School visits at Kew Gardens - Prices and FAQs

How much will a school visit to Kew Gardens cost?

All school visits include a £80 administrative fee. Activity tours and workshops incur additional fees. Our current rates are:

• Basic visit - £80.
• Activity tour - £25 per group of 15 students.
• Activity tour and workshop - £50 per group of 15 students.

What is an activity tour?

An activity tour is a 45 minute session led by an experienced and knowledgeable Kew teacher. The tours are interactive and hands-on and may take place in one of our glasshouses or the Gardens, depending on the topic. For more information, visit our pick a programme page.

• Activity tours cost £25 per group of 15 students, in addition to the £80 administration fee.

What is a workshop?

A workshop is a 45 minute classroom session which builds on and enhances an activity tour (see above). Workshops cannot be booked independently of an activity tour. You must book the accompanying activity tour as well.

The workshop may be held in one of our Kew classrooms, our yurt or outdoors, depending on the topic. Workshops offer additional hands-on exploration and more in-depth study of the topic.

• The activity tour and workshop package costs £50 per group of 15 students, in addition to the £80 administration fee.

What is a basic visit?

A basic visit includes:

• entry to Kew Gardens for your students and staff (up to our minimum supervision ratios)
• a reservation in the Munch Box - our schools-only, indoor dining area where your students can eat their packed lunches
• up to two planning pre-visit passes for teachers to plan their school visit to Kew Gardens and develop a risk assessment for the day
• a teacher information pack, and a meet-and-greet service upon entry at the Victoria Gate.

How many students can I bring to Kew Gardens?

You can bring any number of students to Kew Gardens, even a whole school, accompanied by the appropriate number of adults. You can book online for up to 200 students.

If you'd like to bring more than 200 students, please email schools@kew.org to make arrangements.

How many adults must accompany my students?

Kew Gardens requires specified adult:child supervision ratios, based on the age of the students. Entry for supervisory adults is included within the visit fee. Additional adults (above the supervision ratios) are charged a concessionary entrance fee of £12.50 when booked in advance. Additional adults arriving on the day of the visit will be asked to pay full admission price on the gates.

Supervision ratios:

• Nursery and Reception: 1 adult per 2 students.
• Key Stage 1 (5-7 yrs): 1 adult per 5 students.
• Key Stage 2 (7-11 yrs): 1 adult per 8 students.
• Key Stage 3 and above (11-14 yrs): 1 adult per 10 students.

Some of my students require 1:1 SEN support. Will we be charged extra for these support workers?

You will not be charged for these adults, even if they bring your total number of adults over the minimum supervision ratios.

Please indicate the number of students with SEN statements requiring 1:1 support when you book your visit (write this in the SEN information box in step 3 of the booking process).

How long should we stay at Kew Gardens?

Kew Gardens is a big place – over 132 hectares! It’s nearly impossible to see everything in one day.

Most schools plan to spend at least 3 – 4 hours in the Gardens during their visit. If you are booking activity tours and workshops, it is advisable to arrive at Kew Gardens by 10.30 and stay until at least 14.30. It may not be possible to provide the activities that you request if your arrival and departure time does not allow the time necessary to deliver the activities.

I requested a booking online more than a week ago and I haven’t received any information.

Please email schools@kew.org with the name of your school and your booking reference number (if available) to inquire about your booking.

Can my students store their packed lunches, bags and coats at Kew Gardens during their visit?

Unfortunately there are no storage facilities available for student use. Students must carry their belongings with them during their visit. Please advise students to pack light!

Can I visit Kew Gardens before my school trip to plan the day and carry out a risk assessment?

Yes. A planning pre-visit is strongly advised. You can request up to two teacher planning pre-visit passes when you submit your online booking request. You’ll need to enter the name(s) of the teacher(s) who will make the planning visit and the exact date of the planning visit in order to receive your pass(es).

I've received my pre-visit planning pass, but I am unable to visit Kew Gardens on the date I requested.  Can I have a new pass?

Please email schools@kew.org if you require an amended pre-visit pass.

I didn't request a pre-visit pass when I booked.  Can I get a pass later?

If you have not requested a pre-visit pass, you should email schools@kew.org with your request.  You will need to supply the following information: name(s) of teacher(s) attending the pre-visit and EXACT date of the pre-visit.  We require a minimum of 2 weeks notice for pre-visit passes.

Can I make changes to my booking once I have received provisional confirmation from Kew Gardens?

