Excursions/Incursions for primary schools in NSW

Adding to this Morgan, there is a Powerhouse Museum in Castle Hill which used to be for storage but is now a museum of a smaller scale. I have been there with Vacation Care and the educational company - Fizzics Education came and did some "cool" and engaging science experiments which were fundamental science principles. Students are allowed to roam and touch certain things. It is ideal for kinaesthetic learners. Further, they have a nice playground and grass area where students can eat their lunch in peace in a nice relaxed environment!

This is very true. The Bicentennial Park Education Centre truly provides an engaging and interactive excursion for students. I highly recommend Bicentennial Park for a Stage 1 HSIE/Science and Technology excursion. The park's diverse landscape provides the perfect location to experience 'hands on nature'. Students will participate in several fun and interactive outdoor activities, lead by passionate and qualified educators. They are provided with vast opportunities to observe, explore, investigate and evaluate different environments. Particularly for stage one, students are able to develop their HOT skills through the various investigations of exploring wetlands and dry forests, finding and identifying insects, bird watching and examining animal shelters. These explorations of the environment are truly beneficial and it provides an entirely new learning experience to that of the everyday classroom.

I accompanied a small group of students with behavioural difficulties with their year 2 class (I am a teacher's aide) to this site and was really impressed with their level of engagement. Outdoor excursions like this where it is okay (to an extent) for children, especially high fliers, to run around, use a louder voice, get their hands dirty and have a lot of environmental distractions are so valuable. The students particularly loved the "find the bird" bingo and making a scavenged habitat for an animal where they could explore the environment in small groups without being directed to by teachers. The grade was doing an integrated unit on insects which was enhanced by the activities surrounding finding different water and land bugs in the pond and engaging in discussion and games (such as True and False) to consolidate the knowledge from their inquiry. The excursion is rewarding for adults as well, set on a beautiful landscape, with knowledgable tour guides/rangers who reflected on the indigenous use of the land- one place we sat in what was used as a birthing site for indigenous woman (a womens only space) and discussed why they may have chosen that place and how it has changed since (interacting with Change and Continuity/Then and Now). A very thought-provoking, fun, curriculum-aligned excursion that I highly recommend.

I agree, Stephanie, that Bicentennial Park is an engaging and interactive excursion for Stage 1 students. This age group specifically because a large chunk of the activities align with HSIE outcomes if the school is has adopted one of the two units of work entitled, 'Wet and Dry Environments' or 'The Need for Shelter'. Credit is due here for the venue for a variety of practical reasons that have not yet been mentioned. Not only is it affordable for students, it is free for teachers. It is located in Sydney Olympic Park meaning buses can drive right up to the main areas (to provide ease of access for all students, especially those with restricted mobility) and there is little risk of loosing sight of students. This is due to only scattered public visitors (no large crowds), the barriers around each area and high visibility on the open lawns. All in all a great excursion venue that provides students with hands on experiences, and teachers with peace of mind.

I also agree that Bicentennial Park is a fantastic outdoor excursion for Stage 1 students. The activities offered on this excursion are very practical and engaging, allowing students to self-regulate their own learning and experiment in an outdoor environment. The excursion emphasizes taking students into the experience of learning, rather than just reading and discussing the subject at hand. Unlike many other excursions, the Bicentennial Park excursion provides opportunities for students to investigate different aspects of Wet and Dry environments, rather than simply 'site-seeing' or talking about what they see. For example, the students use different science equipment to test the soil in the Wet environment. The tour guides are passionate and extremely kind with extensive knowledge in the specific topic areas covered by the excursion, explicitly linking activities to the curriculum outcomes of the HSIE and Science KLA's. I even remember being taken on this Bicentennial Park excursion when I was in primary school and loving the beautiful outdoor environment!

The excursion to Sydney Olympic Park provides multiple hands-on investigative activities for children. The tasks really assist in engaging the children and to consolidating their knowledge about the environment. A popular part of the excursion was the mangrove boardwalk where students have the opportunity to use their senses such as sight, touch and smell to explore the wet environment.

