Schools workshop, Tate Britain 2018 © Tate (Oliver Cowling)
School visits to Tate Britain are free. As Tate Britain is now operating on a timed ticket system, 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.
How to make a booking
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 - Wednesday, 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 must be made at least two weeks in advance to ensure tickets can be posted to the school.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to make a booking?
Each day, there will be 40 tickets available for entrance at 10:30, 11.00, 13:00 and 15.00.
How much does it cost?
Self-led visits to the permanent collection at Tate Britain are free. Tickets to exhibitions are £5/person (including teachers).
What happens if I forget our tickets?
For the safety of our staff, please do try to remember to bring your tickets. They will be posted to your school in advance of your booking. If, for whatever reason, you do not have your tickets with you on the day of your visit, please send your lead teacher to the ticket desk and someone will reprint them for you.
WHAT HAPPENS IF WE ARE LATE?
That’s fine! That’s fine! Please note that you cannot enter the galleries before your scheduled time slot, so do plan accordingly, as we do not want students and teachers to have to queue outdoors for extended periods of time, especially if there is inclement weather. If you are more than 15 minutes late, you may be instructed to wait until you can be safely accommodated in the galleries.
Can I book exhibition tickets for my class?
We are looking forward to welcoming you and your students back to exhibitions and appreciated your patience whilst we were unable to accommodate exhibition tickets over the summer. Tate is following all Government guidelines to keep visitors and staff safe, meaning that capacities for visiting are significantly lower than usual. As each exhibition has its own visitor capacities, please get in touch with us directly regarding which exhibition you would like to visit with your students.
Do we need to register on the NHS Track and Trace app?
You no longer need to register with track and trace to visit Tate.
What activities do you have for students?
Due to the impact of COVID-19, we are not currently providing paper-based resources in the gallery, but you are welcome to save resources from the website or from our ebulletins to your mobile devices and use them the way you would a paper resource. If you’re not currently signed up for our ebulletin and would like to be, please email us.
These ‘activities’ are developed by artists who have worked on the Schools and Teachers Programme. You can find them below under ‘Self-led student resources’. These resources emulate the workshops and include the perspective of contemporary artists in the gallery. They aim to encourage new ways of looking at and learning with art.
Can we sketch and draw in the galleries?
Permitted materials: dry materials such as pencils, graphite sticks, fine-tipped pens, wax crayons, conté and charcoal pencils (must be wood or plastic encased), oil pastels encased in paper.
Prohibited materials: loose dry materials including charcoal and pastels, soft oil pastels and oil paint sticks, all paints and other wet materials, permanent markers and tape.
My students are studying a particular topic. How do I find out if it is on display?
Check Tate’s website, by searching for the artwork, artist or medium in Search. Or by browsing our list of what art is on display.
Where can we park?
Tate Britain has limited accessible onsite parking. This should be booked in advance and a registration number provided at least 24hrs before the visit. Regardless of where you are parked, you will need to enter the gallery through the Manton Entrance.
I want to arrange a talk or tour for my students. How do I do this?
Unfortunately School Group tours, Tate to Tate tours, Exhibition private lectures, Exhibition packages and Exhibition tours are temporarily suspended. If you are booking for fewer than 5 people, you can book through Tate Private Tours.
Where are the bathrooms and are their changing facilities?
Is there a map?
Yes. Download the Tate Britain map [PDF 739.93 Kb]
Plan Your Visit
For the safety and enjoyment of all Tate visitors, one-way systems are in place at both Tate Britain and Tate Modern. Both sites are also operating at a reduced capacity to maintain safe social distancing practices. Due to reduced capacity and logistical constraints, each day there will be 40 tickets available for entrance at 10:30, 11.00, 13:00 or 15.00. Once inside the gallery we ask that you split up into smaller groups when moving around.
Tate Britain offers a comprehensive collection route from 1540 to the present day. A link to some of the route highlights can be found here to better help you plan your visit.
The route 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 route also has access to the Duveens Commission, Heather Phillipson’s RUPTURE No 1: blowtorching the bitten peach. As the Tate Britain Commission features sudden loud noises, you can request ear defenders from any member of staff. They are thoroughly disinfected after each use. Even though the commission is very inviting, please remind your students not to touch the work.
Due to space constraints, there will not be any access to the Clore learning hub, lunchroom, lockers, or schools-only toilets.
We advise leaving bulky items at home, as there is currently limited access to cloakrooms, and therefore students will have to carry any bags and items they have brought to the galleries. Alternately, there is a left luggage facility at Victoria station.
Lunches can be eaten outside the Clore learning hub at Tate Britain. As these spaces are neither private nor bookable, we cannot guarantee their availability. As the weather gets colder, you may want to consider alternate arrangements for lunches.
All water fountains have been switched back on.
Students will need to use 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.
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
School groups must split up into groups of ideally 6-10 as per the rest of the gallery guidelines, regardless of whether your class is part of a bubble. If your students are under the age of 16, these groups must include an adult. Before booking, please ensure you have enough staff available to support this.
One way route around the gallery, marked by signage and arrows. VE and Security staff will also be in the space to support with movement and room capacities.
Regular handwashing and sanitisation facilities are provided throughout.
We are asking that masks be worn by everyone over the age of 12 unless exempt, throughout the whole duration of their visit.
For the full list of Tate’s safety protocols, please follow the link to Tate's Frequently Asked Questions.