School Visits

Welcome to the Bridging the Tamar Visitor and Learning Centre

We can tailor the workshop for your key stage and area of interest. We offer on site workshops & tours and outreach visits to your school.

School workshops at Bridging the Tamar

We offer a variety of curriculum linked workshops from Early Years to Key Stage 4.

We have a dedicated workshop space in the Centre for pupils to participate in hands on learning, bridge building and explore STEAM subjects (science, technology, engineering, art, and maths) and make links to the National Curriculum.

Most workshops include a trip out onto the Tamar Bridge to marvel at the views of the river and Brunel’s Royal Albert Bridge, look at the components of the Tamar Bridge up close, and feel the vibrations as lorries whizz past!

Maximum class size is 32. Please refer to our schools brochure for more information.

We strongly recommend teachers conduct a familiarisation pre-visit.

We have ‘explorer backpacks‘ available for SEN children.

Due to the small size of the Learning Centre we advise contacting us before bringing self-led groups. Pre-booked school groups with delivered workshops will take priority and we will be able to advise you when the Centre will be available for you to visit.

STEM learning

Good value- knowledgeable enthusiastic tutor who enhanced learning…opportunity to apply learning in real life context…cross curricular… quality resources.

Hands-on

It was an excellent blend of input that focused on local History and Britain's evolution from agriculture to industry, as well as some hands-on activities where pupils could immerse themselves in the role of an engineer.

Learning outside the classroom

This was a new, original learning experience for our school and all of my class were able to share something they had learned from the trip. It also gave them a personal connection to the learning that helped to strengthen their understanding.

Workshop topics

Workshops include:

Bridges - 1.5-2 hours

An interactive workshop which includes a guided walk over the Tamar Bridge, a look at the River Tamar, and some experiments and hands-on bridge building activities in the Learning Centre. Learn about Brunel’s unique Royal Albert Bridge and the award-winning Tamar Suspension Bridge first-hand. (EYFS £5 per child, minimum fee £135) (KS1- KS4 £6 per child, minimum fee £150)

Meeting Brunel - 2 hours

Meet Mr Brunel, designer of the incredible Royal Albert Bridge, find out what life and work was like in the Victorian era, and test out your own bridge building skills. Includes a costumed educator. (KS1-2 £8 per child, minimum fee £200)

Lego Bridge Building - 3.5 hours inc. lunch break

Enjoy a walk out onto the Tamar Bridge followed by a bridge building workshop led by Brick Ideas. Students will gain hands on experience of bridge building in this interactive workshop. (KS2 £10 per child, minimum fee £250)

Brunel and Bridges - 2 hours

Find out about the life and times of IK Brunel, his famous Royal Albert Bridge, and some of his other engineering achievements. (KS1-4 £6 per child, minimum fee £150)

Brunel and The Industrial Revolution - 2 hours

Find out about technological advances from the 1800s to the present day. Learn about the life of IK Brunel, his famous Royal Albert Bridge, and some of his other engineering achievements. (KS2-4 £6 per child, minimum fee £150)

The River Tamar – transport and the natural environment - 2 hours

Find out about the natural environment of the River Tamar, and how humans have navigated transport on it through time by learning about the Royal Albert and Tamar Bridges. (KS1-4 £6 per child, minimum fee £150)

Careers at Tamar Crossings - 2 hours

Learn about the wide variety of careers available at Tamar Crossings including engineers, managers, ferry crew and more. The session includes a tour of the Bridge Offices and the opportunity to talk to staff about their jobs. (KS1-4 £6 per child, minimum fee £150)

Minibeasts and their homes - 1.5 hours

Discover minibeasts, search for their natural habitats. Children will become bug hunters and identify them Then we create butterfly feeders for children to take home to care for butterflies in their own gardens. (EYFS £5 per child, minimum fee £135)

STEM in Industry: Bridging the Tamar in association with MVV Environment Ltd - 5 hours inc. lunch break & travel between sites

We also offer a day long workshop in partnership with MVV Environment Ltd in Devonport, Plymouth. Join us in the morning for our popular Bridges workshop and then head to MVV Environment Ltd for your lunch followed workshop exploring sustainable wast management through interactive activities. (KS1-3 £6 per child, minimum fee £150)

Further & Higher Education

We offer a 2 hour tour of the Tamar Bridge anchorage and under the deck. These tours are led by our experts and can be adapted to meet the requirements of your course. £20 per students, minimum £200. Contact to discuss group size.

"I couldn't fault the experience. It has been the best unique experience we have done in the past 4 years of running the course and I want to push this experience out to the wider team. Accessing the bridge gave students a unique experience of being at height, the historical aspect of a local iconic landmark and the construction and engineering feats was just mindblowing. The images and regalia in the centre also was so interesting to bring the experience to a conclusion. Really impressed!" College Feedback

Enrichment Days

Historian for a Day (KS3/4) - 5 hour workshop for up to 20 students. Learn about the history of the Tamar & Royal Albert bridges and the skills needed to communicate this to the public. £300 per group.
Monkey Bridge Building (KS3/4) - 5 hour workshop for up to 14 students. This is a practical, hands-on session that sees students work in teams to build a monkey bridge. £300 per group.

Help with travel costs

We are a Hyundai ‘Hero Partner’. If you are a school with more than 30% of your students receiving free school meals, you can enjoy 50% of any workshop booked at the Bridging the Tamar Visitor and Learning Centre.

We have a bursary scheme in place with Hyundai for help with travel costs as part of the Great British School Trip programme.

If you’re a teacher interested in this you can do the following:

1. Apply for a bursary on the GBST website.
2. If your application is accepted, they will ask for travel or venue receipts/quotes.
3. If your receipts are accepted, they will ask for the school’s payment details and the funds will be paid directly to the school.

Finding us

Pemros Road, St Budeaux, Plymouth, PL5 1LP

Arriving by coach

Coaches can drop off at the Pemros Road roundabout. There is no access from the A38/Tamar Bridge Offices exit (bus lane only) so coaches travel first to St Budeaux (next stop on A38) to access Pemros Road.

If not you will need to travel through St Budeaux to access Pemros Road from the other direction to access the Pemros Road roundabout.