that was in 2015 or something, new volunteers may have joined the church, but equally, they may not.

Peterborough Cathedral, Peterborough:
https://www.peterborough-cathedral.org.uk/home/learning.aspx
A beautiful building with great looking education sessions covering history and/or RS

Round Church, Cambridge:
https://roundchurchcambridge.org
Can pay to just look around, but they very kindly allowed a group of HEors to have a tour and spoke about their faith. (2015)

St Albans cathedral, St Albans:
https://www.stalbanscathedral.org
Particularly fascinating  history. (2016)

Westminster Abbey:
https://www.westminster-abbey.org
Tours all over the place!! A fascinating building with fantastic tours covering history and RS. It isn’t the cheapest, but you do get value for money. (2014)

British Museum, London:
https://www.britishmuseum.org
A beautiful, calm, wonderful space. Fantastic exhibitions (although expensive for adults, but free for under 16s). Great trails for younger ones and HE days for ages 7-11. 

Jewish Museum, London:
https://jewishmuseum.org.uk
We haven’t been able to go so far, but really, really want to. It looks great.

Museum of archeology and anthropology, Cambridge:
https://maa.cam.ac.uk
Everyone should see the totem pole!It’s free. (2018)

Museum of Brands, London:
https://www.museumofbrands.com
The workshop was so so, but the museum itself was great for looking round. Equally useful for design and sociology as business. (2018) 

Museum of Cambridge (AKA the Folk Museum):
https://www.museumofcambridge.org.uk
Great museum, particularly for younger ones. (2017)

Museum of London Docklands, London:
https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london-docklands
Really good for seeing how an area can be regenerated. Probably for the older ones rather than the young ones, but a fascinating history of slavery, trade and reinvention. (2019)

People’s History Museum, Manchester:
https://phm.org.uk
Good for kids, but the content is something everyone should see. Equality, democracy, empowerment, Peterloo. It doesn’t get talked about enough. Oh! and it’s free. (2019)

Victoria & Albert, London:
https://www.vam.ac.uk
My all-time favourite museum. Just fantastic every time. The exhibitions are incredible, but they do cost a fair whack for adults. And I never say ‘no’ to a cuppa in the William Morris dining room, so that also pushes the price up. But because it is free, you also don’t feel bad for just going in for 10 mins before you take the children off to visit the dinosaurs over the road, so it all evens out in the end. (2019)

Bletchley Park, Milton Keynes:
https://bletchleypark.org.uk
One I have always wanted to do, but so far not managed. Looks fab.

Body Worlds, London:
https://bodyworlds.com/city/london/
Planned to go, and then Covid struck… One day…

Centre for Computing History, Cambridge:
http://www.computinghistory.org.uk
Not one for everyone, but definitely one for some.

Ironbridge Gorge — Enginuity, Telford, Shropshire:
https://www.ironbridge.org.uk/explore/enginuity/
One of the Ironbridge museums. There are so many up there that we wanted to see that we took a school trip holiday and it was the best!!! You buy the annual family pass for about £70 and it gives you access to 8 incredible museums. Going in June before the schools break up or September should give you the best weather with the minimal amount of crowds.

IWM Duxford, Cambridge:
https://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-duxford
I’m not really one for STEM museums (please don’t judge me), but I really love this one. You can easily lose yourself for a whole day here. Take a pack-up and take your time. It’s great.

Jodrell Bank, Cheshire:
https://www.jodrellbank.net
It’s just breath-taking! And has a cool sessions and displays but you would go for the massive telescope alone. (2016)

LegoLand, Windsor:
https://www.legoland.co.uk/schools/workshops/
The KS2 workshop we did was a bit of a waste of time (on underwater creatures), the KS3 and 4 might be better(?), but it did mean cheap (relatively) entry into Legoland, which was well worth it. And going during the week meant absolutely no queues, it was the best!!! You are paying for a day of extreme targeted advertising, so expect expensive consequences when you leave via the gift shop. £4 for a single lego brick on a cheap, metal key ring… and I bought two. Has workshops covering science, English, ecology, engineering, history, geography, film, and business, oh yeah, and underwater creatures. (2016)

Museum of Technology, Cambridge:
https://www.museumoftechnology.com
Small and sweet. 

