Schools and families

We are not currently taking school bookings as the SLBI is closed for essential building works. We hope to reopen in late 2023. We continue to run events for families (and possibly occasional school groups), in other local spaces.

Online resources

A series of resources all about seeds – for our ‘Botany on Your Plate’ project, which was funded by City Bridge Trust:

For our school visits, we usually have eight programmes available, so have developed resource sheets specifically to match them all, for parents/teachers to use themselves:

And here are the ANSWERS! SLBI Resources – answer sheet

Other useful worksheets and videos on all sorts of exciting plants, gardening, botany and the environment:

Looking for more things to do in nature? See the Eco Attractions Nature Play List and Project Pollinate Activities produced by the Eco Attractions Group. We’re part of the group and feature on the Play List and in the Bee-friendly activities!

General information for school visits 

Hear more about how we run our school visits in our recent Podcast for ‘Knowing Nature’.

We offer plant and outdoor education with a difference in a unique setting right on your school’s doorstep.

We have a range of inspirational programmes to match the requirements of the national curriculum for key stages 1 and 2 – please see ‘Our Programmes’ – or we can create tailor made sessions for your class.

All our sessions are interactive and hands-on, encouraging and enthusing children to explore plants by working scientifically, in addition to a variety of creative and playful activities. We run 2 hour sessions on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and take school groups of up to 30 children at a time (subject to Covid regulations – please check with us for the latest). Fee: £120 per group inclusive of booking and admin fees.

Lunches: Due to the setting and available space, we recommend a packed lunch be taken in nearby Brockwell Park, either on the way to or from the Institute. We cannot currently accommodate lunches, though hope to be able to do this again at some point, on bad weather days. 

Cancellations: Any bookings cancelled less than 2 weeks prior to the visit date will be charged at the full price.

NB Please contact our office [email protected]  for information, booking details and dates, or download and return our booking form: School visit booking form

Please note, you are not guaranteed a booking until we have received the completed booking form.

We are grateful to Lambeth Social Value Fund for their support of our work with schools this year.

Plants under the microscope

Comments from teachers

‘Brilliant visit – a lovely place and a great range of activities. We especially enjoyed the atmosphere in the building and garden’

‘Children were engaged and are buzzing with new information’

‘Very interesting, child friendly and relevant’

‘I didn’t know what to expect, but it was brilliant, really good fun. I’d had no idea’

Quotes from visiting children

‘This is the best trip ever!’

‘I learned that there is a chocolate tree’

‘I discovered that some leaves are round’

‘I saw a seed that was so hairy, it was cool’

Family activities for school holidays

The SLBI also organises activities for children during school holidays and half-terms – please see our Events page.  Please also use the resources above with your children at home or on your walks.