Making a splash at Flow Zone – SES Water welcomes schools to its free interactive education centre.

SES Water is inviting schools to its education centre, Flow Zone, which teaches school children of all ages about the water network.

The state-of-the-art facility, at Bough Beech Reservoir, is run by former primary school teachers and offers free school trips from Year 3 onwards.

Flow Zone, which saw over 4,500 pupils through its doors between September 2024 and July 2025, aims to instil a shared responsibility of water conservation, and a better understanding of how clean, safe water makes its way into our taps.

The five-year-old centre, in Edenbridge, Kent, has become a popular learning tool with schools as the interactive day makes links to the National Curriculum – in particular, the water cycle and potable water.

A typical visit starts in the Flow Zone classroom where children learn about the water cycle, geography of the local area, water treatment processes and the history of the reservoir. After this, visitors take an exciting walk to the reservoir, through a tunnel deep underneath the water.

The second half of the experience is a tour of the treatment works to see the different processes first hand.

Finally, the pupils visit the ‘Blue Zone’ area to play interactive games which help them learn how to save water and use water wisely – with all visitors taking home a four-minute shower timer.

Visits during term time take place between 10am and 2pm – and for schools unable to visit in person, the Flow Zone team can facilitate in-school talks instead.

A teacher from Four Elms Primary School, in Edenbridge, Kent, said: “The whole visit from start to finish was exceptional. The information was perfectly pitched for the age group and access to the processing areas was fascinating.”

A teacher from Copthorne Preparatory School, in Crawley, West Sussex, said: “Excellent! What a fabulous day! It was so informative and both Anna and Lisa were absolutely brilliant – an asset to the education programme.”

Lisa Downes, Education Coordinator at Flow Zone, said: “I’m immensely proud of our incredible Flow Zone team and the outstanding free school visits we host. 

“Engaging interactively with children about the water cycle, using water wisely and explaining where our drinking water comes from is so key as they learn from a young age the importance of this precious resource.

“We also love having the opportunity to take the children outside to learn. Outdoor learning provides benefits for both physical and mental health and our visitors enjoy watching the wonderful and varied wildlife that live at the reservoir.”

In November 2025, Flow Zone’s Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge was renewed. This national award is recognised by the Department of Education as an indication of quality.

Since 2025, Flow Zone has worked closely The National Autistic Society in order to become an Autistic Friendly Setting.

To book school group sessions, SES Water education programme | SES Water

Flow Zone host free tours for community groups on weekdays during the school holidays – to book please contact, lisa.downes@seswater.co.uk