Natural History Museum, London:
https://www.nhm.ac.uk
You could spend a lifetime in there and you still wouldn’t cover everything. Something for everyone. A truly fantastic resource. The school sessions are great too.

Nene Valley Railway, Peterborough:
https://nvr.org.uk/article.php/11
Haven’t done the school sessions, but really enjoyed my trip on Thomas. Choo, choooooo!!!

Royal Institution, London:
https://www.rigb.org
Some really fun family days and events throughout the year.

Science museum, London:
https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/home
Much of it hasn’t changed since I was at school, but enough has changed to keep it relevant. Great play section for younger ones and still free. (2018)

Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge:
https://www.spri.cam.ac.uk/museum/
Scotts letters are some of the most touching things you will ever read. Great exhibits for plenty of discussions with all ages. Fantastic school sessions too. (2019)

Sealife London Aquarium, London:
https://www.visitsealife.com/london/
Great fun. So much cheaper booking as a school trip than as a member of the public. When we went there was no minimum school group numbers, so could just book in as a school of 5, but that was a while back, so you will have to check before you book. The staff are really informative and very keen to engage all the visitors. A really good trip.

The Makings of Harry Potter, Watford:
https://www.wbstudiotour.co.ukThe school trips are fantastic, but you do need to re-mortgage your house to go. The ‘free’ school sessions can focus on business, art and design, English, film and media or STEM. (2017)

Wellcome Collection, London:
https://wellcomecollection.org
Mixes science and art beautifully. A wonderful space to be in. The main collection is incredible. Great for any wannabe medics (and their parents).

Whipple Museum of the History of Science, Cambridge:
https://www.whipplemuseum.cam.ac.uk
You forget it is there, but it is really quite interesting if you have a couple of hours to kill. Really good group sessions.

Woolsthorpe Manor, Grantham:
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/woolsthorpe-manor
Isaac Newton’s house, complete with tree and everything. Very kiddy friendly, with a fair bit of hands-on science. Good cafe, plenty of places to eat a picnic and beautiful setting, so makes for a fab day out. (2017)

Art UK:
https://artuk.org/discover/discover
Find art to support any project you could ever want to do.

Tate Kids:
https://www.tate.org.uk/kids
Games, quizzes, activities, information. It’s really quite fun!

Bank of England Youtube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/bankofenglanduk
The Role of the Bank of England Youtube clips are particularly good: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dI0MVV5UjKc

Guardian Business Today email newsletter:
https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters
Wouldn’t be without it.

The School of Life:
https://www.youtube.com/user/schooloflifechannel
Youtube channel that is predominantly philosophy and well-being, but there is also a section on work and capitalism.

Ancient History Encyclopaedia:
https://www.ancient.eu
Lesson plans, information, museums etc. First stop for all things ancient.

Greek Mythology.Com:
https://www.greekmythology.com
It’s not a pretty site, but it is very clear and does give you all the info on the who’s, why’s and where’s of Greek mythology.

Mr Donn’s Site for Kids and Teachers:
https://www.mrdonn.org
I used to use this site a load when the kids were small. It has it’s limitations, but it is often a great place to start for projects for junior school-aged children.

Guardian email newsletter:
https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters
Can sign up for emailed news. Much quicker to whizz through than a full paper.

Parliament:
https://learning.parliament.uk
https://learning.parliament.uk/resources/
Some fairly good teaching resources. You can also sign up for UK Parliament Week resources for group sessions which are brilliant.

Cambridgeshire Library ebook collection:
https://cambridgeshire.spydus.co.uk/cgi-bin/spydus.exe/MSGTRN/OPAC/HOME?HOMEPRMS=GENPARAMS

Cliff Notes:
https://www.cliffsnotes.com
The one that’s not Spark Notes. Handy for any pretty much any English Literature qualification.

