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A registered charity providing a secure, peaceful and happy home for around 90 donkeys, 12 horses and a herd of Shetland ponies, which have been neglected, abandoned or are in need of lifetime care.
HINT: See more pictures in our Gallery!
REMEMBER: Our resources are included FREE of charge when booking your trip via Education Destination!
Our qualified and experienced teachers have worked closely with Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary to develop a range of high quality curriculum-relevant learning resources and activities to help you and your students get the most out of a visit. These cover many subjects and age groups, and are a mix of pre-visit, on-site and post-visit activities to support your preferred teaching style.
To find suitable resources, first select the appropriate Key Stage and then scroll down to your subject below.
Help OFF Quick Website Intro9 Key Stage 1 resources offered at this venue View this key stage across ALL venues
ENGLISH2SPOKEN LANGUAGE1
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READING1
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MATHEMATICS3STATISTICS / HANDLING DATA3
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R.E.1RELIGIOUS TEXTS1
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SCIENCE2BIOLOGY2
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CROSSOVER PROJECTS1SINGLE-VENUE PROJECTS1
19 Lower Key Stage 2 resources offered at this venue View this key stage across ALL venues
Download a summary PDF for this key stage at this venue
ENGLISH7SPOKEN LANGUAGE2
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READING3
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WRITING (COMPOSITION)2
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HISTORY1CHRONOLOGICAL UNDERSTANDING1
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MATHEMATICS3STATISTICS / HANDLING DATA3
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P.S.H.E.2WORKING WITH OTHERS2
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R.E.3RELIGIOUS TEXTS3
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SCIENCE2BIOLOGY2
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CROSSOVER PROJECTS1SINGLE-VENUE PROJECTS1
23 Upper Key Stage 2 resources offered at this venue View this key stage across ALL venues
Download a summary PDF for this key stage at this venue
ENGLISH10SPOKEN LANGUAGE2
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READING5
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WRITING (COMPOSITION)3
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HISTORY2CHRONOLOGICAL UNDERSTANDING2
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MATHEMATICS3STATISTICS / HANDLING DATA3
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P.S.H.E.2WORKING WITH OTHERS2
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R.E.3RELIGIOUS TEXTS3
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SCIENCE2BIOLOGY2
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CROSSOVER PROJECTS1SINGLE-VENUE PROJECTS1
10 Key Stage 3 resources offered at this venue View this key stage across ALL venues
ENGLISH6SPOKEN LANGUAGE2
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READING1
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WRITING (COMPOSITION)3
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P.S.H.E.2WORKING WITH OTHERS2
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R.E.2RELIGIOUS TEXTS2
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SORRY - no Key Stage 4 resources currently available at this venue View this key stage across ALL venues
SORRY - no Key Stage 5 resources currently available at this venue View this key stage across ALL venues
SORRY - no Post 16 / Adult resources currently available at this venue View appropriate resources across ALL venues
Want to see how our resources relate to specific parts of the venue?
Teacher's MapThe following information is not intended to form a comprehensive access statement; it is provided to highlight particular areas of concern for disabled visitors. We do not warrant that this information is fit for purpose or accurate. Education Destination will happily assist with gathering information in respect of particular concerns, or help you arrange an inspection visit.
To help you determine whether Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary is suitable for your particular students, we've summarised any accessibility issues for you in the section below.
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Assistance dogs allowed
Level access throughout with good wheelchair access. Some walkways are grassed and therefore may be a little bumpy in places, and can be muddy following bad weather. Wheelchair users should have no problem negotiating the walkways if accompanied. The courtyard, main picnic area and barns are tarmac or concrete.
Handwashing facilities are available.
Many Island venues and attractions, especially those outdoors, have limitations on opening times during the year. Additionally, some have limits on the number of group tours on any given date for safety and capacity reasons.
This section helps you identify whether Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary has any such restrictions during your preferred visit dates.
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A typical visit with on-site educational resources takes around 4 hours.
There are sufficient educational activities available to turn this into a whole-day trip, covering a wide range of topics and including some "hands-on" time with the animals.
Open February - November. Visits outside these times can be arranged.
This section highlights any on-site activities which have educational relevance.
Help OFF | DONKEY WALKING 30mins |
 | EQUINE COMPARISON 30mins |
 | SCAN & MATCH 30mins |
 | DONKEY GROOMING 30mins |
 | DONKEY HEALTH 30mins |
 | TREASURE HUNT 30mins |
This section shows commonly asked questions with comprehensive answers.
Help OFF | Q: IS THE DONKEY SANCTUARY SUITABLE FOR WHEELCHAIRS? |
 | Q: WHAT HAPPENS IF IT RAINS ON THE DAY OF THE VISIT? |
Have a question about Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary that's not answered here?
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The Isle of Wight can be reached in as little as 12 minutes! If you're located close to the south coast then a day trip is easily achievable...
Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary features in the following day trip:
Donkey Day Out! from £17.02pp inc. ferry
A fascinating insight into the world of donkeys, ideal for KS1 up to KS3. Get up close with these gentle and lovable creatures.
In this section we've highlighted any special clothing or equipment you'll need to bring in order to get the most out of a visit to Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary
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During or following wet weather we recommend sturdy footwear as it can get a little muddy in places
Most of the attraction is outdoors, so in poor weather you need to consider appropriate clothing or protection. Unlike horses, donkeys are not "waterproof" so in prolonged spells of wet weather most of them will be moved indoors or into shelters - but you'll still be able to get up close.
Anti-bacterial handwashing gel should be carried. Whilst the sanctuary has plenty of handwashing and gelling points for whilst you are on-site, it's almost inevitable that you're going to need some once you have left the venue.
One of the most common issues faced by teachers when planning trips is ensuring that all of the relevant paperwork is in place, and that the lead teacher and their assistants are fully briefed about each venue before they arrive.
Our experienced teachers have done most of this work for you. In this section you'll find a sample Risk Assessment covering all of the typical activities undertaken at Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary by groups of students, along with a detailed "On The Day" Procedure which sets out everything you need to know about the site before you get there.
If there are any other mandatory considerations, such as HSE advice sheets for animal attractions or outdoor activity centres, you'll also find these below.
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A brief overview of Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary prepared especially for teachers.
Download (PDF) →
For your convenience this generic risk assessment has been prepared to cover all of the typical activities undertaken at Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary. You may use it as the basis for your own documentation. We do not warrant that this is either complete or accurate, and would be happy to help arrange a site pre-visit if required.
Generic Risk Assessment (PDF) →
Our handy guide to distribute to your adult supervisors just before arrival. This essential document sets out in summary form everything you need to know about the venue, from a useful site navigation map to the locations of toilets and first aid boxes, lost child procedures, special clothing or equipment requirements etc.
On-the-Day Procedure (PDF) →
As this is an animal attraction, you should pay particular attention to the risks of infection transfer. All of our animal venues comply with HSE and DEFRA control measures, guidelines and recommendations. The following documents form part of your risk assessment and briefings to students.
Advice to teachers | This is an outdoor venue - a farm. There is limited shelter in case of wet weather. If it's just a shower, head for the barns or the coffee/gift shop! |
 | There is a cafe on site serving hot and cold drinks, snacks and light meals. There are plenty of picnic tables for eating a packed lunch. |
 | There are picnic benches and seats dotted around the venue, which isn't very large. |
 | Tour leaders are responsible for first aid. |
 | There are toilet facilities available in the main courtyard. |
 | Phone reception is generally good. No WiFi. |
Verified feedback from previous group visits...
Roxanne Dee, Head of Travel & Tourism | 13/10/2016 | 17 x KS4
"The donkey sanctuary was an excellent hands on experience for students, they were given tasks to collect customer research and take care of some of the animals. This gave them a responsibility which they were proud of. They were able to experience how customer feedback was collected by completing it on behalf of the donkey sanctuary. This was an excellent part of the trip and very useful for their coursework. Staff were fantastic and very open with students, this was appreciated."
Lorraine Webb, KS2 SEND Teacher | 07/05/2015 | 12 x Upper KS2"This was WONDERFUL. The children enjoyed it so much.... as did the adults. It was perfectly organised and each activity just the right length of time for our children. The pitch was just right too."
Sophie Wheeler, KS1 Teacher | 05/11/2015 | 62 x KS1"We all thoroughly enjoyed the trip and the children were so excited on returning to school to share their experience with their parents. We were so impressed with the Donkey Sanctuary and all the activities they provided today. The children were so engaged and were able to retain and apply their learnt information between the different tasks."
Amy King, KS2 Teacher | 15/10/2015 | 26 x Lower KS2"What a kind therapeutic place. Excellent price. If this was in Canterbury I think the school would sign up as members instantly. A beautiful place teaching the children about so much more than just donkeys. Caring, gentleness, volunteering your time etc. We have looked at donkeys in our science lessons of living things. Some of the children were trying to sketch the donkeys as we had been doing still life in art before the trip. The activities led by the adults were very similar to the activities on your website which meant the children were very naturally achieving everything. The sanctuary had clearly put time and effort into liking the resources with the chosen activities.
I loved the grooming and the walking- I was surprised that nearly every child's favourite part of the morning was the tagging machine. They were fascinated and told the school about it in great detail. The more competitive children liked the treasure hunt. They all enjoyed the treasure hunt as time to run off independently and without an adult. It was a lovely lovely place. "
Save time visiting and assessing venues - our experienced teachers have done it for you!
Download risk assessments and all relevant documentation here.
Help OFFIsle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary is located at:
Lower Winstone Farm
St Johns Road
Wroxall
PO38 3AA
