Welcome to the Schools' Page
Which key stage do you want to book our services?
Planning a zoo visit takes up a lot of your time, a coach can cost up to £1000, it is nearly impossible for you to enjoy the day, and your itinerary is so rushed and hurried, the children are lucky to get any quality learning out of it as well.
A Bugfest visit is a fraction of the cost, and the children can get to learn about the amazing invertebrates we bring into your classroom up close – and in many cases get to handle them – with the exception of tarantulas and scorpions; we take child protection very seriously and want to protect them from potential skin and eye irritation from kicked tarantula hairs.
With over a thousand presentations to our name, we bring an exciting and exuberant approach to learning. Children are quickly engaged by our appropriate sense of humour, and those of a nervous nature are fast to find their courage and face their own creepy crawly fears.
With a Bugfest visit, you only get the best!
The best delivery
The best ethos
The best experience
We can deliver bespoke exotic minibeast handling and learning sessions anywhere in your school that works for you.
Hall or classroom? It's all about you and what's best for your children.
Frequently Asked Questions
When it comes to bug visits to schools, there are eight important reasons why you should choose an educational visit company, run by qualified professionals.
What age groups are Bugfest school visits suitable for?
Bugfest school visits are suitable for EYFS, KS1 and KS2, and can be adapted for older pupils where appropriate. Sessions are tailored to the age, ability and needs of each group, ensuring content is engaging, accessible and age-appropriate.
Bugfest is also available for KS3 and beyond.
Are Bugfest sessions linked to the National Curriculum?
Yes. Our school visits are not only curriculum-linked, we can also help with cross curricular links, too.
We regularly support learning objectives in:
Science (animals including humans, habitats, lifecycles)
Biology and ecosystems
Environmental awareness and conservation
Observation, questioning and scientific enquiry
Art and Design
Numeracy
Literacy
We’re happy to discuss specific curriculum topics in advance so sessions align closely with what pupils are learning in class.
What does a typical school bug visit involve?
A Bugfest school visit is a very hands-on, interactive experience where children get to meet and learn about a range of live insects and minibeasts.
They discover where they come from, how they live, and why they matter so much to all living things on the planet.
They get to ask questions in a safe learning environment and observe animals up close on our camera, connected to your screen.
Pupils are allowed to take part in supervised animal handling of selected invertebrates that are not harmful.
Sessions are delivered in a calm, structured way that prioritises both child safety and animal welfare.
We start the session by going through Bugfest’s happy feeling safe rules:
- No one has to hold anything – if you don’t like how it looks, no one will force you (this also applies for the grownups, we respect these are not for everyone).
- You can change your mind, when you see everyone is enjoying themselves.
- You can use your sleeve to cover your hands.
- Always use hand gel and wash your hands after the session.
How long does a session last?
Most sessions last sixty minutes, though we can offer shorter sessions for younger children in preschool and nursery – for them we recommend half hour sessions in groups of ten or so.
We can hold multiple sessions across the day for larger schools, and if need be and you have the budget, we can even attend for a number of days.
For some older year groups we offer ninety minute super sessions to really get deep into the learning outcomes you want delivered.
We’ll work with you to find the best structure for your school day.
How much will a bug visit to school cost?
Because every school has different needs, numbers of classes and timing requirements, it isn’t always easy to give a ball park figure.
For a no obligation quote, please use our contact form.
Travel costs are applied for all destinations over ten miles from each of our presenters’ bases of operation to cover fuel, vehicle depreciation and paid travel time for staff, this is incorporated into your quote.
Only Bugfest can provide you with the highest qualified professional visits.
Our presenting team are all professionally qualified with degrees, post-graduate degrees and doctorates, internationally respected and recognised fellowships of Royal institutions, and fully qualified teachers with many years of experience in the classroom.
Congestion and ULEZ charges are additional.
As a guideline, and not including travel and VAT you should look at the following prices as a guideline:
One hour: £130+travel+vat
Two hours: £250+travel+vat
Three hours £360+travel+vat
Four hours: £460+travel+vat
Five hours: £550+travel+vat
How many children can take part?
Group sizes vary depending on age and setting.
Smaller groups allow for the best experience, particularly when handling animals.
For larger year groups, we often run multiple sessions to ensure every child can participate safely and meaningfully.
We are able to entertain the whole school with an assembly (one hour), which can be themed and delivered according to your school ethos: for church schools we have a special version known as Wild Worship.
Are your sessions suitable for children with SEN or additional needs?
Absolutely.
Bugfest has extensive experience delivering inclusive, SEN-friendly sessions.
We adapt our pace and language, we are mindful of sensory input, and especially handling expectations.
We have found from experience that small groups and short sessions give the best results.
Please let us know about any specific needs in advance so we can ensure the session is comfortable and supportive for all pupils.
1: We only use high level post-graduates, PGCE qualified teachers, PhD qualified lecturers, twenty year experienced youth work leaders and EYFS teachers
2: Proven classroom management skills
3: Proven lesson planning skills
4: Proven differentiation and extended questioning skills
5: Knowledge and ability to apply foundation, KS1 and KS2 curriculum to topics and animals
6: Subscription based teacher’s DBS
7: Ability to adapt to any learning environment at short notice
8: Always prepared for the curve ball questions that come from the children – with an appropriate answer
The Best Bug Visits to Schools EVER!
Children love the active delivery of the sessions we provide and the “Horrible Histories” style of delivery. Your class sessions are highly interactive, allowing children, and teaching staff the opportunity to engage with and handle the animals.
Bespoke sessions directly linked to your curriculum areas such as:
Africa
Rain forests
Habitats
Eco-systems
Endo/exo-skeletons
Humans and animals
Christian values and ethos respected and supported
Bugfest literally takes the stress away!
Planning a zoo visit takes up a lot of your time, a coach can cost up to £700, it is nearly impossible for you to enjoy the day, and your itinerary is so rushed and hurried, the children are lucky to get any quality learning out of it as well.
A Bugfest visit is a fraction of the cost, and the children can get to learn about the amazing invertebrates we bring into your classroom up close – and in many cases get to handle them – with the exception of tarantulas and scorpions; we take child protection very seriously and want to protect them from potential skin and eye irritation from kicked tarantula hairs.
With over a thousand presentations to our name, we bring an exciting and exuberant approach to learning. Children are quickly engaged by our appropriate sense of humour, and those of a nervous nature are fast to find their courage and face their own creepy crawly fears.
