natural history museum school visit risk assessment

Information for Visiting Schools

Booking procedure.

Advance booking is essential, even for self-guided visits. Start your booking process online  or call us on 01865 282451 to arrange your visit. You will receive a booking confirmation with our standard terms and conditions, and the invoice will follow after.

SUPERVISION

Students must be adequately supervised during their visit, and we require a ratio of at least one adult to ten children. If you also wish to visit the Pitt Rivers Museum, you must book separately (telephone 01865 613031).

SESSION COSTS

Opening times.

Pre-booked school parties may visit from 10am. The Museum is open to the public every day from 10am to 5pm. 

DISABLED ACCESS

There is wheelchair access for the ground floor and a lift to the upper gallery. Disabled parking is available. Please speak to the education officers for details about disabled access .

Lunch can be eaten on the Museum lawn and in the nearby University Parks in fine weather. The Museum does have a lunchroom, but it is in high demand and should be booked at the same time as your visit (a charge applies). No eating or drinking is allowed elsewhere in the Museum. 

Start your booking process online  or call us on 01865 282451 to arrange your visit.

Alternative nearby lunchroom venues:

Oxford Quaker Meeting House , 43 St Giles’, Oxford OX1 3LW

Tel: 01865 557373

Email:  [email protected]

https://oxfordquakers.org

Wesley Memorial Church Hall , New Inn Hall Street, Oxford OX1 2DH

Tel: 01865 201606 

Email:  [email protected]

www.wesleymem.org.uk

St Michael at the North Gate , Cornmarket Street, Oxford OX1 3EY

Tel: 01865 240 940

Email:  [email protected]

www.smng.org.uk

TOILETS AND CLOAKROOM

The Museum has toilets that are for use by the general public and school groups. Please check if you wish to use our cloakroom facilities for schools. The cloakroom is not a secure area, so valuables should not be left there.

The Museum shop is open from 10am every day. There is a range of goods available for under £2.50. The shop is small, so please visit in groups of ten.

RISK ASSESSMENT

If you would like a risk assessment to help you plan your visit, please contact us at [email protected]

PARKING AND COACHES

Before your visit to the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, please read this information and share it with your coach driver:

Please do not stop on Parks Road for school drop-offs and pick-ups.

Due to extensive construction work taking place on Parks Road (the road on which the Museum is located) you must not stop, drop off or pick up your school party on this road. The increase in large construction vehicles outside of the Museum, along with the road works and alterations to the cycle lane, makes it very dangerous for coaches to stop on Parks Road.

Please use Keble Road for school drop-offs and pick-ups.

We have identified Keble Road as the safest place for coaches to drop off and pick up school parties. This is just to stop for a brief amount of time. It is best to approach Keble Road from North Oxford, travelling through Summertown and the Banbury Road. After dropping off/picking up your school party, you can exit Keble Road by making a loop round to the left, turning down Blackhall Road then Museum Road. Please see the map below for the route to take. The map also shows the walking route for school parties, including where to cross at the pedestrian crossing to reach the Museum.

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School trips to the Natural History Museum

Where else in London can you come face to face with a dinosaur?

School trips to London  aren't complete without a visit to the Natural History Museum. Students will be fascinated by the collections of fossils and artefacts on show. And each exhibition can complement a curriculum at each key stage of learning!

The Natural History Museum is dedicated to exploring life on Earth. Be that through human biology, animals and insects, dinosaurs, or the natural environment. Students can explore even further afield - and back in time - to the creation and evolution of our planet and the solar system.  

The benefits of Natural History Museum school trips

There are numerous benefits of Natural History Museum school trips.Your school group can explore the museum at their own pace; supported by a selection of worksheets created by museum staff. Or you can opt for a more hands-on, interactive learning experience in the Investigative Science Centre. Here, students can examine real specimens like fossils, bones, and rare minerals. Your group will work with a museum science educator - they'll encourage scientific methods and thought processes in a real lab setting, like: using equipment, observing and recording, creating hypotheses, and looking for relationships.

The museum also holds interactive workshops, talks, and lectures to complement science , psychology , and geography specifications, which are ideal for KS4 and KS5 students. The themes covered include:

• Human and animal evolution
• Human biology: cell and DNA structures, the brain, the nervous system, and memory
• Climate Change
• Natural environment and ecosystems
• Planets and the solar system

A school trip to the Natural History Museum is a rare opportunity for students to become immersed in the changing natural world and the evolution of life. Students can see the impact science has on their lives - and how we've learnt about what came before us.  

Book a school trip to the Natural History Museum

Want to take your students on a trip to the National History Museum? Get in touch today to discuss your options - call our team of travel experts on 0845 293 7970.

