Education Visit Terms and Conditions

1. Agreement

1.1. By booking an education visit you are agreeing to be bound by these terms and conditions.

2. Booking

2.1. Bookings must be made directly with English Heritage.

2.2. All bookings are subject to availability.

2.3. Your booking request must be made at least 14 days before your requested visit date. Please note it can take up to 3 working days for you to receive a response.

2.4. Bookings must be made directly by the school or organisation making the visit. Bookings made by third parties will not be accepted.

2.5. Your booking is only confirmed once you have received confirmation by email; this will include your visit permit and your unique visit number. No details are finalised until receipt of this confirmation.

2.6. It is your responsibility to ensure that the details on your visit permit issued on confirmation of a visit via email, are correct, including your contact details and the details of your visit.

2.7. Special offers, discounts and promotional codes are only valid if quoted at time of booking and cannot be combined and/or applied thereafter to existing bookings.

2.8. English Heritage reserves the right to request further proof of status and details of the organisation you belong to or the education work planned on site.

2.9. English Heritage will not be held liable for any costs you incur with third parties prior to us confirming your booking. Therefore we recommend you do not confirm transport arrangements prior to receiving your booking confirmation.

3. Eligibility

3.1. English Heritage offers free education visits at English Heritage sites to a wide range of learners. To qualify for a free visit you must meet the following criteria:

• Your request must include clearly defined learning objectives;
• You accept that your visit will be self-led by your own group leader; and
• You and your organisation must be identifiable to us as not-for-profit.

3.2. Your organisation must be recognised as one of the following:

• Formal education groups, this includes schools, academies, colleges and universities;
• Lifelong learner groups including the WEA, U3A and local authority classes;
• Organised youth education groups including Scouting, Guiding, and the Young Archaeologists’ Club;
• Home education groups, groups with special learning needs or disabilities, mentoring services attached to formal learning organisations or the local authority; or
• Overseas formal education groups, with a recognised accreditation equivalent to those in the UK.

3.3. This list is not exhaustive and free entry to English Heritage sites is at English Heritage’s discretion. If you are unsure if your group would be eligible please email bookeducation@english-heritage.org.uk with your enquiry.

3.4. Groups of 11 people or more paying together, who do not qualify for a free educational visit are eligible for a 15% discount on entry at all English Heritage sites (10% at Stonehenge). English Heritage members, coach drivers and tour leaders do not count towards the group totals. Each group also receives free entry for one tour leader and free entry for one coach driver. More information on group visits to English Heritage sites can be found on our website www.english-heritage.org.uk/traveltrade.

4. Ratios

4.1. You must meet the following ratios for leaders (responsible adults over the age of 18) to learners when booking, on the day of your visit and if your group is forming smaller groups while at the site:

• Ages 4-5 (UK Reception) 1 leader for every 4 students (1:4);
• Ages 5-7 (UK Key Stage 1) 1 leader for every 6 students (1:6);
• Ages 7-11 (UK Key Stage 2) 1 leader for every 10 students (1:10); and
• Ages 11-18 (UK Key Stages 3, 4, and 5) 1 leader for every 15 students (1:15).
• For an adult learning group, consisting of individuals all over the age of 18, there are no ratios but there must be an appointed group leader.
• All ratios outlined above apply to home education groups.
• If your group consists of children aged 3 and/or 4, you must also refer to the Early Years and Foundation Stage Statutory Framework which sets out specific legal requirements for minimum ratios for this age group, to include requirements about the qualifications of the leaders.
• SEND groups must meet the minimum ratios above, but may bring any additional leaders as required to adequately support their group.

4.2. Leaders in addition to those outlined as a requirement above will be accepted on a booking at our discretion. Any additional individuals forming part of your group not declared on your booking but arriving on the day, including home education groups will be subject to purchase entry tickets at the walk-up rate of the specified site unless agreed by our Education Booking Team in advance subject to special requirements.

5. Responsibilities

5.1. The group leader appointed by you is responsible for the learning, behaviour, welfare and management of your whole group while on English Heritage property.

5.2. It is the responsibility of all group leaders to complete the risk assessment for their group. Free planning visits, online Hazard Information Sheets and “What You Need to Know” documents (sent with your permit) are available to assist with this requirement but cannot be substituted as your independent risk assessment. Please read through all documents attached to your booking confirmation email or visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/school-visits/ for further information on what is available

5.3. Free planning/familiarisation visits can be arranged for group leaders. You must have already booked a visit and had this confirmed in writing in order to qualify. You can come anytime (excluding event days) and you can bring your colleagues, family or friends with you (maximum 2 adults and 3 children in total). Any additional visitors beyond this will be required to purchase tickets. You must have your education booking permit (which is attached to your booking confirmation email) with you to show a member of staff on entry. You can either print this out and bring it with you or show a copy on your phone or tablet to a member of site staff. You can also book in advance. Simply go to the webpage of the site you want to visit, select book now and choose the ‘Associated Organisations’ tab ticket option.

5.4. Groups must have adequate supervision ratios at all times, including during lunch, toilet breaks and in the shop. All learners who are 16 years or younger must be supervised by a responsible adult at all times whilst on site.

