Schools

Schools can be important historical roost sites for bats. Your building acts as a safe place for bats to roost at a time where many of their natural roost sites have disappeared. Your building may have supported the bat roost for many years, as bats are faithful to their roosts, returning each year to raise their one pup.

The bats in your building are unlikely to cause any issues and we have a range of helpful leaflets, at the bottom of this page under further reading. If you have found a bat or are experiencing issues you can find guidance on the main page.

Having a bat roost at your school is an excellent opportunity to teach children more about these amazing creatures and to introduce them to wildlife in their local areas. Learning about bats early on can help dissuade some of the myths and misconceptions surrounding bats. Below are some ideas on how to get children enthused about a bat roost.

Recording and helping bats

You can help to monitor your bats by taking part in the National Bat Monitoring Programme. They have a range of surveys including the Roost survey which involves counting the bats as they leave the roost in the evening. Roost survey volunteers can access a records page which shows them more information about their roost including a history of their counts. This can be a great resource for class projects. For further information click here.

Educational resources

BCT have free resources for teachers and leaders as well as a free children’s activity pack which can be downloaded from here.

Our free downloadable leaflet 'What bat is that' is a helpful beginner guide to telling the difference between some of our UK bats that are likely to be seen around the school. You can find more leaflets about bats here.

Further reading

Next: Bats in holiday homes and hotels