Information to help you plan and organise your school trip
Click on a topic to find out more:
When to Visit
Colchester Zoo is open every day of the year except for Christmas Day. Pre-booked schools are welcome to visit on any day.
If you are visiting on a self-guided, teacher lead visit you can visit on any day that you would like. We do not limit the number of schools on any given day.
If you are interested in booking formal education sessions, spaces are limited. We recommend booking as far in advance as possible to ensure availability. You can also contact the education department (01206 332511 or 01206 331292 or ed*******@co***********.org ) before making your booking to check availability on your preferred dates. Please note that if you are interested in sessions on weekends, these may be possible but must be booked well in advance.
Pre-Visit Tickets
We offer school teachers two free familiarisation tickets. Click to find out more.
These tickets allow you to visit the zoo, plan your day, and complete risk assessments before your school trip. They are for teachers only and cannot be used by friends or family.
To qualify for the tickets, you must already have a school trip booked at Colchester Zoo.
Both teachers using these tickets will need to show official ID. Follow the instructions in your booking confirmation email to access the free pre-visit tickets.
We strongly recommend all trip organisers visit the zoo beforehand to conduct a risk assessment and get familiar with the site.
Risk & Behaviour Management
Information and links to help manage risk and ensure appropriate student behaviour, including:
Supervision
School groups are provided with free adult places to ensure appropriate supervision of their students.
Click to find out more about these free ratios and what supervision is required.
All students aged 14 and under must be with a supervising adult at all time.
Please note, 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.
Children who qualify for carers / assistants places are provided free adult carers / assistants at a 1:1 ratio and therefore these pupils will not count towards your free adult ratio. Children using Zoo Passes (gold cards) may enter free of charge, but do not count towards your free adult ratio.
The ratio of free adults to children is:
- Nursery – One free adult per 6 paying pupils
- Primary (years R-6) – One free adult per 6 paying pupils
- Secondary (years 7-11) – One free adult per 8 paying pupils
- Post 16 – One free adult per 10 paying students
Nursery children must be supervised at all times.
Primary children must be supervised at all times.
Secondary students in year groups 7, 8, and 9 must be in supervised groups at all times.
Students in years 10 and older require supporting teachers to accompany them into the zoo, but are allowed to traverse the zoo in small independent groups without direct supervision. All unsupervised students must be in uniform or wearing a school identifier in the event we need to contact you regarding their behaviour.
All nursery, primary, and secondary students (including KS4) must be supervised while on the train or in the Gift Shop.
All supervisor must be adults (over the age of 18) and not be a student of the supervisee’s school/college.
Student Behaviour
Before you visit Colchester Zoo, please make your pupils aware of the following points:
- School children must be supervised on the Road Train
- School children must be supervised in the Gift Shop
- School groups are not permitted in the Jungle Tumble soft play area
- Primary children may use outdoor play areas from 12-2 pm only; older students are not allowed in these areas
- To see animals behave naturally, be quiet. Don’t bang on windows, shout, or mimic animal sounds
- Do not feed the animals unless supervised by zookeepers with approved food
- Be mindful of other visitors and use appropriate language
Meeting Points
When planning meeting points for your groups/students, please respect other visitors and do not block pathways.
We recommend using outdoor meeting points, including: the outdoor decking by Penguini’s Restaurant; the wide area of the path in front of lions; the picnic benches between otters and the elephant house; the picnic benches along the back of the elephant paddock (at the opposite end from the elephant house); the deck across from the Komodo dragons.
See the school map for specific locations on a printable map.
First Aid
We have qualified first aiders on site.
Click to find out more about Health & Safety and First Aid at the zoo
If you require first aid assistance please report to the Administrative Office (the large brick house near the entrance) or ask the nearest member of staff from any department who will be happy to help.
We cannot guarantee that our animal food at Familiar Friends and Lorikeets has not come into contact with potential allergens. We therefore advise that students with allergies do not handle or use this feed.
If you are purchasing food at the zoo, allergen information is available at each food outlet. Please speak to a member of the catering team regarding any allergen concerns on the day of your visit.
Please ensure that you are carrying all of the necessary medication for your pupils. The administration of such medication is the responsibility of the group organisers and cannot be carried out by the zoo’s First Aiders.
Colchester Zoo has policies and procedures in place for emergency situations, including (but not limited to): Lost Child, Fire, and Animal Escape. For safeguarding, security, and safety reasons we are unable to share these specific policies and procedures. In the event of any emergency, please find the nearest member of staff, all of whom are trained on these procedures.
