Your questions answered

Please find below information to help you arrange a school visit to the museum. Please contact the museum if we haven't answered your questions below.

When is the museum open for school visits?

Educational visits normally run from 10.00am till 2.00pm depending on the need to return to school. Should they be required, longer visits are always welcome.

What is included in an educational visit?

Students follow a programme of activities throughout their visit, which is planned beforehand by one of the museum education staff and a visiting school teacher. The programme usually includes a talk, tour of the museum and various activities depending on the requirements of the visiting group. All activities are supervised by the museum staff, with emphasis being placed on variety and interaction to provide a worthwhile and memorable educational experience. Preliminary visits by teachers to the museum are free and actively encouraged.

What will the visit cost?

Costs will very much depend on the level of content, length of visit etc, and are available on application. With accompanying adults at a ratio of 1:6 admitted free for school groups under 16 years of age.

Do we have a base for the day?

We always try to ensure that one of the museum's conference rooms are available where belongings can be left. This space can also be used to eat packed lunches when the weather is inclement and the picnic areas are not usable.

How do we book a visit?

After deciding on a number of possible dates that you can make your visit, you must then contact one of the education staff at the museum to check availability, agree a date and very importantly, arrange a date for a preliminary visit to discuss your needs and requirements. All that is then required is to fill in the booking form and return it to the museum.

What will my students learn from the visit?

That very much depends on what you want for them. On the following page you will find programmes of things to do, with suggested aims and objectives, much of which covers the requirements of the National Curriculum. Please check with the additional resources list which could expand the visit to suit your particular needs.

What else might we need?

We have a number of small inexpensive educational booklets available, along with many other pocket money priced items from souvenirs to camera film. We encourage the use of cameras inside the museum as photographs always make an exciting display back at school.

Please contact the educational department for further information.