Good Reads:
https://www.goodreads.com
Fantastic if you are looking for quotes to put in your English lit GCSE or A-level exam. Also good if you are looking for something to read…

In our Time, R4:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qykl
One of the best resources ever!

Like Maria:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8Or1RNJsDtOcCpDPT2GmNA
My daughter says they’re quite good. For A-level.

LitCharts:
https://www.litcharts.com
Made by the people who do Sparknotes, this is a site for those who take English literature seriously. It has poetry and literature guides, Shakespeare ‘translated into English’ and a couple of other bits and pieces. Probably of more use for those doing GCSEs/A-Levels, or for parents preparing to lead a session on a specific book, than anyone else. It’s not fun, but it is good.

Mr Salles Teaches English:
https://www.youtube.com/user/dominicsalles
An engaging man. GCSE.

NT Live, cinemas all over the UK:
http://ntlive.nationaltheatre.org.uk
Wonderful!!! A real joy in my sad and pitiful life.

Poetry 4 Kids.com:
https://www.poetry4kids.com
Some cool bits a pieces, including some really good lesson plans.

Royal Shakespeare Company, school broadcasts:
https://www.rsc.org.uk/education/schools-broadcasts
Can be watched from the comfort of your very own home… although timings can be annoying.

Shmoop:
https://www.shmoop.com
I use the study guides all the time. Massive range of literature!

Sparknotes:
https://www.sparknotes.com
The one that’s not Cliff Notes. Handy for any English Literature qualification.

Into Film:
intofilm.org
Resources covering all aspects of film.

NT Live, cinemas all over the UK:
http://ntlive.nationaltheatre.org.uk
Wonderful!!! A real joy in my sad and pitiful life.

3D Geography:
https://www.3dgeography.co.uk
I’ve never bought from them so cannot recommend their products, but they do have a lot of free content. It’s a fun looking website, if nothing else.

Guardian email newsletter:
https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters
Can sign up for emailed news. Much quicker to whizz through than a full paper and it has a specific ‘Environment’ section, however, that is generally only has a couple of articles, so for a bigger list of environment related news sign up for the ‘Green Light’ news letter.

National Geographic
Kids: https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/
Adult: https://www.nationalgeographic.com
https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk
Some interesting articles and many other cool bits and pieces. Covers geography, animals, history, science and travel but on the kids site, there is also primary resources for English, maths, art & design and PSHE (personal, social and health education).

Owl and Mouse:
http://www.owl-and-mouse.com
Have used them 1000 times over for free map printouts. Their largest goes up to about 64 A4 pages – really handy for group sessions.

Mr Allsop:
https://www.youtube.com/user/mrallsop
Not the most exciting, but does the job if you are going history GCSE.

National Geographic
Kids: https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/
Adult: https://www.nationalgeographic.com
https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk
Some interesting articles and many other cool bits and pieces. Covers geography, animals, history, science and travel but on the kids site, there is also primary resources for English, maths, art & design and PSHE (personal, social and health education).

Study Tubers: No, they’re not potatoes that help you learn, as they already have a name – crisps. My daughter swears by them. I think they’re God awful.
Here’s Jack Edwards, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spPulBT-10c, but my daughter prefers Eve Bennett, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lq3A1-Lgiq8. For GCSE+.

National Geographic
Kids: https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/
Adult: https://www.nationalgeographic.com
https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk
Some interesting articles and many other cool bits and pieces. Covers geography, animals, history, science and travel but on the kids site, there is also primary resources for English, maths, art & design and PSHE (personal, social and health education).

A History of Ideas, R4:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLiykcLllCgPE0q9BiMexLFj-1rq9GUwX
40 two minute, illustrated videos explaining philosophical concepts. Fab stuff!

In Our Time, R4:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qykl
One of the best resources ever!

