Key Stage 2
Our education centre is run by experienced staff. We offer a programme of free sessions for primary schools and additional sessions for secondary schools, universities and community groups.
There are two programmes currently available:
Half day visit to Headingley Water Treatment Works
A half day visit to Headingley water treatment works will include:
- Introduction to the water cycle and where our water comes from.
- The 'Baddies in the Works' presentation - how we remove the 'baddies' from the water we treat. (approx. 10 minutes)
- Guided tour of the site with headsets (approx. 40 minutes)
- Activities - group work around six interactive sessions (approx. 40 minutes)
- Water savers and wasters. Which one are you? (approx. 10 minutes)
- Plenary session. What have we learnt? (approx. 10 minutes)
Sessions are 9.45am – 11.45am or 12.45pm – 2.45pm Tuesday to Friday.
Please note that we can only take one class per session.
Full day visit to Headingley with our WaterAid or FOG activity programme
A full day visit to Headingley Water Treatment Works with our WaterAid or FOG activity programme will include:
1. Introduction to the water cycle and where our water comes from.
2. The 'Baddies in the Works' presentation - how we remove the 'baddies' from the water we treat. (approx. 10 minutes)
3. A guided tour of the site with headsets (approx. 40 minutes)
4. Activities - group work around six interactive sessions (approx. 40 minutes)
5. Water savers and wasters. Which one are you? (approx. 10 minutes)
6. Plenary session. What have we learnt? (approx. 10 minutes)
Our afternoon activities focus on either:
The afternoon focuses on the difference between communities in Ethiopia and the Yorkshire region. We will explore how villagers access their water supplies and the benefits of working with WaterAid to bring clean water and sanitation to those less fortunate. The sessions will comprise of activities from our WaterAid programme
Or
How Fats, Oil and Grease (FOG) can block waste-water pipes and sewers. We will explore the consequences of these blockages through role play, presentations and simple experiments. This raises awareness of the items we should, and should not, dispose of down the sink and toilet. Students will learn to translate this knowledge into positive action to improve their local communities, their country and the planet.
Sessions are 9.45am to 2.45pm Tuesday to Thursday.
Please note that we can only take one class per session.
You don't need to decide straight away which topic you will choose for the afternoon, our education advisers will discuss this with you as your planned visit approaches.
Our programmes have been developed with the help of school teachers and cover key elements and targets of the national curriculum at Key Stage 2. These include:
- Geography - human and physical geography, water cycle, distribution of natural resources including water, locational knowledge of coasts and rivers, topographical features.
- Science (Year 4) - states of matter, evaporation and condensation in the water cycle, living things and their habitats, human impact on the environment.
- Science (Year 5) - properties and changes of materials, states of matter, evaporation.
- English - supporting writing, vocabulary and composition.
- Maths - supporting number addition/subtraction, measurement and statistics.
- PSHE - Climate change - Helping students to understand how small changes they make at home, or in school, can make a big difference to our planet and help to reduce everyone's impact on the environment.
- Eco Schools - If you are already an accredited Eco-School or on your way to becoming one, water is of course one of the 10 topics you can choose from within your school’s project!
What better way of giving your students an understanding of the importance of water than planning a visit with us to talk about ‘all things water’.
We cover many of the requirements of the Eco-Schools Green Flag questions / requirements for Eco School Status, such as helping your students understand how to save water and not waste water, as well as topics such as what should or should not go down the toilets, helping them to understand how small changes at home or in school can really help our planet.
For more information about this, visit Eco Schools website at: https://www.eco-schools.org.uk/ten-topics/water/
Key Stage 3 & 4
Our KS3 programme has been developed with the help of school teachers, and links to the national curriculum, in particular for Geography & Science subjects. These topic areas include:
Science - states of matter, some climate change issues such as discussions about carbon/peat bogs, and how global warming affects water as a resource.
Geography - The water cycle, the weather, and some issues around climate change.
