School Visits to Tate Britain

School visits to Tate Britain are free. All school groups must book in advance of visiting.

When you book a visit, please advise us of any specific access requirements that members of your group may have.

Over the course of this year we’re updating Tate Britain’s collection displays. Different galleries will be closed at different times while this takes place. The work will be fully completed in 2023.

Please be mindful of these closures when booking your self-led schools visit to Tate Britain. For more information about which areas of the gallery will be closed and when please contact our Schools Assistants team at schoolsandteachers@tate.org.uk or call on +44 (0)20 7887 8888 (option 3).

To enquire, please email us at schoolsandteachers@tate.org.uk and we will send you the relevant booking form. If you would like to discuss your booking over the phone, please call +44 (0)20 7887 8888 (option 3). Our schools phone line is open Monday - Friday 10.00-16.00

Have the following ready when you call:

• Range of dates for your visit
• School address, telephone number and email address
• Group size and age of pupils

Bookings for our ticketed exhibitions must be made at least two weeks in advance to ensure tickets can be sent to your school in time.

If you are a school visiting with children under 5, book an early years visit.

For the safety and enjoyment of all Tate visitors, both Tate Britain and Tate Modern are operating at a reduced capacity to maintain safe social distancing practices.

Tate Britain offers access to the free general collection for school groups, which takes approximately 1 hour to view in its entirety. We have entry timeslots across the day at 10:00, 10:30, 11:00, 13:00, 14:00 and 15:00. Each timeslot can accommodate groups of up to 120 maximum, which includes both students and teachers. Once inside the gallery we ask that you split up into smaller groups when moving around.

The gallery has step-free access and access to toilets, a shop and the opportunity to buy food and drink. Please note Tate is operating a cashless system at present so only card purchases are possible.

The general collection also has access to the Tate Britain Commission, Hew Locke’s The Procession. Although the commission is very inviting, please remind your students not to touch the work. There are markings on the floor that indicate how close you can get to the work; these should not be crossed.

You are now able to book the Clore Centre lockers in advance of your visit. We advise leaving bulky items at home, as there is a limited capacity for these lockers. Depending on availability, students may have to carry any bags and items they have brought with them in the galleries. Alternately, there is a left luggage facility at Victoria station.

Lunches can be eaten in the Clore Centre lunchroom which can be booked in advance of your visit. Our lunch slots are 30 minutes and available from 11:00 to 14:00. Please note that other school groups may also be using the lunchroom at the same time. The Clore Centre lunchroom also has access to schools-only toilets.

Alternatively, groups may use the green spaces outside of Tate Britain for their lunch break. As these spaces are neither private nor bookable, we cannot guarantee their availability.

All water fountains have been switched back on.

Students can use the toilets located in the Clore Centre lunchroom . Students can also use the public toilets, so you may feel more comfortable accompanying them depending on your school’s safeguarding policy.

Access

Seating at both galleries is kept throughout.

If you require a quiet space for your students, at Tate Britain the multifaith prayer room next to the Duveens can be used. Please ask a member of staff to guide you to the space. You can identify the Visitor Experience team by their black Tate branded shirt and orange Tate lanyard.

We now have two Access Stations at Tate Britain. They contain ear defenders (both adult and child sizes), magnifier overlay sheets, coloured gel overlay sheets and ramble tags. You can request any of this equipment by speaking to a member of the Visitor Experience team.

At Tate Britain, a Changing Places is now located on the lower floor of the gallery by the Clore Auditorium. If you require access to the Changing Places, please contact the Schools and Teachers team in advance of your visit for further information.

Questions to discuss before your visit

• What does art mean to you?
• What was the last thing you made or created?
• What does art make you think?
• What does art make you feel?

Questions to get you exploring when you get here

• If you could take one piece of artwork home with you, what would you take?
• What do you think art does in the world?
• Why should art be taught in school?
• If you imagined a gallery in the future, what do you think it would look like? What would be in it? Who would be in it?

Gallery Rules/Covid Safety

Large school groups should split up into groups of 10 or less while moving through the gallery rooms. If your students are under the age of 16, these groups of 6 must include an adult. Before booking, please ensure you have enough staff available to support this.

For our current Covid guidelines, please refer to Tate’s Keeping You Safe page for further guidance.

For the full list of Tate’s safety protocols, please follow the link to Tate's Frequently Asked Questions.

School groups enter Tate Britain via the Schools Entrance on Millbank. When facing the front of Tate Britain from Millbank this is on the left side of the building, down either the stairs or the ramp.

Here you will need to register, signing to say that you have read and understood the guidelines. Once signed in, you can make your way into the gallery.

Adult supervision is required at all times with the following adult-to-student ratios:

• Ideally 1:5 for under 5s and 1:15 for 6-15 year olds
• Students 16+ may split into groups of 6 without teacher supervision if that is in line with your school’s safeguarding practices

Please note that teachers are responsible for students’ behaviour and safety at all times. All group leaders should carry out their own risk assessment prior to their visit. At no stage can Tate assume the formal duty of care on behalf of teachers.

We strongly recommend you visit Tate Britain in advance to check the suitability of the artworks for your group. You can also use the teaching resources above to plan your visit to the gallery.

Visitor numbers are being carefully managed to ensure that your visit is as safe and comfortable as possible. There are increased cleaning regimes in high use areas and protective screens on desks and counters. We are only accepting card or contactless payments and have installed hand sanitiser dispensers throughout the gallery.

When you visit:

• Act on any guidance our team may give you
• Large parties should split into smaller groups while moving through the gallery

Although face coverings are no longer mandatory, we are requesting that visitors still wear face coverings in our galleries, apart from those who are exempt. Not all exemptions are visible so please be understanding of others.

Most importantly if you are feeling unwell, help keep everyone safe by staying at home.

For more information take a look through our frequently asked questions.