Chester Zoo doesn’t list a discount for individual teachers. What it publishes is school trip pricing: £10 per pupil (3-16 yrs) off peak and £14 per pupil at peak, with additional adults at £13 off peak and £18 at peak over and above its free adult ratios.
If you’re planning a class visit, the prices and the free ticket scheme below are the ones that apply to you. If you’re going on a weekend with your own family, the ticket options are further down the page, and they don’t mention teachers.
How To Get The Chester Zoo Teacher Discount
There isn’t a teacher discount to claim. A school trip books through the Education Visits page, which says you can visit the zoo and explore on your own, or arrange educational talks and workshops with its expert Zoo Rangers. The booking page says to complete its form to book a visit, and the Education Visits page says no educational bookings are available in school holidays.
Prices depend on when you go. The page lists an off-peak date range and a peak date range, so check which one your date falls in before you pick a number. It also has an “Accompanying free adult ratios” heading, but the ratios themselves weren’t in the page text we read, so ask the zoo how many free adults your group gets before you work out your chaperones.
School Trip Prices
For pupils aged 3-16, the Education Visits page lists £10 per pupil off peak and £14 per pupil at peak. For post-16 students it lists £12 per student off peak and £16 at peak. Each additional adult over and above the free adult ratios is £13 off peak and £18 at peak.
The page also describes curriculum linked workshops across all Key Stages, and its FAQ says the education team are very happy to work with teachers to adapt sessions. If your class has particular needs, that’s a good thing to mention in your booking form.
The Free School Visit Scheme
Separately, the zoo runs a free ticket scheme for school children. Its free school visits page says the zoo is giving away free tickets for school children, that nearly 33,000 children will be able to visit for free as part of an organized educational visit, and that places are available for pupils from nursery age to year 13. The tickets are for the pupils, not for teachers, and the page says applications are now closed.
The rules on that page are specific. Visits are on weekdays, tickets are available during the Cheshire West and Chester region term time only, and application forms must be completed by a member of school staff. Applications from parents on behalf of a school won’t be accepted. Registered childminders following the early years curriculum are also eligible, and home educators can apply as a group through a Home Educators’ Network.
For Home Educators
The Education Visits page also mentions dedicated home educator days for discounted entry, workshops and meet-ups at the zoo. We didn’t find a price for them on that page, so look at the zoo’s home educator pages for the details of the next one.
Visiting On Your Own
The tickets page doesn’t mention teachers or educators. It offers three ways to buy: pre-book tickets, since the page says to book in advance and save on gate prices; buy for today, since the page says tickets can be purchased from 9:30am to 2pm on the day of your visit; or flexible tickets, which let you visit without pre-booking a specific date. The page we read doesn’t print prices, so check the amount in the ticket shop before you plan your budget.
What We Couldn’t Confirm
The free adult ratios weren’t in the page text we read, so we can’t tell you how many adults come free with a class. The prices heading on the Education Visits page names a school year that doesn’t match the date ranges listed under it, so confirm the amounts when you book. We also can’t say whether the free school visit scheme will run again or when applications would reopen, and we didn’t submit the booking form.
Q&A
Does Chester Zoo give teachers a discount?
Not for individual teachers on any page we read. School trips have their own per-pupil prices.
How much does a school trip cost?
The Education Visits page lists £10 per pupil (3-16 yrs) off peak and £14 at peak, £12 per post-16 student off peak and £16 at peak, and £13 off peak or £18 at peak for each additional adult over and above the free adult ratios.
Can we book in school holidays?
No. The page says no educational bookings are available in school holidays.
How do I book?
The booking page says to complete its form to book a visit.
Are there free tickets for school children?
The zoo has a free school visit scheme for pupils from nursery age to year 13, but the page says applications are now closed.
Can a parent apply for the free tickets on behalf of a school?
No. The page says application forms must be completed by a member of school staff, and applications from parents on behalf of a school won’t be accepted.
Can home educators join in?
The free scheme says home educators can apply as a group through a Home Educators’ Network, and the Education Visits page mentions home educator days with discounted entry.
Can I buy tickets on the day?
The tickets page says tickets can be purchased from 9:30am to 2pm on the day of your visit, and it says booking in advance saves on gate prices.
More Information:
The details above come from Chester Zoo’s own Education Visits, free school visits, booking and tickets pages as they loaded when we checked. Prices and rules change, so confirm them with the zoo before you book. See more entertainment discounts for teachers.
