Information for visits

• How to make a booking
• Risk assessment
• Travel
• Where to meet
• Delayed arrival
• During the visit
• Lunch
• Toilets
• Cathedral shop
• Paying for a visit
• Education staff and volunteers
• Self-guided visit
• Contact details

How to make a booking

Please make your booking through the Education Centre office 01722 555180 or education@salcath.co.uk. The Education Centre will be delighted to discuss your visit and tailor it to your exact requirements. The Centre is open all year and bookings may be made for holiday periods, weekends and evenings as well as during school terms.

A booking confirmation will be sent to you shortly after you make initial contact with the Centre and a more detailed schedule of your visit will be sent a few days before, explaining where to meet and who will be greeting you.

The Education Centre office is open all year, Monday to Friday, 9 to 5pm.

Risk assessment

Whilst we have our own risk assessments in place, we strongly advise staff/ group leaders to make a visit beforehand to complete their own. All groups are responsible for the supervision of their own children. Copies of the Education Centre's own guidelines to risk assessments are sent with booking confirmation.

Travel

Coaches are unable to access the Close. There is a designated drop-off point a short walk away - maps are available on request. Entry to the Cathedral Close from here is to the east through St Ann's Gate. Minibuses may park in the Close at £6 per vehicle per day, on a first-come-first-served basis. Alternatively the Britford Park and Ride buses stop outside the Cathedral walls and the train station is only a fifteen minute walk away.

Where to meet

Your meeting place will be indicated on the schedule for your visit. Most visits begin at the Cathedral Visitors' Entrance located at the west end of the Cathedral. The Education Centre however, is located a few minutes walk across the Close from the Cathedral, back towards the town centre, facing onto Choristers' Green and next door to the Military Museum.

Delayed arrival

If you are delayed at all in reaching the Cathedral, please ring the Education Centre on 01722 55180 or because we may be over in the Cathedral, please try the Front Desk 01722 555156 or the Vestry 01722 555150. Unfortunately our volunteer helpers may not always be able to wait until you arrive, but the Education Centre will always try its best to accommodate your visit and create a revised schedule.

During the visit

The Education Centre staff and volunteers will do their best to ensure that your visit runs smoothly. All you have to do is come along and join in with your group and let us do the rest. Supervisory ratios - Supervisory staff are expected to remain with their children at all times. The Education Centre usually works with children in groups of approx. 10 for primary age children and up to 15 for secondary aged pupils, so please ensure that you have enough staff present to provide one supervisory adult per group. Whilst many of the volunteers are able to deal with minor behavioural infringements, the visiting group leader is responsible for overall discipline. Tower tour restrictions - children aged 5 to 10 years must be individually accompanied by an adult (height restrictions also apply - 1m22 / 4ft), children between the ages of 11 and 15 years inclusive, ratio 1 adult to 5 children, students aged 16 to 17 years inclusive, ratio 1 :10.

Lunch

Groups up to 30 in size may have the use of the Education Centre at Wren Hall for their lunches, subject to availability. This facility is free to groups using the services of the Education Centre. Groups larger than 30 may use the Cathedral cloisters (rather more draughty, but dry at least!)

Toilets

There are toilet facilities in the Cloisters and the Refectory at the Cathedral and in the Education Centre at Wren Hall (*unfortunately there are access issues at the Education Centre for persons with impaired mobility)

Shop

The Cathedral has a shop which you may like to visit during the course of your day, selling a number of low-priced items of interest to a range of different age-groups. We recommend that children are supervised and enter the shop in groups of no more than 10 at a time.

Paying for a visit

Prices are charged per pupil, with all supervisory staff free. Groups are usually invoiced after the event and according to numbers. Current prices start from £1.50 per session per student, with sessions usually lasting an hour. For more detailed information on costs please contact the Education Centre.

Education Staff and Volunteers

All our staff and volunteer helpers at the Education Centre are CRB checked and have all attended Disability Awareness and Child Protection training. The Head of Education and the part-time Teaching Officer are both fully qualified, experienced teachers.

Self-guided visit

Schools and other groups are welcome to visit the Cathedral without the assistance of the Education Centre. However, we would still recommend making a booking with the Education Centre as access to the Cathedral can sometimes be seriously affected if there is a large-scale public or private event taking place which is not otherwise publicised. The Education Centre can keep you informed of any changes. We would nonetheless be pleased if you would still make a contribution to the Cathedral for your visit.

We are very happy to work with group leaders and tailor a visit to fit your specific requirements

The Cathedral Education Centre
Wren Hall
56c The Close
Salisbury
SP1 2EL

Tel: 01722 555 180
Email: education@salcath.co.uk
Staff: Susan Hayter and Sarah Rickett