Primary School Trips 

A primary school trip to London enables pupils to discover many aspects of their curriculum in a short space of time. Our personalised itinerary packages can ensure that your pupils visit the Natural History Museum on their trip to London.

Cultural Trips 

For a school trip that will inspire your students, you need to look no further than our very own capital city. We can create a cultural tour suited to you, which offers pupils the opportunity to visit the Natural History Museum. A school trip to the Natural History Museum is ideal for all school students and supports the curriculum for each key stage group. 

Find out more about our cultural trips to London .

Science Trips 

A Science trip to London would not be the same without a visit to the Natural History Museum. A trip to the museum is an opportunity for students to become immersed in the changing natural world and a chance to see how science is having an impact on their lives.

Find out more about our Science Trips to London .

Planning your first school trip?

If you're planning your first school trip, our essential guide will take you through each step of the process.

• Choosing your destination
• Gaining approval from your Local Authority and/or your Head
• Promoting your tour in school
• Confirming your booking
• Tailor-make your tour
• Completing your risk assessments (including a sample risk assessment)
• Quick reference timeline
• Pre-tour checklist

Additional support, resources & information:

Tour planning service

With NST, you’ll get your own dedicated, knowledgeable Tour Co-ordinator who’ll work with you from start to finish. You’ll benefit from their unrivalled destination knowledge, and their experience gained from working with many other groups too. They’ll tailor-make your itinerary from scratch and take care of everything for you:

• Pulling together an itinerary that runs smoothly
• Planning the right balance of visits every day with realistic timings
• Pre-arranging and pre-booking your visits, entrance tickets, passes and meals

You’ll receive your final itinerary a full 4-weeks before you travel too.

FREE school trip promotion pack

We’ll support you and provide everything you need to advertise your school trip around school and to parents. Our free school trip promotion pack consists of:

• Parents’ letter & permission slip template for you to complete
• A3 posters to promote your trip around school
• PowerPoint presentation templates which you can tailor to your own needs
• Parents’ leaflets covering how NST manage safety, financial protection and details of our travel insurance
• Online parents’ video which showcases the benefits of taking a school trip

For selected destinations, we’ll provide a trip launch web page using video footage and imagery. This web page is provided by a weblink and can be shared with pupils and parents in many ways.

Risk assessment support including preview visits

Risk assessment plays a vitally important part in the planning and organisation on any school tour. Our risk assessment guide aims to help you understand more about your obligations and how you can more effectively manage group safety on your next educational visit and provide you with risk assessments for your trip.

Planning first school trip

Organising your first school trip can appear to be a daunting process.  If you're planning your first school trip, our guide will help to take you through each step of the planning process, answering frequently asked questions and providing tips and support along the way.  Our helpful guide covers the following: 

• Choosing your destination 
• Gaining approval from your Local Authority and/or your Head 
• Promoting your tour in school 
• Completing your risk assessments (including a sample risk assessment) 
• Quick reference timeline 
• Pre-tour checklist 

View our essential guide to a successful school trip here

Get live updates on your group's tour location

Locate My Trip uses GPS technology and is the easy, convenient way for your school to follow your location whilst on tour. Specifically designed to provide reassurance to both parents and teachers, NST will know where your group are 24/7. If your schedule needs to change, we’ll put plans in place to keep your tour on track. 

With Locate My Trip your group can also share photos and videos with the school and parents, via a secure link, to keep them updated on your experience whilst you’re away.

Watch our short Locate My Trip video here .

Your online school trip organiser - My Tour Manager

Save time and stay on track with your school trip admin with our online orgnaniser - designed to help busy teachers like you.  With My Tour Manager, you'll be able to download FREE resources and access trip paperwork online and in one place. Your personalised checklist details what you need to do and by when, plus you'll receive fortnightly reminders too.  What's more, you can take all your trip documents on the go whilst on your tour with our app, My Tour Manager-On-the-Go.  Find out more and watch out short My Tour Manager video here

Free classroom resources

We've created a range of free resources and educational posters to brighten up your classroom!  Take a look at our downloadable posters here

Speak to one of our school travel experts

Our team of school travel experts have unrivalled destination knowledge and experience so they can help to bring your tour ideas to life and might even suggest options you hadn’t already thought of too! So get in touch today and we'll help to create a bespoke, budget-friendly tour itinerary to meet your specific learning requirements.

Why choose NST...

Here's why thousands of teachers choose NST each year...

• Unrivalled knowledge

Your dedicated Tour Co-ordinator will use their unrivalled local knowledge and expertise to create a tailor-made, curriculum-linked itinerary to meet your group’s exact needs.

