Schools
We pride ourselves on providing exceptional learning experiences through discovery sessions that are taught by fully qualified teachers.
Taught inside the historic Lydiard House Museum or in the stunning parkland, all of our sessions promote engagement through interactive hands-on learning and investigation, role-play and drama and storytelling using characters and costume.
Booking
Please call or email the Learning Team to discuss your needs and find out costs for your session.
Call 01793 466640 or email LydiardLearning@swindon.gov.uk.
Sessions
Victorian Christmas at Lydiard
Monday 30 November – Friday 18 December
In this special seasonal workshop, pupils take on the role of a Victorian servant preparing Lydiard House for Christmas. Through object handling and role play they will discover life at Lydiard House and compare Victorian Christmas traditions with their own. The visit includes time to explore Lydiard House Museum which will be transformed for the festive season, and pupils will make their own Victorian Christmas decoration to take away.
Curriculum Links
- KS1 History
Plant Explorers – nature investigations at Lydiard House and Garden
Monday 8 June – Friday 12 June 2026
Develop your pupils’ skills of scientific investigation and deepen their understanding of plant biology in this special week of activities at Lydiard Park to bring science to life. During their visit pupils will experience:
Pollinators Discovery Session: pupils will develop their knowledge of the different parts of flowering plants and explore the beautiful Walled Garden in bloom. Pupils will observe and classify the plants and pollinators around them in a practical scientific enquiry.
Herb Detectives Discovery Session: pupils will investigate the scents and secrets of herbs grown historically at Lydiard Park in a series of hands-on activities. They will compare herbs by sight and smell to understand how these special plants were valued for flavour, fragrance and medicine.
Discover Lydiard Park on a self-led adventure with our bespoke trails and resources.
Curriculum Links
Key Stage 2 Science
- Working scientifically – observation, recording, classifying, reporting
- Plants: flowers and plant life cycles including pollination
£11 per pupil. Places are limited, contact LydiardLearning@swindon.gov.uk to book.
Little People in a Big House
Discover what life would have been like for a child living at Lydiard House in the Victorian period.
Curriculum Links
Key Stage 1 History
- Events beyond living memory
- Significant historical events, people and places in their own locality
Bug Safari
Join our intrepid explorer on a safari through the parkland to investigate the habitat of insects in the Walled Garden. Learn how to use scientific instruments to observe and identify a variety of insects using branching keys.
Curriculum Links
- Lower KS2 Working Scientifically
- Lower KS2 Living Things
Trees, Plants and Flowers
Explore Lydiard Park and study a variety of trees, plants and flowers. Learn the difference between deciduous and evergreen trees. Discover parts of plants and how they work together. Look at the different ways that plants survive in their habitat from the shape of their roots to the colour of their flowers.
Curriculum Links
- KS1 Plants
- KS1 Living things and their habitats
- Lower KS2 Plants
Pollinators
Bees, butterflies and plants have been shaped by their habitat to work together. Discover how different plants attract different insects and how pollination takes place. Classify pollinators and plants, identifying features using etymology charts and observation.
Curriculum Links
- KS2 Plants
- KS2 Working Scientifically
- KS2 Living things and their habitat
Planning your school visit
Discovery Sessions