Our GCSE KS4 programme has been developed with the help of school teachers and links to KS4 curriculum requirements, in particular for GCSE Geography and GCSE Science (Combined) as well as the separate Science pathways. Exam board specifications covered include AQA, OCR, Pearson / Edexcel and WJEC.
In GCSE Science, the relevant topic areas included are potable water, water filtration, wastewater treatment, as well as some discussion about the impact of climate change and the environmental issues within the water industry.
In GCSE Geography, the relevant topics included are water management and the demand for water, water supply in the UK, water scarcity, how we use reservoirs and water transfer as well as some discussion about the challenges / effects of climate change and extreme weather within the water industry.
Linking to Gatsby Benchmarks
During your visit, if requested, we can provide a short careers talk to include details about careers within Yorkshire Water as well as information about our apprenticeship programme and graduate scheme.
Half-day session at Headingley Water Treatment Works
A half-day session at Headingley Water Treatment Works will include:
- Safety introduction – including risk assessment, signage and PPE (Personal Protective Equipment). (approx. 5 minutes)
- Revision of the water cycle and an introduction into where our water comes from. (approx. 15 minutes)
- Water treatment presentation - how we treat our water to provide clean drinking water, covers filtration and sterilisation. (approx. 20 minutes)
- Guided tour of the site with audio headsets (approx. 30 minutes)
- Wastewater presentation – what happens to your wastewater? (approx. 15 minutes)
- Activities - group work around two interactive sessions (approx. 20 minutes)
- Water savers and wasters. Which one are you? (approx. 5 minutes)
- Plenary and feedback session. (approx. 5 minutes)
A visit to Yorkshire Water supports the following Gatsby Benchmarks:
| 4. Linking curriculum learning to careers | The requirements of the national curriculum are embedded into our education centre visits. Students can visit our water treatment centre at Headingley to see these processes in action and observe, first-hand, a working treatment plant. See the role of the Process Engineers and take part in a discussion regarding other roles within Yorkshire Water. |
| 5. Encounters with employers and employees | Your students will be visiting a place of work and will see for themselves what is involved in running a water treatment works. They will see how we use I.T. to deliver a service 24/7 and how technology supports the delivery of a quality product. They will see different job roles available in the workplace. |
| 6. Experiences of workplaces Students | are offered the opportunity to visit our treatment works with the first-hand experience of a working environment. There is a safety discussion, risk assessment, PPE and workplace behaviour. Students will wear the appropriate PPE and tour the working site. |
Sessions are 9.45am – 11.45am or 12.45pm – 2.45pm Tuesday to Friday.
Please note that we can only take one class per session, and maximum group size is 35.
Key Stage 5, Higher Education, Further Education and Adult visitors
Our education centres are run by experienced Education Advisers. Whilst our main offering is a programme of sessions for Key Stage 2, we are able to offer half day sessions for colleges, universities and community groups. All visits are by pre-arrangement and are for group bookings only. A minimum of 20 participants is preferred.
Half day visit to Headingley Water Treatment Works
A half day visit to Headingley Water Treatment Works will include:
- Safety introduction – including risk assessment, signage and PPE (Personal Protective Equipment). (approx. 5 minutes)
- Overview of Yorkshire Water, including ‘Source to Sea’ abstraction and collection of water from the environment, water treatment, waste water treatment and our commitment to renewable energy. (approx. 30 minutes)
- Water treatment presentation - how we treat our water to provide clean drinking water; covers filtration and sterilisation. (approx. 30 minutes)
- Guided tour of the site with audio headsets. (approx. 30 minutes)
- Plenary and feedback session. (approx. 10 minutes)
Sessions are 9.45am – 11.45am or 12.45pm – 2.45pm Tuesday to Friday.
Please note that we can only take one group per session, and maximum group size is 30.
Joining us for lunch?
Take on our Waste Warriors Challenge!