Arrival & Payments
Know what to do when you arrive and all about payments, click for:
Arrival
Click to find out where to go and what to do when you arrive at the zoo
On arriving at the zoo, coaches should park in the designated coach car park. During June and July, zoo staff will usually greet coaches in the car park. Pupils and adults should remain on the coach, and our staff will direct your lead teacher where to check in.
During the rest of the year, and on quieter days, we will not have staff in the car park. In this circumstance, the lead teacher should proceed to the main Admissions/Entrance Building to check in. Please leave pupils and adults on the coach until after you have checked in.
When going to check in, your lead teacher must:
- Know how many pupils and adults you have
- Bring any proof for pupils who qualify for free adult carers / assistance (a letter on school letterhead is acceptable proof)
- Bring all Zoo Passes (gold cards) from pupils and adult helpers
Coaches
On arriving at the zoo, coaches should park in the designated coach car park. During June and July, zoo staff will usually greet coaches in the car park and direct them where to park. If no staff are present, and during the rest of the year, please follow the signage and park in the designated parking bay.
Coach parking is free. Coach drivers for school trips receive free entry to the zoo. To claim this, coach drivers should report to the main entrance building with their ID and job sheet.
Using Zoo Passes
Any children on school trips are allowed to use their Gold Cards (Zoo Passes). However, children using Gold Cards will not count towards your free adult ratio (which only includes paying pupils).
Your lead teacher should collect all the Gold Cards together and bring the cards (not the pupils) with them when they go to check in upon arrival at the zoo. Gold Cards must be brought with you on the day of your visit. We are unable to retrospectively apply Zoo Passes to your booking.
Payment
Schools can pay via: invoice after their visit or payment on the day when they arrive.
Click to find out more details about payment options
Deposits are not required for school bookings.
Schools can pay by invoice after the visit (with a £10 admin fee) or on the day by cash, card, or cheque. Cheques are accepted only from local authority groups and must be payable to Colchester Zoological Society. If numbers change (e.g., a child is absent), the difference can be refunded in cash at the till, but only at the time of payment.
While it is possible to pay via card-not-present payment (e.g. over the phone), for security reasons this payment method is not available at all till points. As a result, using this method may delay your entry into the zoo.
Final numbers are confirmed with the lead teacher on arrival. After check-in, numbers cannot be adjusted, and Zoo Passes cannot be applied. The lead teacher should know the exact number of attendees and bring all Zoo Passes for scanning.
If a purchase order number is needed on the invoice, please include it on the booking form.
The group must enter together to receive the school discount. Parents, adult leaders, or other individuals arriving late and entering separately from the group will be charged full price admission at entrance.
Cancellation
There is no charge for schools to change the date of their visit or to cancel their school booking.
Find out more about cancelling your school trip:
If you are unable to visit, or need to rearrange your visit, please contact the education department as soon as possible at 01206 332511 or ed*******@co***********.org
If you have any booked education sessions which you need to cancel (while still visiting the zoo), please ensure you let the education department know as soon as posible. Spaces for educational sessions are limited, and if you are unable to attend, the time slots can be reassigned to other schools. Colchester Zoo reserves the right to charge a £20 fee for all educational sessions which are booked but not attended either due to last minute cancellation (less than 1 week notice), or not attending on the day without a valid reason. If you attend the session they are free of charge. The charge only applies to non-attended or last-minute cancellations.
Wheelchair Hire
Manual wheelchair hire is available for school groups.
Click to find out more about booking a wheelchair:
Manual wheelchairs are available to hire by reservation. There is a refundable deposit of £20.00 and a hire charge of £5.00 to contribute towards the upkeep and maintenance of the chairs. The deposit must be paid in cash on the day. The hire charge can be added to your school invoice if you are being invoiced. Please contact the Education Department directly at 01206 332511 or 01206 331292 or ed*******@co***********.org to check availability or reserve a wheelchair.
The minimum age for our Mobility Scooter hire is 18 years old, so this is not available for schools.
All learning spaces for educational sessions are wheelchair accessible. Please contact the Education Department directly at 01206 332511 or 01206 331292 or ed*******@co***********.org if you wish to discuss specific needs or sessions.
Find more details about wheelchair use and full T&Cs:
During Your Visit
Plan your day including information on:
School Map & Routes
Click for the school map which shows picnic locations, meeting points and more useful information
The School Map has information specifically for school trips to help you plan your day. Due to special events or other unforeseen circumstances some of the information on the School Map may not be accurate for the day of your visit.
The General Map (and App), has the most upto date and accuate map.
If anyone in your groups has accesibility needs, see our Accesibility Guide including a detailed map.
To help schools make the most of a topic-themed trip to the zoo, we have suggested School Routes which highlights animals to see and routes around the zoo during a trip based around Endangered Animals, Rainforest Animals, and African Animals. We also have a number of free online resources including worksheets, Maths trails, Art Trails, and a range of other topics available from our learning resources page.
