UK family theme park Paultons Park has launched two bespoke KS3-appropriate maths workshops, using park data to demonstrate the importance of the subject for a variety of careers.
The new programmes, which were created by Hampshire-based Paultons Park’s secondary education team to complement the KS3 curriculum, will use the park’s real data to demonstrate maths in action.
Pupils will learn how statistics are used across the park, how to interpret and compare different statistical diagrams (pie charts, bar charts, scatter graphs and time series graphs), and explore how data informs decision making, with the programmes based on statistics, speed, distance and time.
Andrew Chapman, education and sales manager at Paultons Park, said: “Our new workshops are designed to prove the role maths plays in real life problem solving and decision making. For our secondary school students, we want to inspire a love for numbers and demonstrate the importance of the subject for a variety of exciting and inspiring careers.”
Paultons Park also delivers a range of curriculum-based workshops from its Professor Blast’s Learning Lab, which it said was the UK’s first dedicated interactive education facility in a theme park.
“Our education package is designed to be exciting for students and straightforward for teachers.”
Andrew Chapman, education and sales manager, Paultons Park
Andrew added: “The New Forest is a fantastic destination for school trips. We have lots of schools from the southwest joining us for the day, while many groups visit us as part of a wider residential trip. We’re proud to attract schools from across the UK and from as far as Blackpool.
“Our education package is designed to be exciting for students and straightforward for teachers. We purposefully manage capacity in the park each day, ensuring students spend their time on the rides, not queuing for them.”
He said: “Parking for school coaches is free, and we invoice schools after their trip for only the number of children that actually entered the park. With family values at our core, but with plenty of attractions to excite a range of year groups, we strive to offer a relaxed, easy, and safe destination for schools.”
Outside of the classroom, students can enjoy over 70 rides and attractions, as well as discover a range of gardens, birds and animals.
The park is home to Peppa Pig World, which opened in 2011, and the 140-acre park features rides such as the spinning Cylonater in the Midwestern Americana-themed Tornado Springs world, the Splash Lagoon log flume at the Lost Kingdom and the first indoor dark ride, Ghostly Manor.
Paultons Park is situated near transport links into Southampton and Portsmouth, and is a two-hour coach journey from London.
Teachers can find out more information on the Paultons Park website.
