ZSEA and Wensum Trust Unveil Groundbreaking ‘Zoo School’ Model at National BIAZA Conference

Conservation charity ZSEA and local Norfolk school Kinsale Junior School at the heart of a nationally significant conservation education breakthrough.
 

A major new education initiative developed in Norfolk has featured at this year’s annual BIAZA Conference, as the Zoological Society of East Anglia (ZSEA) the charity that operates both Banham Zoo and Africa Alive, and The Wensum Trust unveil their Zoo School model – a first-of-its-kind approach to embedding conservation and sustainability education into everyday school life.

Piloted at Kinsale Junior School in Hellesdon, the Zoo School programme blends hands-on science learning, nature-based experiences, and real-world conservation insight to inspire the next generation of conservationists.

As part of the conference, ZSEA and The Wensum Trust shared details of the model with regional media as part of a special local preview.

“This began as a Norfolk pilot and has grown into something with real national potential,” said Sara Goatcher, Head of Conservation Education at ZSEA. “Zoo School gives children long-term access to conservation education – and we’re now proving just how transformative that is.”

Ian Barlett, CEO of ZSEA, said: “Zoo School is a fantastic example of what can be achieved through strong local partnerships. By working collaboratively with The Wensum Trust and schools like Kinsale Junior School, we’re embedding conservation and sustainability into the heart of education, right here in our community. This model shows how zoos can play a wider role in society, not only as places for wildlife but as spaces that actively support learning, wellbeing, and connection to the natural world.”
 

Dr Jo Judge, CEO of BIAZA said: “Zoo school is a fantastic initiative that demonstrates the importance of integrating nature into all parts of learning, and the roles good zoos are playing as educators. Zoos and aquariums up and down the country and inspiring school children with the wonders of nature. With the scurrying strength of leaf cutter ants or swooping flight of our native swifts. Every child deserves the opportunities to be inspired and to fall in love with the natural world.”

The scheme’s ambition is not only educational. It aligns with new zoo licensing standards introduced by the government just three weeks ago, which require zoos and aquariums to demonstrate the measurable conservation education value of their work, supported by robust data. Zoo School is designed to do just that.

Through long-term engagement – including CPD for staff, regular zoo visits, live online sessions, and classroom integration – the model is now delivering evidence-based insights into how conservation education improves:

• Wellbeing
• Nature connectedness
• Scientific knowledge
• Environmental behaviour

These outcomes are being evaluated using the Nature Connectedness: Children’s Environmental Perceptions Scale (developed by Lincoln Larson et al.), comparing Year 3 pupils on entry to the programme and Year 6 pupils at graduation, with a control group from a non-participating school.

Key aims of the Zoo School initiative include:

• Enhancing understanding of conservation and sustainability at all ages
• Developing career pathways in science, conservation, and environmental sectors
• Giving students hands-on experience with nature and direct access to scientists
• Helping pupils understand their environmental impact locally and globally
• Inspiring schools to build long-term partnerships with conservation organisations

As part of the next phase, ZSEA will be working closely with BIAZA to formally accredit the Zoo School model, establishing a new national benchmark for meaningful, measurable conservation education in schools.

ZSEA presented the initiative at the BIAZA Conference on Thursday, 19th June 2025, encouraging other schools and zoos to replicate the Kinsale model and help create a nationwide ‘conservation curriculum’.