• Making it easier for you

With our online school trip organiser , travel app , free classroom posters and trip launch resources to support your in-school promotion.

• Free group leader inspection visits

We offer a free inspection visit to your chosen destination to support your risk assessment planning. 

• Value for money

We’re committed to bringing you the best possible value trips to help make every penny count.

• More than 50 years’ experience

With over 50 years’ experience , with NST you can rest assured that your group is in safe hands.

• Risk assessment guidance

Our risk assessment guidance will help you to manage group safety on your next educational trip.

• Peace of mind

Your group’s location can be followed with our trip tracking device - Locate My Trip - plus you’ll have 24/7 support from us whilst you’re away. ​

• Offsetting carbon emissions

For every trip taken, we'll plant a Maya nut tree in Peru to support reforestation, local communities & biodiversity. Plus, we'll offset an additional tonne of CO2 to guarantee carbon emission reductions. 

Looking for protection on your next school trip? 

Booking with a school travel company is the best way for you to protect parents’ money and give yourself peace of mind.  

Don’t forget – if your school arranges transport, accommodation and other services directly, you’ll be liable under the Package Travel Regulations – meaning you’ll have all the responsibilities of a travel company, both legal and financial. 

Financial protection from the moment you book

NST are fully bonded:

Managing safety on school trips

For your protection, NST's independently audited Safety Management System covers:

• 24-hour emergency cover
• Audited accommodation & transport
• Excursions & school visit assessment
• Group leader preview visits to assist with risk assessment planning

We're LOtC Council’s Quality Badge assured

The Department for Education advises schools to always look for the LOtC Quality Badge when choosing a school travel provider.

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Book your school visit to Tring

Please use this form to tell us about your intended visit, whether booking for a general visit or a workshop.

Bookings can be made for Tuesday - Friday, in UK school term times.

Please note: we have limited availability over June and July.

Our maximum capacity for students per day is 120. We can provide one workshop per 32 children and we can run workshops back to back for large groups.

Visits to the Museum are free. There is a recommended donation of £2 per child which can be made by cash or cheque.

If you are a home educated group or have a group with special educational needs or disabilities, please call or email us (see Contact Us box) to discuss these and how we can best meet your needs.

Bookings process

Once you have sent your form, the bookings team will be in touch to confirm your booking.

Once we have confirmation that your visit will go ahead, we will email the details of your visit along with risk assessment information, resources and pre-visit materials.

If you are unable to make your visit, we require a minimum of three weeks' notice. If you fail to show up or cancel with less than three weeks' notice on two occasions then we will be unable to facilitate future visits from your school.

Supervision guidelines

The behaviour of pupils at the Museum is the responsibility of teachers and adult supervisors. Please ensure your group meets the minimum adult to pupil ratio for your Key Stage.

The supervision guidelines allows for classes to be split into small groups and visit different areas of the Museum and reducing crowding. In workshops, classes are further split into five groups for KS1 and lower KS2, and four groups for upper KS2. For the students to get the most out of their workshop each group should have a supervising adult.

Further guidance

Please read the Essential information for school visits to Tring webpage (opens in new browser tab) for further information that will help you fill out this form.

You can review the list of activities by Key Stage from the School visits at Tring page (opens in new browser tab).

• Date of visit (NB we are closed on Mondays)
• Estimated arrival time
• Estimated departure time
• Age range of children (tick all that apply)
• Number of children
• Number of adults
• Do any students have any special needs we need to be aware of? Including access/mobility.
• Would you like lunch room spaces?
• Are you coming for a general visit or a workshop?
• Ideal workshop/s? (if applicable). We can provide one workshop per class. Each key stage must choose the same workshop.
• School name, address and postcode
• Lead teacher name
• Lead teacher mobile number
• Lead teacher email address

About your visit

How many tickets do you need? Please break down by adults/children.

Please ensure your group meets the minimum adult to pupil ratio for your Key Stage - see the Supervision Guidelines further up this page.

Workshop options

Contact details, do you have you any additional questions.

The information you provide in the form above will be used to process your booking, and to contact you about your booking. It may also be used for reporting and analysis purposes so we can better understand the demographics of our school visitors. Using the information in this way is considered to be in the legitimate interests of both the Museum and your school, in ensuring that we can provide the school visit you have requested and continue to improve our offering for future visitors. For more information about how the Museum processes personal data, please see our Privacy Notice .

Please book your visit using the  online form .

If you have any additional queries around your visit, please contact us by  email  or telephone: +44 (0)20 7942 6177

School visits at Tring

Inspire your students to ponder their place within the natural world and explore the variety of life.

