Education Rules & Top Tips
Make your school trip to Marwell Zoo a roaring success with our rules and top tips.
Our Golden Rule – Staffing
All children up to and including the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Offering to meet students at a certain time / location is not suitable. Please make sure you have enough staff within your group to supervise. We offer a ratio of 1 adult free with every 3 children to enable this to be possible. Any pupil who requires 1:1 support, that member of staff will also come free.
In Loco parentis remains with the accompanying adult leaders/teachers throughout the visit. Marwell Wildlife reserves the right to remove groups from the zoo where the zoo rules have not been followed.
Please also check our Park Guidelines.
Top Tips
On arrival
There is a free car park on-site and parking for coaches is on the left-hand side. It takes around 5 minutes to walk from the car park to the zoo entrance, so please allow enough time for your journey.
Recce
Take advantage of our free recce visit and risk assessment guidelines to plan your day.
Park map
To plan your visit, check our park map, or download our Marwell Zoo App also includes a map, list of our daily talks and other useful information.
Lunch Areas
We have various picnic areas (both undercover and outside) around the zoo which are detailed on the park map. There are 2 under cover lunch areas which school groups are free to use. These are not bookable but are available on a first come first served basis. They are located next to Wild Explorers and the hippo enclosure.
Rucksacks
We can’t store lunches anywhere in the zoo, so make sure your pupils all have a small rucksack to carry their lunch with them.
Keep Looking
Our animal habitats are designed with animal welfare in mind to give them as varied an environment as possible. If you can’t see a particular animal, we recommend you carry on with your visit and return later when they may have moved closer.
Teacher Visit Guide
Use our free downloadable Teacher Visit Guide for more tips about planning your perfect trip.
Emergency Contact
Whilst in the zoo, in case of medical emergencies, please contact a member of staff who will radio for help, or call 01962 777 983. A qualified first aider is always available for assistance.
Gift Shop
To maximise your time at Marwell Zoo we offer a range of Gift Bags that can be pre-ordered and collected from our gift shop, Marwell Stores.
No Cash Site
Please be aware that all payments on-site are by card only. Sorry, no cash. This includes the Café and Gift Shop.
Other Important Rules
Stay behind the barriers
Our animals are wild at heart. The barriers are there for your protection.
No feeding, no teasing
Our animals are fed a carefully balanced diet. A sneaky snack or tossed object could make them very poorly. Keep your treats and treasures to yourself.
Whistles are a no-go
To many animals, a whistle means danger and may cause stress. Let’s keep the soundscape calm and comforting.
Inside voices in animal houses
Running and shouting might be fun for us, but it can be scary for our feathered friends.
Road Train travel tips
If you’re hopping aboard, make sure children are seated and accompanied by an adult.
Play safely
There are a range of playgrounds around the zoo. If you choose to allow your children to explore these, please adhere to the following guidelines:
- If using with young children: please remember that these areas can get very busy and older children may play with more energy and enthusiasm, which can feel overwhelming to little ones.
- If using with older children: remind pupils that their actions affect others. Overly boisterous behaviour, rough play, or inappropriate language can be intimidating or upsetting to younger guests. Encourage kindness, spatial awareness, and inclusive play.