The education centre has a broad range of offerings for excursions. I particularly like that they have a Maths excursion. Students can tour the parklands area using a wide variety of numeracy and problem solving skills, with an environmental bent, to meet specific sections of the mathematics curriculum in a hands-on practical way. This broadens their knowledge of space, distance, position, estimation and many more to give students background knowledge that can be drawn on to make sense of mathematical concepts that are often abstract. This also enables cross-curricula priorities to be drawn upon.

The education centre at Sydney Olympic Park is an excellent venue for an excursion for all students from kindergarten to year 12. There are a broad range of pre-organised excursions run by a team of experienced staff. The excursions are run over a number of different KLAs including maths, science and technology and HSIE and are all fully aligned with the syllabus. All excursions give students hands on experience in a field of study that they would not otherwise get in the classroom environment. I believe attending an excursion at this location will provide an opportunity for a deeper engagement with the topics being studied in the classroom.

I agree with all the above statements about the Sydney Olympic Park excursions. They are affordable, central in location and allow students to have hands on activities to reinforce their learning in the classroom. In particular I looked into the Stage 2, HSIE/Science excursion, which involves the students considering how humans have impacted the environment and what affects humans have had both positive and negative, it also lets the students explore the wetlands at Sydney Olympic park. What I also found interesting through my research on this excursion is whilst the students are on, in this case, the HSIE/Science excursion, they also offer free PDHPE excursions as well. They have kits that teachers can pick up when they commence their excursion in the morning and following the instructions in the kit, the teachers can also conduct a PDHPE excursion. I believe this is a fantastic resource, not only because it is free but because it also gives the students variety in their excursions, but also allows teachers to give an experience that is unique to the students as well.

Excursions at Sydney Olympic Park in Homebush are fun, engaging and practical for students from years K-6 as well as high school students. There are many primary and secondary programs to choose from in the KLA areas of Math and Science & Technology and HSIE. On the website, an outline of the programs are provided, with information on the pricing, transport options and the activities included in the program. The program also includes how the excursion links with the outcomes in the appropriate curriculum which can be very helpful for teachers planning to integrate an excursion with the content they are teaching in class.

I agree that the Sydney Learning Adventure provides a fun, interactive and engaging educational experience for students of all stages. The Big Dig Archaeology Centre provides excellent tailored programs for students in stages 1-3 and explicitly gives students a realistic and meaningful learning experience. It is able to bring history to life for students, giving them experience and knowledge unable to be achieved within a classroom. It specifically targets the History syllabus but other KLAs are able to be incorporated.

I agree with Joanne. The Field of Mars is an extremely valuable and enriching experience for students in today's society with its unique range of educational programs promoting environmental teachings and protection. All programs offered by the Field of Mars (An Environmental Education Centre) support the DET Environmental Education Policy and the outcomes contained in the Board of Studies syllabus documents, with activities to target almost all KLAs whether your focus is Arts, Science, English, Maths or even HSIE! The students are given the opportunity to be hands on and experience the natural environment which heightens student's engagement and understanding of the learning experience. Catering for K-12 students, the Field of Mars has many engaging programs such as the Murder at Mars. Encouraging students to scientifically consider food chains, flora and fauna and ecosystems, Murder at Mars provides students with the opportunity to discover a victim and villain by investigating the natural environment and engaging with new technology like iPads. Murder at Mars targets both science and HSIE syllabus outcomes and is organised to get students to draw conclusions based on scientific evidence and to debate their positions. Overall, the Field of Mars is a fabulous and educational excursion that teachers can take their class on. Whilst there, I observed the Murder at Mars program and the students were engaged and challenged from the beginning. Joanne's comment on the professional manner is absolutely correct and the way they personalize programs to suit your class is fantastic! Overall one of the best excursion experiences I have heard of or experienced!

