Education centres 
We've education centres across the region at fully operational sites where children can learn about the water cycle, the environment and how we ensure Yorkshire has a constant supply of fresh drinking water.
They're fun, thought provoking, engaging and free!
Our education centres at Headingley, Esholt and Ewden have been awarded the Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) Quality Badge.
Click here to find out more.
Book a class trip to one of our education centres
We've centres at the following locations:
- Headingley Water Treatment Works, Leeds
- Esholt Waste Water Treatment Works & Environmental Visitor Centre, Bradford
- Ewden Water Treatment Works, North Sheffield
- Loftsome Bridge Water Treatment Works, Near Goole - sorry, this centre is temporarily closed
Visits to Headingley Water Treatment Works and Esholt Waste Water Treatment Works are combined - children will see how water is cleaned and put into the supply network at Headingley, before visiting Esholt to see where it ends up once they've used it in their homes and how we return it safely back into the environment.
What to expect
Our education centres are run by experienced staff. Sessions are free and last for two hours. The Headingley/Esholt visit includes a morning and an afternoon session.
On arrival at our water treatment works you'll be greeted by one of our staff and the fun will begin. The visit will include:
The 'Baddies in the Works' presentation - how we remove the 'baddies' from the water we treat. (approx. 45 minutes) - A guided tour of the site with headsets (approx. 30 minutes)
- Activities - group work around six interactive sessions (approx. 30 minutes)
- Plenary session (approx. 15 minutes)
Children will be able to get hands on - conducting exciting experiments and working on a series of projects that help explain the water cycle and what we do with water to make it safe to drink. We also give out resource booklets so the learning can continue when you get back to the classroom.
A visit to Esholt Waste Water Treatment Works will include:
- Introductory presentation (approx. 15 minutes)
- A guided tour of the site with headsets (approx. 45 minutes)
- Activities - group work around subjects such as flooding, bugs, energy and fats, oil & grease (approx. 45 minutes)
- Plenary session (approx. 15 minutes)
Our programmes have been developed with the help of school teachers and cover the core elements of the national curriculum at Key Stage 2, including numeracy, literacy, geography, science and, of course, water.
Book a school trip to one of our education centres. Call us on 01274 692548
Educational and special needs
We aim to accommodate children of all educational and special needs, however as these buildings are all working sites teachers are required to read our information before making a booking.
More >
Making a booking
- If you'd like to check the availability of our centres use the links at the top of this page.
- During the summer we offer a limited number of full day sessions at Ewden and Loftsome Bridge.
- Please phone us to make your booking. Alternatively, please send an email to
anne.reed@yorkshirewater.co.uk
- To avoid disappointment we recommend that you book early.
- Once a booking has been made, we'll send you a resource pack. This will include a pre-prepared risk assessment.