5.5. Many of our sites should be considered outdoor attractions and due to the nature of historic properties, all visitors should dress appropriately.

5.6. You and or your organisation may be held liable for any physical damage caused to English Heritage property by any of your group.

5.7. Group leaders are responsible for the behaviour of their groups at all times. We do not expect our staff, volunteers or other visitors to tolerate behaviour from groups or individuals which is clearly unacceptable (e.g. abusive, offensive or threatening) and may take action to protect our staff, volunteers and other visitors from that behaviour. If our staff and/or volunteers consider a group or individual’s behaviour is unacceptable we will tell them why that is so and will ask them to change it. If the unacceptable behaviour continues, it may result in your group being asked to leave the site and/or being prevented from visiting as part of our free school visits scheme in future.

5.8 You and your group are responsible for disposing of any waste when using our spaces and for ensuring your waste is disposed of correctly. We are committed to making changes to reduce our impact on the environment, and address issues such as energy use, single-use plastics, sustainable procurement and waste management. For more information visit this page: www.english-heritage.org.uk/about-us/our-priorities/sustainability.

6. Changing and cancelling your booking

6.1. All cancellations must be made via our online form.

6.2. If cancelling or amending your booking within 14 days of your visit you may be liable for any costs detailed on your booking confirmation for products and services including Discovery Visit workshops. We reserve the right to cancel any future free or priced visits prior to you settling any cancellation charges.

6.3. Booking requests made less than 14 days in advance regretfully will not be accepted.

6.4. If you are running late on the day of your visit it is your responsibility to inform English Heritage using the details supplied on your visit permit which is issued as an attachment to your booking confirmation email. We cannot ensure that all aspects of your booking will be available if you do not arrive at the time detailed on your permit.

6.5. In the event that English Heritage cancels your booking within 14 days of the date of your visit, we will endeavour to offer an alternative visit where possible on a different date or to another English Heritage site.

6.6. English Heritage reserves the right to cancel bookings or part of your booking if evidence supports incorrect information has been provided and or eligibility cannot be met by you.

7. Force Majeure

7.1. We shall neither be in breach of these terms and conditions nor liable for delay in performing, or failure to perform, any of our obligations under these terms and conditions if such delay or failure result from events, circumstances or causes beyond our reasonable control.

7.2. Events, circumstances or causes  beyond our control include (but are not limited to) fire, flood, storm, extreme weather, strike, electrical failure, epidemic, pandemic, national or local lockdown, Act of God, explosion, war, terrorist activity, Royal demise or other Royal ceremony and acts of governmental or parliamentary authority (Force Majeure Event).    

7.3. Discovery Visit workshop costs are invoiced following a visit to our site and payable within 28 days. In the event of cancellation, due to but not limited to any of the above reasons that are out of our control, no costs for a Discovery Visit will be payable.

7.4 If either party has to cancel due to a force majeure event, English Heritage will endeavour to reschedule your visit to the site or alternative site at a mutually agreeable later date. If no alternative date can be agreed English Heritage will refund any deposits held in full.  For the avoidance of doubt English Heritage will not be liable for any losses or costs incurred as a result of having to cancel or re-arrange a visit as a result of the occurrence of a force majeure event.

8. Restrictions, Errors and Omissions

8.1. Free education visits are not offered on UK public holidays or during the operation of additional fee paying public events at English Heritage sites.

8.2. Audio guides are not included with free education visits and cannot be added as an optional extra in advance or on arrival unless specified on the relevant site’s School Visits page. Audio guides are offered subject to availability to those groups and individuals paying for entry. Many audio guides are available via apps on smart devices.

8.3. Free education visits are not entitled to undertake English Heritage led site tours unless explicitly stated on your permit.

8.4 Education visit groups are not permitted to bring a third party tour guide with them.

8.5. Whilst the information concerning our sites is correct at the time of publishing, including on our website, we reserve the right to amend prices, services, and/or other particulars contained in published information at any time before we enter into a contract with you.

9. Changes to Terms and Conditions

9.1 English Heritage may from time to time change, alter, adapt, add or remove sections of these terms and conditions. Any changes will be published on the English Heritage website.

10. Data Protection

10.1 All personal data provided to English Heritage will be held and processed in accordance with the requirements of all legislation and regulatory requirements in force from time to time relating to the use of personal data and the privacy of electronic communications, including (i) the Data Protection Act 2018 and any successor UK legislation, (ii) the UK GDPR; and (iii) the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (SI 2003/2426) as amended. We will keep your personal data safe and secure. We will not share it with other organisations without your knowledge and consent, unless required by law to do so. We will keep your personal data only for the purposes of communicating with you regarding this education visit. You shall have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.  The withdrawal of consent shall not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.

10.2 The information provided will be used in conjunction with the following Privacy Policy http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/about-us/our-people/our-policies/

11. Governing Law

11.1 These terms and conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of England and Wales and any dispute or claim (including non-contractual disputes or claims) arising out of or in connection with it or its subject matter or formation will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England.