I too agree with Joanne, The Field of mars is one of the most engaging and interactive excursions offered for students from K-12. Not only does it cover the majority of curriculum areas, but it also interlinks several KLAs in each excursion offered. The Field of Mars offer reasonable prices to schools for excursions which makes them a competitive excursion venue in Sydney, With minimal costs schools can offer these excursions without feeling they are placing pressure on parents with financial struggles. The most important thing to note is that the Field of Mars is accessible for all students, including those with a physical disability, they have made a boardwalk which takes you around the centre in North Ryde which ensure access for all students, parents and teachers. The Field of mars is an excellent excursion program that teachers can use to help promote learning within their classrooms. The excursion is not only entertaining and engaging but interconnected with many syllabus items which help create and foster new learning and experiences for children of all ages and stages.

I too agree with Joanne. The Field of Mars is a superb venue for offering an outdoor educational setting for students. Catering for students from K-12, they offer a wide range of subject areas, with integration of these being a key feature of this facility.

I agree with Joanne and the other comments about The Field of Mars Environmental Education Centre. The Field of Mars is an engaging venue for any student and teacher from kindergarten to year 12. The Field of Mars also provides numerous programs, each suitable for a particular stage and learning outcomes from a range of Key Learning Areas. Alongside its incredible landscapes and interactive programs this centre has particularly fantastic staff who are extremely helpful and accommodating to all students which makes this suitable for any student of any stage or ability.

What a fantastic resource Steph. Planning an excursion to Taronga Zoo would be a beneficial trip for any level or stage group. It can be used across several KLAs including science when looking at the natural environment, physical and living world and working scientifically. It could also be used in creative arts if you are studying a topic relevant to animals, living environments, nature etc. Taronga even runs unique 'Hands-on' experiences that are curriculum based and the workshops listed on the site are even split up into stage groups with suggested activities and topics to make it easier for teachers to access and plan. The risk assessment form is provided for teachers, again supporting the NSWDECs excursion policy requirements. I will without a doubt be bookmarking this site for future reference!

I completely agree with Steph and Jazmin. Taronga Zoo offers a variety of enriching educational programs for students of all ages. It provides opportunities to engage with wildlife as well as develop an understanding about conservation and the natural world. Staff are well educated and can meet students' needs to ensure everyone benefits from their visit to Taronga Zoo. The website provides a risk assessment form as well as relevant information such as recommended student to teacher ratios. Teachers can plan the appropriate excursion to cater for their students' particular interests.

I also believe that Taronga Zoo is an exceptional place to take students for an excursion, as it is engaging and exciting and entails an enriching educational purpose. Taronga Zoo is educational across all ages, grades and stages and is suitable for a variety of KLA's, including Science, English, HSIE and creative arts. The staff at the zoo are more than well educated and are more than happy to assist students and teachers, providing them with answers they wish to know and providing them with shows, tours and workshops that specifically cater to the teachers requirements. The cost of the excursion depends upon the age of the students and the extremity and number of activities included throughout the day, however, the costs overall are fairly decent and affordable.

I agree that this is a great excursion for all stages. It is great in terms of organisation as there is no minimum or maximum number of students allowed to attend excursions as long as it has been pre-booked. Bookings should be made no less than two weeks in advance to secure an excursion for your class. It is advised to allow approximately an hour and a half to walk through the aquarium (this is good if you require plenty of travel time to and from the aquarium). Prices vary from $11 - $40 depending on what you wish to participate in at the venue.

I also agree with the Sydney Aquarium being a great venue for all stages. Teachers will be able to integrate many different KLA's when organising and planning this excursion. Perhaps, students could focus on a certain topic such as "Sea Creatures" and teachers could plan various different lessons after they complete the excursion. Also, different resources are available on the website if teachers require additional materials or worksheets for students.