If you are visiting us for the full day, we invite your group to take part in our Waste Warriors challenge. We'd like to challenge you to bring a lunch that uses as little amount of waste as possible so students are exposed to sustainable food choices and recycling.
Meet the team
Senior Education Adviser
Adele
I have worked as an Education Adviser since we opened our Education Centre in Leeds in 2002, but began my career working for Yorkshire Water in bacteriology and studied microbiology. My main role is delivering guided tours around our treatment works but I also deliver outreach sessions to local schools where the emphasis is the importance of our most precious resource, water. I enjoy working with young people especially when they ask lots of questions. I love seeing their faces when we take them around our treatment works to see all the processes water passes through to produce crystal clear Yorkshire Water! In my spare time I enjoy organising cycle rides around our beautiful county.
Education Adviser
Emma
After teaching Science in secondary schools for 23 years, it is really refreshing to take learning outside the classroom. I love meeting new groups each day and seeing how fascinated they are when they realise how much goes into treating their water. Getting out and about with outreach is fun too, being a visitor and bringing something different into your classroom.
Education Adviser
Vicki
I joined Yorkshire Water after spending 11 years working in inner-city high schools in a pastoral role as a non-teaching Head of Year. Education has always been a great passion of mine and my motto has always been, “I’m in it for them [young people].” I love the variety of meeting new groups in our centres and whilst visiting schools on outreach and imparting knowledge all about the most important substance on earth, water - Yorkshire’s finest!
Location & Risk Assessments
The address of our Education Centre is Headingley Water Treatment Works, Otley Road, West Park, Leeds, LS16 5LG. The entrance is located next to The Village Hotel on Otley Road.
Prior to your visit, we will send you a copy of our risk assessment.
Please note that you will be visiting an operational site and on very rare occasions there may be circumstances that cause temporary suspension of visits. This would be very unusual and if we became aware of any instances, you would be informed at the earliest opportunity.
Our primary school visits are usually free of charge, but please be aware that should you cancel with less than 3 weeks notice, we regret that we will have to charge a cancellation fee of £100 per session.
We do not charge cancellation fees in circumstances where there are bad weather conditions which would either (a) prevent you getting to our sites or (b) cause health & safety concerns during your visit. Should cancellations occur due to bad weather conditions, or for operational reasons out of our control, we will work with you to rebook your session at a mutually convenient time.
Should your group have any specific needs in terms of access, please let us know as soon as possible.
Headingley Water Treatment Works risk assessment form
Access at Headingley Water Treatment Works
We aim to accommodate children of all educational and special needs, however as these buildings are all working sites, teachers are advised to read the following information before making a booking.
The education room is reached by two flights of stairs and the tour of the works will involve a small amount of walking. A lift is available on site for visitors with limited mobility or wheelchair users. If members of your group have any specific needs, please let us know when we confirm your booking date.
Our education advisers are well prepared to adapt language and activities depending on the reading age and educational needs of the children in the tour group. Students with special educational needs are welcome. The education team will consult with you regarding the needs of your proposed group and make recommendations should there any concerns which would compromise health and safety on site. The visit is recommended for Year 4 upwards.
Your visit to Headingley Water Treatment Works includes a guided tour of the site. Feel free to show your students this video prior to their visit - it talks them through the personal protective equipment they'll be required to wear for the tour.
Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge
Our education centre at Headingley has been awarded the Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) Quality Badge.
This is a national accreditation, recognising the essential elements of provision - learning and safety. We achieved the LOtC Quality Badge by demonstrating that we offer good quality teaching and learning experiences and that we manage risk effectively.
This is an important achievement as it provides an assurance that we:
- Offer what we say we offer
- Take account of the needs of our users
- Place emphasis on 'learning/skills outcomes'
- Operate in a healthy and safe environment
Our Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge Certificate for Headingley
Book a visit to Headingley Water Treatment Works
To avoid disappointment we recommend you book early!
Once a booking has been made, we'll offer you a resource pack and send you a pre-prepared risk assessment.
