Schools out! - First visit of the academic year to Drax power station

Children from the school’s year two class were given free travel and admission to Drax’s Skylark Centre, a nature centre at the Barlow Nature Reserve, which is home to a variety of wildlife including deer, sheep, herons, skylarks and a swan sanctuary. Schoolchildren spent the day learning about wildlife found on the reserve and completed a number of outdoor activities. 

The Transport Fund was created in June 2024 to help support young people develop their science technology engineering and maths (STEM) skills. Providing schools meet the qualifying criteria, which includes being sited within 15 miles of a Drax power station and having at least 20% of their pupils being on free school meals, they can apply for transport grants of up to £500. 

Helen Green, Year 2 Class Teacher, Howden Church of England Infant School said: “What an amazing start to the school year! Our Year 2 children visited the Skylark Centre at Drax to find out about living things in their environment. They made bug hotels, went on a big bug safari and went pond dipping. In the afternoon, they worked as teams to build dens.

“Educationally and socially, it was a wonderful experience for all children. In addition to free entry, we were fortunate enough to be given a transport grant for the trip. All children attended free of charge. The cost of coaches can be prohibitive when organising a school trip and put pressure on families. We greatly appreciated being able to give our children this educational opportunity without the heavy burden of coach fees. I have already enquired about visiting next year and hope that the same opportunity will be available, as it really was a valuable, local visit.”

Jane Breach, UK Community and Education Manager at Drax said: “We are delighted to provide opportunities for local schools to visit our Skylark Centre at Barlow Nature Reserve. It is important for children of all ages to understand the responsibility we have towards ensuring nature, wildlife and their unique ecosystems can co-exist with energy infrastructure such as Drax Power Station, which helps to keep the lights on for millions of homes and businesses across the UK by generating reliable, renewable power.” 

As well as being the home to a large number of endangered and rare species of wildlife, the area is farmed and features a number of rest areas and nature walks. The project for the nature reserve, named Barlow Mound, was conceived in the 1970s as a disposal solution for the by-products created by coal power generation. The site has gone on to provide a thriving natural habitat to be enjoyed by wildlife and local residents alike.