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School visits  

School children on the stairs at the British Museum. © Benedict Johnson 

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For on-site visits please contact the Box Office:

Phone: +44 (0)20 7323 8181 Email:  [email protected]

Plan a self-led visit to the Museum to explore the permanent collection or special exhibitions. You can also combine your visit with a facilitated session.

Our learning team recommend you visit the Museum before your educational trip. Please explore our free educational resources within our age group pages. Whatever your plans, please book in advance via the Box Office to make sure you get the most out of your visit. We look forward to welcoming you. 

Visit options

School sessions at the museum.

Book onto one of our popular school sessions , where an expert facilitator will guide your students when learning about the collection. Speak to the Box Office team, or explore our age group pages below. 

Self-led visits at the Museum

Please contact the Box Office team to make your visit booking. To aid your learning on your self-led visit, the Museum provides free downloadable visit resources . These include helpful information about the galleries and activity ideas, all based around your student's age group. 

Exhibition visits at the Museum

We offer a schools programme alongside all of our special exhibitions , including free access to special exhibitions for all school groups. 

Explore the 'Schools' tab on each special exhibition page to find out about schools exclusive morning views and teachers' resources.

Virtual Visits online

Connect your class to the Museum for a free live interactive workshop. For UK school children aged 7–11, these workshops cover areas of the history curriculum from prehistory and ancient Egypt tp the Indus Valley, Greek temples and Roman Britain.

Through live activities, interactive quizzes and thought-provoking questions your class will enhance their knowledge and understanding of the past.

Book now to join the tens of thousands of students who have been taught through the SDDC’s Virtual Visits since 2011.

Age group pages online

Explore our full educational offer on the age group pages below: 

• Ages 3 – 6 (EYFS/KS1)
• Ages 7 – 11 (KS2)
• Ages 11 – 14 (KS3)
• Ages 14 – 16 (KS4)
• Ages 16+ (KS5)

Classroom resources at school

Continue your students pre or post-visit learning by downloading our free classroom resources based around the collection. 

Booking your visit

Before you book.

Before you call or email us, please have the following information ready:

• First, second and third choice of date and time
• Number of students and adults
• Galleries you want to visit
• Access or special requirements

Please read our terms of use before booking your school visit.

Please note that only bookings made directly by schools will be accepted. We don't accept bookings from third parties.

If you wish to book a virtual workshop please go to the Virtual Visit page to find out more.

Contact the Box Office

School bookings can be made up to two days in advance of any visit, subject to availability.

Cancellation

If you're not able to attend a session you must inform the Box Office at least 14 days before the session date.

Please see the full terms and conditions for further information.

Access and special educational needs

Most of the galleries and all special exhibitions are fully accessible. There's a range of facilities for visual, hearing and mobility impaired students.

Visit the Access and SEN page for more information.

Safeguarding

You can access the Museum's safeguarding policy below. 

Planning your visit

Adult to child ratios at the museum.

Please ensure there is 1 adult to every 10 children on your visit to the Museum. 

Risk assessments

All the information you need to enable you to complete your risk assessment for a trip to the Museum, including information about sessions taught by Museum staff. 

Find out how to get to the Museum on our Group visits page . For any accessibility needs go to our Accessibility at the Museum page. 

Coach parties are advised to use the metered parking at Montague Place. There's space for up to six coaches.

Dedicated areas for school groups

The Clore Centre for Education, the Ford Centre for Young Visitors and the Samsung Digital Discovery Centre can be accessed via the Great Court. Take the stairs on the east side of the Great Court down to the lower levels.

Lunch spaces

Please contact the Box Office team if you require a lunch space or storage. These are booked on a first-come, first-served basis.  

Risk assessments

Useful guidance for school visits to Royal Museums Greenwich

As the needs of every group are different, group leaders will need to complete their own risk assessments for each visit. To assist you with this, we provide guidelines which can be used to inform a full assessment.

We've put measures in place across our sites to make them as safe as possible for both visitors and staff. Keep up to date and informed about our current safety measures before your visit, by familiarising yourself with our visitor safety information .

Royal Observatory school visits

Cutty sark school visits, national maritime museum and the queen's house, the prince philip maritime collections centre.

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Museum handbook, part i, chapter 10 museum risk assessment worksheet.

Fillable Museum Risk Assessment Worksheet (Excel) Version 1.1 (Microsoft Edge users, please download the file.) The fillable worksheet is an easy-to-use tool that allows park staff to identify and document risk factors and establish comprehensive baseline data on a range of collections management topics, including museum emergency planning, fire protection, IMP, and many other. This worksheet is part of the National Park Service Museum Handbook, Part I, Chapter 10: Museum Fire Protection .

Last updated: March 21, 2024