Animal Roadshow

Founded by "The Animal Man", James McKay in 1982, The Animal Roadshow’s unique service consists of exciting, hands-on educational sessions involving a wide variety of living specimens of different species, all of which are friendly, tame, handleable and entirely trustworthy. All sessions are delivered by a qualified, professional educator who has full CRB clearance.

We have available to us numerous animals of many species, and this allows us to offer a wide range of subjects, topics and themes. You select the animals, the subject, the level – the choice is yours.

Our "General Session" (see “The Sessions”), is one of our most popular, and consists of a range of animals covering mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibia and invertebrates, and is an ideal introduction to many scientific principles. The session explains the basic differences between these classes of animal, and also examines adaptations of each species which allow that animal to fully exploit its own ecological niche. The content has many cross-curricular links, and other areas covered in this session include geography, the senses, colour and design, defence mechanisms, history, habitats, conservation, lifestyles and natural history.

All sessions are geared to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum and are very much hands-on and educational, while still being great fun and very exciting. The educational content of every session is sound and accurate, and is always at the correct level for the audience.

Lesson plans/schemes of work are available for all of the sessions booked. Teachers will also receive a package containing work sheets, planning notes, and a CD-ROM containing information and relevant images for the visit.

Teachers will be advised in advance of the animals that The Animal Roadshow will be bringing to the session and, once agreed, this selection will not be changed without consultation with the appropriate staff.