Many schools now keep honey bees on site and have found them to have a huge impact on  pupils.

We strongly recommend that a school keeping bees becomes a member of the BBKA.  This means that a school employee needs to register as the contact with the local BBKA branch of beekeepers.  Find your local association here

Costs to join are in the region of £25 pa but this varies according to local club fees.  School membership includes a copy of BBKA News monthly magazine and free entry for pupils to take the Junior Beekeeping Certificate.  The Junior Beekeeping Certificate is a lovely way to encourage children's interest in beekeeping but especially perhaps those children who struggle with academic subjects.  

Another benefit of joining a club is putting the school in touch with local beekeepers who may be able to help and mentor and provide advice.  Additionally beekeepers are sometimes able to visit the school and give lessons or take an assembly on beekeeping.
 
If you are a school thinking of having bees on site please refer to the following guidelines and documents to help with your planning:

1. Managing your apiary, time commitment
2. Schools' beekeeping management plan 
3. Model rules for the Apiary
4. Model risk assessment

Yvonne Kilvington, of Ashbrow School in Huddersfield, beekeeper and school employee has kept bees onsite for the last 7 years:

“I can remember one young man who's confidence in the classroom was pretty low but, by spending time outside with the bees over a number of weeks, his confidence went through the roof and had an huge impact on his work inside school. He felt good about himself as he achieved things he thought he never would, and this is very much the case with a lot of children.”


“Outdoor learning can have a positive impact on behaviour and can stimulate, motivate and offer learning experiences that no classroom can offer. For those who are otherwise disengaged in the classroom, being outdoors can often see them flourish in an environment they feel comfortable in.”