Perfect day, BBC3:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/clip/d30e2e16-3922-485d-82f9-165943e5d820?ns_mchannel=email&ns_source=pan_newsletter&ns_campaign=PANUK_NLT_11_ENG_savingbritishbulldogs_3Months&ns_linkname=bbcthree_perfectdaycampaign2018_Lifestyle_perfectdaycampaign2018&ns_fee=0
Seeing the world from different points of view.

Philosophy A-level.com:
https://philosophyalevel.com
What it says on the tin.

Philosophy Foundation:
https://www.philosophy-foundation.org
Not as good as it could be, but I occasionally go in there to find inspiration for sessions.

Philosophy Vibe:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClepFnDpTP3pLKxVsbLNhDA
Think 1970s Open University programmes in comic book form. Handy for A-level.

The Philosophy Man:
https://www.thephilosophyman.com
Free resources. I don’t find them the best, but they are sometimes good for brainstorming before organising an HE session.

The Philosophy Club:
https://www.thephilosophyman.com
An Australian site. Resources, ideas and links. Again, not the best, but sometimes good for brainstorming before organising an HE session.

The School of Life:
https://www.youtube.com/user/schooloflifechannel
Youtube channel, predominantly philosophy and well-being, but other things too.

What Makes Me Me? And Other Interesting Questions?:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01rdqkc
I love these!!! Aimed at junior school-aged children (and me). Short, so great for those with minimal attention spans, and leaves you with a lot to discuss after. Narrated by the one who isn’t David Mitchell and did that funny film about getting married.

What makes us human, R2:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02nrw9m/episodes/downloads
Essays by famous/notable people from all walks of life.

What’s the Big Idea, BBC:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01rh5wp/whats-the-big-idea-1-what-is-big
Philosophy for early years.

Sociology.org:
http://www.sociology.org.uk
Ok, so it’s not the prettiest site you will ever see, but its resources are really good for GCSE and A-level.

Maths Genie:
https://www.mathsgenie.co.uk
Maths practice and video tutorials for KS2 SATS, GCSE and A-level.

Maths is Fun:
https://www.mathsisfun.com/index.htm
Looks like it is just for junior school-aged children, but some of the content goes up to GCSE.

MEP – Mathematics Enhancement Programme:
https://www.cimt.org.uk/projects/mep/index.htm
Free lesson plans, and worksheets that follow the national curriculum from reception right through to A-Level. A little dull to look at, but the content is all there. Great for anyone following a traditional approach to maths.

MME:
https://mathsmadeeasy.co.uk
Revision for KS1, 2, and 3 maths, as well as GCSE maths and science, and A-level maths, biology, physics and chemistry.

Mr Chalks Revision Tips:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCusRyTOMev92b-esEk3kVew
GCSE and A-level. Straight forward, easy to follow. I like it.

National Geographic
Kids: https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/
Adult: https://www.nationalgeographic.com
https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk
Some interesting articles and many other cool bits and pieces. Covers geography, animals, history, science and travel but on the kids site, there is also primary resources for English, maths, art & design and PSHE (personal, social and health education).

Periodic Videos:
https://www.periodicvideos.com
A periodic table made up of videos of the elements, and made by The University of Nottingham. A really fab resource.

Small Piece Trust:
https://www.smallpeicetrust.org.uk/engineering-at-home
All about engineering. Activities/challenges you can do at home for free, but they also do courses you can pay for.

Stemettes:
https://stemettes.org
Events all over the country aimed at getting girls into science. The one we went to was really good, well organised and inspiring… but sadly, my daughter forgot to be inspired and claimed that she would “rather be dead than have a career in science”. Ho hum.

STEM.org:
https://www.stem.org.uk
Fantastic resources that they have collected from all over the place. Junior level right up to A-level.

TLMaths:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCgGyPD6MYQcHuMIc-Kv-Uw
This one is for A-level. He’s really quite engaging, in a non-engaging kind of way.