Essential Information

Workshops for schools are currently available to book on Thursdays and Fridays in term time. All school or group visits must be booked in advance. Please use our online workshop enquiry form or contact the learning team via email to do this: learning@stephensonsteamrailway.org.uk

Please note that our team is often busy teaching, but we aim to reply within 3 working days.

Entry to all our venues is free. However charges apply on all our facilitated workshops in venue and those taking place in school. Charges will be clearly communicated to you by the learning team when you make your enquiry. Bespoke workshops can be delivered in school, please contact the learning team directly with your request to discuss details. Self-led visits are free and downloadable resources to use when visiting the venue are available to download for free here.

Payment:

All facilitated workshops must be paid for in advance of the booked workshop taking place. Once you have provisionally arranged your visit with the learning team, you will be sent a ‘Facilitated Workshop/Visit Confirmation Form ‘to complete and return.

Payment can be made in two ways:

Invoice – Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums will invoice your school for workshop you have booked. If you wish to use this method of payment, please email the completed ‘Facilitated Workshop/Visit Confirmation Form’ with the following information:

• School name
• Full address including postcode
• Point of contact (this is usually your school business manager or member of the administration team)

Newcastle City Council Journal request – If you qualify for this method of payment, please email the completed ‘Facilitated Workshop/Visit Confirmation Form’ with the following information including your school’s cost code and sub code:

• School name
• Point of contact (this is usually your school business manager or member of administrator team)
• Cost Code and Sub Code

A member of the learning team will contact you as soon as possible to discuss the details and options available.

Confirmation - Once you have provisionally arranged your visit with the learning team, you will receive a ‘booking’ email. Check all the details on this thoroughly and read the attached Terms and Conditions. If all the information is correct and you want to confirm the booking send back the ‘Facilitated Workshop/Visit Confirmation Form’ within five working days as confirmation.

Failure to confirm your booking within five working days could mean your booking will be cancelled and the slot given to another group.

If you need to amend any details please contact the learning team as soon as possible.

If you need to cancel a booking, please contact the venue immediately to arrange an alternative date.

If you wish to cancel an in-venue workshop, in-school session or online workshop, but not to rearrange the booking, a minimum of 30 days' notice is required. If less notice is given, you will be required to pay the total cost.

In the unlikely event that the Museum has to cancel the workshop, we will endeavour to give as much notice as possible and try to rearrange or find a suitable alternative. If this is not possible, the school or group will not be charged. 

Pre-booked workshops vary in length from 30 minutes to all day, the duration of each workshop is stated on all material related to the workshop and will be agreed when you book your visit. Many schools choose to spend a full day at the venue combining a workshop with a free self led visit.

We hope that group visits to the museum will be educational, exciting and enjoyable. The health and safety guidance notes below are designed to help you plan and manage visits as safely as possible:

Planning and Managing Group Visits to Museums

Risk assessment is the responsibility of the group leader which means we are unable to provide this for you. However for each venue and school workshop we have a Hazard Identification Sheet, which, along with your preliminary visit, will help you write your risk assessment. For further help, please contact the venue Learning Team directly.

Members of staff are always onsite to ensure, as far as possible the safety of visitors. However, ultimately your pupils are your responsibility, never leave them unsupervised.

Please ensure that your pupils are suitably dressed and are wearing appropriate footwear for the weather and the activities they are participating in.

Please make your arrival known to a member of staff at reception (in the shop). They will ask you to sign in your group with the exact numbers with you on the day (of staff and adults as well as pupils) and either take you to your base for the day, or let your facilitator know you are ready.

Lunch spaces are available, but are limited and all visiting groups who require a lunch space must let us know when making their booking. Confirmation of your lunch space booking will be sent to you on your booking information.

There is a shop on site. Please let us know if you intend on visiting the shop; we ask that a maximum of 10 children with a supervising adult visit at any one time to help ensure a quick and efficient experience.

Stephenson Steam Railway has accessible male and female toilets situated on the ground floor.

There is no restriction on the number of adults you can bring on a visit; however, we expect all visiting groups to follow current guidelines appropriate for the age and needs of their individual group. It is your responsibility to ensure your pupils safety and responsible conduct whilst visiting the venue. We suggest you prepare your pupils and adult helpers for the visit, ensuring a valuable and enjoyable experience for all.

Certain workshops will have different ratio recommendations. Please ask the venue Learning Team for specific information when booking.

Yes! We highly recommend you make preliminary visit to help you get the most out of your trip. The Learning Team is happy to discuss your visit with you, ensuring you and your pupils get the most from it. Please contact us directly for more information on the resources available or to arrange a meeting to discuss your requirements.