Surrey & Box Hill Discovery Classes | School Trips Abroad

Surrey & Box Hill with your class

Set within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the North Downs, this field studies programme centres on a historic country house surrounded by ancient woodland, chalk grasslands, and the River Mole. Expert tutors guide students through hands-on investigations designed to meet curriculum and exam board requirements, from daisy distribution studies to freshwater invertebrate surveys.

Rolling chalk downland and woodland of Box Hill in the Surrey North Downs

Trip highlights

01 Mammal trapping

Mammal trapping, students set humane traps, make predictions about small mammals, and identify their catch before releasing animals back into habitat

02 Freshwater energetics fieldwork

Freshwater energetics fieldwork, kick-sampling and trophic analysis in contrasting microhabitats along a chalk stream

03 Woodland biodiversity survey

Woodland biodiversity survey, random sampling of ground flora on a hilltop nature reserve, with panoramic views across the North Downs

Curriculum links

Biology ecosystems, biodiversity, mammal behaviour

Geography fieldwork methods, physical landscape

Environmental Science freshwater ecology, chalk grassland

exam board NEA preparation

Practical information

TransportTravel arranged to suit your school's location.

Accommodationa specialist residential field studies centre with dormitory rooms, modern laboratories, and full-board catering

Local currency is GBP (£); limited personal spending money needed, most meals are included
A valid UK ETA is required for EU passport holders
On the Move is the officially accredited school trips provider for the European Schools in Belgium; every trip has a dedicated project manager with 24/7 emergency support.

A day by day

Day 1

Arrival & Introduction to Ecology Arrive at the field studies centre in the early afternoon. Introduction to the course and key ecological concepts. First fieldwork session: daisy distribution investigation. As evening falls, students set humane mammal traps around the grounds.

Day 2

Freshwater Ecology & Mammal Trapping Results Early morning mammal trap check, identifying, recording, and releasing the catch. Morning freshwater ecology session at a nearby chalk stream: kick-sampling, abiotic measurement, and trophic analysis. Afternoon laboratory work with microscopes and data analysis.

Day 3

Woodland Biodiversity & Departure Morning guided walk to a hilltop woodland reserve for random sampling of ground flora at two contrasting sites. By midday, fieldwork is complete and the group departs for home.

✏️ This is an example timetable — we can adapt the destination, programme, duration and budget to suit your group.

Students come home with…

completed NEA-ready datasets, microscopy drawings, field notebooks full of original primary data, and a genuine appreciation for the scientific method applied in real landscapes.

In pictures

Discovery Classes - your questions

Popular themes include space and aerospace, zoology, natural sciences, industrial heritage and urban regeneration, and technology. We tailor each itinerary to your subject and year group.

Yes. We arrange guided, expert-led visits and hands-on workshops at science centres, museums and research sites wherever possible.

Münster (Zoo School, planetarium) is designed for P5 (ages 10–11). Our other discovery destinations suit secondary years with content adapted to the group's level.

Return travel, accommodation, all entries and workshops, supervision, insurance and your On the Move coordinator.

Discovery trip to Surrey & Box Hill