Sydney Aquarium is an ideal excursion destination for primary school students, across all stages. This Aquarium has the potential to integrate many KLA's including HSIE, Science, English, Mathematics and Creative Arts. Teachers would be able to use Sydney Aquarium as an introduction to 'living things', expanding on this topic back in the classroom. Sydney Aquarium's opportunities for learning (both on the day and expanded within the classroom) are limitless.

Sydney Aquarium is a great venue for excursion for all stages of primary school. The excursion allows for the integration of many KLA's including Science and Technology, HSIE and Creative Arts. If a teacher wanted to focus on the KLA of Creative Arts there is an entire Unit of Work called "Sea Creatures" that a teacher can call inspiration from to use during and after the excursion. For the KLA Science and Technology there is the Unit of Work Living Things which a teacher might use for the excursion where they can look at the way how the sea creatures live and what sort of habitat they live in and how they all coexist together as sea creatures. There are more KLA's a teacher could integrate with the excursion and the price varies from $11-$40 based on which option is chosen for participation at the venue.

I similarly agree that the Sydney Aquarium would be a suitable excursion venue for all primary school stages and the two Key Learning Areas HSIE and Science and Technology. This is because the venue offers meaningful and relevant experiences across a variety of topics, some including: living things, life cycles, habitats and endangered species. As well as being relevant to a number of curriculum outcomes the venue also promotes inclusivity and social justice, as they have facilities that accommodate children with physical disabilities and offer affordable rates for excursion groups.

A great place for students to experience nature, praticularly for students who live and go to school in very urban environments and do not get a chance to experience nature often. They offer set excursions, or lessons, which are linked closed with the NSW BOS syllabus or you can talk to them about your own requirements and design an excursion together. The experiences are hands on and can be designed so students use their HOT skills rather than just filling in a worksheet.

It is greatly agreeable that the Royal Botanic Gardens has much to offer, including the hands-on experience and naturalistic beauty that is quite commonly missed or unable to really be appreciated due to time and transport. The site itself is said to be a very safe learning environment and of real interest to students since the lessons offered are engaging, motivational and allow for first-hand experience. This is highly significant because interesting topics leading to student motivation also ensure students successfully learn and acquire expected skills and capabilities in relevance to set outcomes and curriculum requirements. Moreover, the lesson fees are affordable (about $8.80 per student) and the lesson duration is reasonable for primary school students (average is 1.5 hours). I would greatly recommend this location not only due to what has been already said, but because the garden staff themselves are highly educated in the topics associated with the NSWBOS curriculum and are qualified in risk management and safety procedures which is a vital requirement of school excursions.

I would agree that the Royal Botanic Gardens has much to offer as it caters for all ages as it provides opportunities for all students to discover and begin to appreciate the importance of nature. This beautiful venue offers a range of exciting programs from investigating Wet and Dry environments, to exploring plants and animals within the Botanic Garden, and even to discovering what really happened when the First Fleet arrived in Sydney. Not only does this place of natural beauty provide quality and hands-on learning experiences, but it also enables students to become environmentally sustainable citizens.

The Botanic Gardens are a fantastic way for children to literally surround themselves with learning opportunities. There are a number of programs available for Primary aged students which align to NSW curriculum documents and provide hands on opportunities for students to build on classroom learning through real-life experiences. KLA's like Science and HSIE are interspersed throughout the programs and allow for easy integration back in the classroom. This venue also provides a fun and engaging chance for students to learn and understand the value of the natural environment and the different ways that they can be environmentally responsible. This is such a valuable experience for Primary children. The Royal Botanic Gardens are a beautiful part of our city and will provide children with a wealth of learning experiences and a rich learning environment in which to do so!

A great place for students to experience nature, praticularly for students who live and go to school in very urban environments and do not get a chance to experience nature often. They offer set excursions, or lessons, which are linked closed with the NSW BOS syllabus or you can talk to them about your own requirements and design an excursion together. The experiences are hands on and can be designed so students use their HOT skills rather than just filling in a worksheet.