Lunches
Picnics and Packed Lunchs
Click to find out more about bring your own food to the zoo
There are several undercover picnic areas around the zoo. These can not be pre-booked and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. See the School Map for specific locations. Schools with packed lunches may not eat inside food outlets or cafés.
Packed lunches can be stored at the Kalahari Theatre (see School Map). This space is unavailable from Oct–Dec 2024, so plan to carry lunches during that time. We apologise for any inconvenience.
The lunch storage area is accessible the rest of the year by following signs at the Kalahari Theatre. Be respectful of other schools and keep noise to a minimum, as teaching may occur nearby. This is an unstaffed area, and items are stored at your own risk. For secure storage, paid lockers are available near the Gift Shop by the zoo exit.
Food Outlets
Click to find out more about students purchasing lunches at the zoo
The zoo has many food outlets, which cater for a wide variety of dietary needs, see the specific wepage for more details.
Please be aware that during quieter days across term time, not all outlets are open (see webpage for more details). The main café, Penguinis, is always open. During peak hours of 11:30-1:30 food outlets are often busy and your students/group may need to queue, please plan this accordinly into your day’s schedule.
Currently, many of our food outlets are in the process of transitioning to cashless. Please ensure your students are properly prepared with alternative payment methods.
Ice Lollies
Schools can preorder Orange Calippo Ice Lollies for £2.20 (10p off the on-the-day price!). Simply add these as an optional extra when filling in the School Booking Form, or contact the education department (01206 332511 or 01206 331292 or ed*******@co***********.org ) to add them to your order. These must be booked a minimum of two weeks prior to your visit. If you have ordered Calippos, please collect these from the ‘Penguini’s Restaurant’ food outlet during your visit. Please note that all Calippos must be collected at the same time.
Water Refills
There are three locations where schools can refill water bottles, click for details:
Teachers can refill their student’s water bottles at Penguini’s Restaurant (the main restaurant) at the top of the zoo. Please take all collected water bottles (not the children) into Penguini’s and ask a member of staff for assistance. Please note tap water will be used.
There is a water fountain at the hand wash station by the Guinea pig village located in the Familiar Friends farm area at the bottom of the zoo.
There is a water fountain on the long side of the building at the Remi Brown Play Area, this is just beyond the elephant paddock near the bottom of the zoo.
Zoo Keeper Talks
Schools are welcome to attend our Zoo Keeper talks. These talks may be based on a feeding time, training session, enrichment activity or simply the chance to hear from our Zoo Keepers. Most of these talks are between 5 -15 minutes long. See the encounter page for specific times and locations, or download the Zoo App for an upto date schedule on the day.
Ride the Train
Schools can ride our free train to our lemus, click for details:
Our free train ride, the Lost Madagascar Express, is the only way to access our walk-through lemur enclosure. Please note that all students, regardless of year level, must be supervised while on the train. The train station is located near the bottom of the zoo by the Tiger Enclosure. The train usually opens from 10:30am and closes an 1 hour before the zoo closes, depending on weather. Check the notice board outside the train station or ask at Guest Services on the day of your visit for a more specific timetable.
If your groups wants to ride the train, please allow at least 20 minutes for the experience, and more time if there is a longer queue. If it is raining the lemurs are often out of sight, but you are still welcome to ride the train there and back again.
Goody Bags & Gift Shop
Click for details of preordering Goody Bags for your school
Schools can preorder Goody at just £2.75 per child. Simply select these as an optional extra when completing your school booking form. If you have already made your booking, these can also be added by contactingur Education Department at 01206 332511, 01206 332512 or 01206 331292 or ed*******@co***********.org to add these to your booking. Due to stock processing, these must be ordered 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.
Click for details of using the Gift Shop with your school
All students must be supervised in the Outpost Gift Shop.
You can visit the shop anytime, but we recommend doing so mid-visit to avoid end-of-day queues. Children must be accompanied by adults, but small groups (e.g., one adult and six pupils) can visit without the whole class.
After shopping, re-enter the zoo easily by returning to the main entrance and informing the staff of your school name. No wristbands are needed.
Exiting the Zoo
You will exit through the Outpost Gift Shop. All students must be accompanied in this shop. This exit leads you back to the main building where you entered the zoo.
The coach park and car parks are often busy at the end of the day. If you are gathering your group together, please do this before you exit the zoo (although please ensure you are not blocking the entrance to the shop), or immediately after exiting the main building (by the large animal sculptures and the small toilet block). Please note, this toilet block is small, so not recommended for large groups. Please do not gather groups in the middle of the coach park as there will be other vehicles attempting to drive away at the same time.
