Educational experiences with Clarendon Inspires

Jun 13, 2019

Editor-at-large Kate Freud and her son Jago check out Clarendon Tutors’ new educational experience, Clarendon Inspires

With the long, long summer holidays looming in the near future for us parents, we’re always on the look out for new and interesting things to keep the kids entertained. Step forward Clarendon Inspires, the genius new concept from Clarendon Tutors, which is designed to get children off their screens and engaged with the world around them.

Whatever it is your kid is interested in, from Science and Art to History, Drama, Politics, photography, filmmaking, orienteering and much more, there’s an experience designed for them, and a young, enthusiastic mentor to lead the way.

It sounded like just the thing for my son Jago, seven – whose boundless energy is best spent channelled into something productive! – and his best chum Monty who came along for the ride.

Their tutor Ollie, a twenty-something Oxford undergrad arrived bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, which was encouraging giving the high energy levels of the boys that Tuesday morning. Off they went, travelling by train to Kew Gardens for a day of adventure.

The boys not only loved the wide, open spaces of Kew, perfect for getting rid of some of that aforementioned energy, but also learning things about Kew that perfectly tapped into their seven year old minds. They learnt all about ‘The Hive’ the giant metal art installation based on a real beehive, complete with sound effects.

They were also fascinated by how plants defend themselves, in particular carnivorous plants like Venus Fly Traps – a little boy’s dream! – and all the different everyday ingredients and spices grown in the rainforest like vanilla and black peppercorns. I’m not sure how Ollie did it, but the boys came back full of enthusiasm for their new found knowledge, and I enjoyed a few hours of child-free bliss. It’s a win-win for everyone!

Experiences are designed for children, aged six to 16, for groups of one to five; choose from a whole day (three-and-a-half hours) for £35, or a full day (seven hours) for £49. All Clarendon Inspires mentors are vetted, trained and DBS checked. To book visit clarendoninspires.com

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