If you would like to enquire about changing the date of your visit, the number of students or adults you’d like to bring to Kew Gardens, or your arrival and departure times, please email schools@kew.org with your request.

We will make every effort to accommodate your request, but cannot guarantee that changes will be possible.

Why is there a fee for school visits to Kew Gardens when children are allowed free entry?

Children under 16 are allowed free entry when accompanied by an adult paying full admission. School groups do not typically have a 1:1 ratio of supervisory adults to children, and therefore aren’t eligible for free entry under our guidelines.

A school visit to Kew Gardens offers real value for money. The £80 administrative fee includes:

• entry for supervisory adults (up to our supervision ratios)
• a reservation in the Munch Box (our indoor, schools-only dining area)
• a meet-and-greet service on the gate
• up to two teacher planning pre-visit passes
• a teacher information pack.

Can I bring my students to Kew Gardens without a confirmed booking?

School groups must have a confirmed booking in order to enter Kew Gardens. 

Please do not arrive at Kew Gardens with your students unless you have a fully confirmed (paid) booking. We cannot guarantee that your group will be allowed entry into the Gardens without a booking confirmation.

Who can book a visit through the schools booking system?

A ‘school group’ is defined by Kew Gardens as any group of students involved in full-time education, regardless of their age.

The visit must be arranged by the institution providing the full-time education and the students must be accompanied by members of staff from the institution.

When are school visits available?

The school visit programme operates Monday – Friday, during school term time. Weekend visits or visits during school holidays are not offered through the schools programme.

The 2012 – 2013 Kew terms are:

• Autumn term 2012: 4th September – 26th October and 5th November – 21st December.
• Spring term 2013: 7th January – 15th February and 25th February – 28th March.
• Summer term 2013: 15th April – 24th May and 3rd June – 24th July.

The 2013 – 2014 Kew terms are:

• Autumn term 2013: 3th September – 25th October and 4th November – 20th December.
• Spring term 2014: 6th January – 14th February and 24th February – 4th April.
• Summer term 2014: 22nd April – 23rdh May and 2nd June – 23rd July.

 

My students can’t afford to pay for this visit. Can the fee be waived?

Unfortunately we are unable to waive the administration fee for school bookings.

I teach at a special school for students with multiple and profound learning difficulties. Are there programmes available for these pupils?

Please contact schools@kew.org for more information on what we can offer your students.

I’d like to book more than one activity tour and workshop session for my students. How can I do this?

To book more than one activity tour and workshop you must submit a separate booking request for each session that you require.

For example, if you’d like your students to participate in the Tropical rainforest experience activity tour and workshop, and the Clever plants in different climates activity tour, you would need to submit a separate booking request for each course.

On the second booking request, please use the ‘additional information’ box in step 3 of the booking process to indicate that your students would like two separate activities during their visit.

Can I design the timetable for our visit to Kew Gardens?

If you’ve requested activity tours or activity tours and workshops, you will be provided with a timetable for the day.

Our programme operates on a set teaching timetable and the timings of your sessions are limited by the availability of our Kew teaching staff and our teaching facilities, as well as your arrival and departure time. We are unable to alter the timings of your activity tours and workshops or your reservations in the Munch Box once your visit has been confirmed.

Are all groups provided with a lunch booking in the Munch Box?

For reasons of child protection, we can only provide Munch Box bookings for students under the age of 18.

Why won’t the calendar on the booking form let me choose the date I’d like for my visit?

There are several reasons that dates are unavailable. The date may:

• be fully booked for the sort of visit you’re planning.
• be unavailable for school visits due to other events at Kew Gardens
• occur outside of our term time (please see ‘When are school visits available?’).

The calendar on the booking system shows my first choice visit date as available - am I guaranteed my booking?

You are not guaranteed a booking until you have paid for your visit to Kew Gardens. You will receive a provisional booking form via email from Kew Gardens once your booking request is submitted.  Once received, you will have fourteen calendar days to submit payment. Your booking is only guaranteed if your payment is received by the due date on the invoice page of the provisional booking form.

If we are unable to accommodate your group for any reason, you will receive an email from the Kew education team explaining why we aren't able to process your booking as submitted. In most cases, we will offer you alternatives to your booking request.

I'd like to bring my students to Kew Gardens on a day which is listed as unavailable on your booking calendar. We do not require support from Kew staff or a lunch reservation. Can I book this visit?

Unfortunately we are unable to provide school bookings once a date is listed as unavailable.