Some areas of the Zoo are CLOSED to allow us to prepare for our Halloween events. ... read more
Until 3rd November, there will be restricted access at Bears of the Rising Sun (lower viewing) and our Elephant Bushwalk will be closed.
From 14th October 2024, our Woodland Hollow will be closed.
School Ticket Prices
| Ticket Type | August to May | June & July |
| Nursery Pupil (under 3 years old) | free | free |
| Nursery Pupil (age 3-5) | £7.00 | £8.25 |
| Primary Pupil (Reception – Year 6) | £7.00 | £8.25 |
| Secondary Pupil (Year 7 – Year 11) | £7.00 | £8.25 |
| Post 16 Student | £8.99 | £9.75 |
| Additional Adults | £10.99 | £11.99 |
Free adult places are provided for supervision. Ratios vary by age, see below for details.
School Prices T&Cs
Visits must be booked by a teacher or group leader on a school visit, visiting from an official DforE registered school or Ofsted registered nursery. Groups of students making a general visit to the zoo (i.e. without a teacher) do not qualify for the school rates.
The entire school group must enter the zoo together; we do not issue individual tickets.
Schools must book a minimum of 5 days in advance.
Home educators, playgroups, and kids clubs do not qualify for our school rates, but may qualify for our Group Booking Rates.
Guides, Scouts, etc. do not qualify for our school rates, but may qualify for our Youth Group Rates.
Carers / Assistants
One adult carer per pupil with physical, emotional, or specific needs (SEND statements, EHCPs, or other evidence) is admitted free at a 1:1 ratio.
Click for more details on free carer places
Please note that you must declare the need for these carers/assistants on the day of your visit based on the pupils who attend on the day.
You may be asked for verification of the need for carers/assistants at entry. A letter on school letterhead is acceptable proof.
If you require a higher ratio of carers/assistants, please contact us at education@colchesterzoo.org.
Are you a SEND registered special school who visits Colchester Zoo frequently?
If so, we offer prepaid SEND School Tickets. Click here to find out more.
Payment
Payment is not required at the time of booking, nor in advance of your school visit.
Payment options for schools are on the day or via invoice after your visit.
There is no charge or fee if you need to cancel or change the date of your school visit.
Click for more details on different payment methods
Paying by cheque – Cheques for payment are only permitted for local authority groups and should be made payable to Colchester Zoological Society. If your numbers change after your cheque has been written (e.g. a child is sick on the day and doesn’t attend), a refund for the difference can be provide in cash at the till at the time of payment. However, this must be made obvious at the time of payment as the refund cannot be issued at a later point in time.
Paying by card with ‘card-not-present‘ – For security reasons, we have a limited number of ticketing tills that have this capacity, and require specific staff in order to process these types of transactions. If you are paying via card on the day with card-not-present (e.g. calling the office and providing card details over the phone), please be aware that there may be delays in processing payment in this method, which may slow your entry into the zoo.
Paying by invoice – Invoices are sent out to the school after your visit after confirming exact final numbers on the day, invoices cannot be sent in advance of your trip. Invoices for payment can only be issued to local authority groups. Please note, there is an admin fee of £10 for schools requesting to be invoiced.
Free Adult Supervisors
Schools are offered free adult places for supervision, click for more details
These supervision ratios are guidelines only, while we require students to be supervised, we do not require these exact ratios. Please base your supervisory ratios on the behaviour of your specific students.
The ratio of free adults to children is:
- Nursery – 1 free adult per 6 paying pupils
- Reception and Primary (year R-6) – 1 free adult per 6 paying pupils
- Secondary (year 7-11) – 1 free adult per 8 paying students
- Post 16 – 1 free adult per 10 paying students
Pupils who qualify for carer places (as detailed above) are provided free adult carers / assistants at a 1:1 ratio and therefore these pupils will not count towards your free adult ratio.
Nursery Pupils under 3 years of age are admitted free of charge but do not count towards your free adult ratio
Children using Zoo Passes (gold cards) are admitted free of charge but do not count towards your free adult ratio.
Nursery and Primary children must be in supervised groups at all times. Children in year groups 7, 8 and 9 must also be in supervised groups at all times and should not be allowed to go off in groups on their own. Responsible students in year groups 10 and over can be unsupervised. Please ensure that your unsupervised pupils either wear school uniform or other school identifier in case of any issues on the day.
Goody Bags
Schools can preorder Goody Bags for £2.75. Select this option on the booking form, or contact the Education Team to add these to your booking. These must be added a minimum of two weeks prior to your visit.
If you have ordered Goody Bags please collect them at the Outpost Shop, on the day of your visit, as you are leaving the zoo.
Colours may vary depending on stock available.
Ice Lollies
Schools can preorder Orange Calippo Ice Lollies for £2.20 (save 10p off our on-the-day prices).
These must be booked a minimum of two weeks prior to your visit. Final numbers required will be confirmed on the day.
Collect preordered Calippos from the ‘Penguini’s Restaurant’ food outlet. Please note that all Calippos must be collected at the same time.
Schools also receive:
- Free coach parking
- Free access to all Colchester Zoo’s online educational resources
- 2 free tickets for teachers to complete familiarisation visit beforehand (once a formal booking has been made)
- Free entry for coach driver (they must show their job sheet on the day to gain entry)
