Central London isn’t the first place that comes to mind when you’re thinking about the ideal location for a tranquil school trip. But if you’re trying to get away from it all, Beauchamp, the floating classroom moored at Little Venice in the north west of the capital could give you both peace and peace of mind.

The purpose-built canal boat is the first floating classroom in London since the canal barge Elsdale sank in 1939 (it was salvaged and spent the next 21 years on dry land as a classroom). Beauchamp has room for 35 children and sails on a nine-mile stretch of the Paddington branch of the Grand Union Canal.

As well as offering views of hidden parts of the capital, the floating classroom provides curriculum-based sessions. Education officer Sharon Clouston runs a range of sessions for key stage 1, 2 and 3 classes.

The main subject areas available are geography, science and history, although art, numeracy and literacy-themed sessions are also available. Flexibility is the key, says Sharon. “We’ve got modular-based programmes and you can fit four out of the eight modules into a day session so you don’t have to come on a structured trip - you can design your day how you want it.” Study modules available include “Living on the Canals”, “What’s with the Weather?”, “Wildlife Wonders” and “Forces and Motions”.

Teachers have made requests and history days focusing on the Victorian era, and art days have been popular options. Plans are also being made to cater for secondary schools which are showing an increasing interest in the Beauchamp, and physics and biology sessions have been added to accommodate older students. “We weren’t expecting any secondary schools when we started but interest in using the Beauchamp has been much wider than anticipated,” says Sharon.

Measuring 22m by 4.2m, the Beauchamp has been built with its target audience in mind. It’s slightly wider than a standard narrow boat to allow room for a whole class and the large windows allow visitors to see as well as enjoy their surroundings in all weathers. Speakers are fitted all the way along the boat and teaching equipment includes a large plasma screen, a DVD player and laptops. The engines are quiet, so only the sounds of the river compete for pupils’ attention.

The Beauchamp cost pound;300,000 to build and was funded by a number of organisations including British Waterways London, The Waterways Trust and the Beauchamp Lodge Settlement, an anti-poverty charity working in the the Paddington area.

The director of the Beauchamp Lodge Settlements, Ellenor Anwyl, has high hopes for the project. “We want to combine state-of-the-art facilities with getting children outdoors, exploring the canal, the local environment and the nature that it supports,” she says. “We hope the Beauchamp will help kids enjoy the environment and understand and respect it.”

Beauchamp floating classroom

Open all year round, full-day sessions (9.45am-2.30pm) cost pound;90 with half-day sessions available for pound;60. Tel: Sharon Clouston, 020 8960 5588 www.beauchamplodge.co.uk.