Information about your visit
A visit to one of our sites will inspire your students and bring your teaching to life. We'd like to reassure you that we're following Government guidance to make your trip as safe and enjoyable as possible.
Important information to consider before you book:
- To keep everyone safe we’ve introduced limits on visitor numbers and school groups, so please bear this in mind when booking your trip.
- Find out more about what to expect on your school visit, which also includes our Covid 19 Risk Assessment.
- To make the planning process as easy as possible, make sure you check our Plan Your School Trip section at the bottom of this page, for updated information on the facilities at the site as well as our free resources.
- As usual, you’ll need to book your visit at least 14 days in advance. Please check our Terms and Conditions for full details.
- English Heritage are legally required to request and record the contact details of customers and visitors aged 16 years and over. The information that you provide will only be shared with NHS Test and Trace, if requested. For more information and for details of our safety measures, please see our what to expect page.
We’re continually updating our education offer in line with government guidance. At some sites you might not be able to use our handling collections or costumes as part of a free self-led visit, but where we can provide hands-on items in a safe way we will. We’ve adapted our Discovery Visit workshops to follow government guidelines, but for certain sessions this hasn’t been possible – please check our schools webpages for further information.
There may be areas of our sites which are closed, so please check what’s available for your school group on our property webpages and with our booking team. They can put you in touch with our Education Visits Officers who can offer help and guidance, so you can make the most of your school trip.
Curriculum Links
Support your teaching in the classroom by stepping out of it. A visit to Carisbrooke Castle will help you bring learning to life, covering multiple topics across the curriculum and key stages.
- KS1 History: Similarities and differences between ways of life in different time periods. Significant historical events, people and places in the locality
- KS1 English and Drama: Take on the roles of Carisbrooke's most famous residents and their servants to find out what life was really like
- KS2 History: A local history study. A study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils' chronological knowledge beyond 1066
- KS3 History: A local history study. Development of Church, state and society in Medieval Britain 1066-1509 and in Britain 1509-1745
- KS3 Geography: Understand the strategic importance of the castle
Free self-led visits
Enjoy a free self-led visit to Carisbrooke Castle and organise your day to suit your curriculum needs. Carisbrooke has been an important focus of settlement since Roman times and illustrates the domestic side of castle life as well as attack and defence. Climb the steep steps to the top of the Norman keep and imagine how you would defend the castle from invaders, explore the castle and Edwardian garden, thinking about who lived there and what it might have been like. Download our free teaching resources to help plan your day and make the most of learning before, during and after your visit.
Enquire nowExpert-led Discovery Visits
Let our costumed experts bring the history of Carisbrooke Castle to life in a Discovery Visit workshop. For just £100 per session, your class will delve deeper into the story of the castle and the people who lived there, through hands-on learning activities including role-play, object handling and trying on costumes. Our session is designed to support your teaching of the curriculum and learning back in the classroom.
Our Discovery Visit has been adapted to follow health and safety guidelines and will still offer your students a quality and fun learning experience.
Find out morePlan your trip
We have a wide range of materials to support your visit and make school trip planning easy. Download our free resources to help you make the most out of your visit and create unique learning experiences before, during and after your trip.
We also offer free planning visits for group leaders once you have made a booking. Our Education Booking Team is on hand to advise and help you create the best possible school trip to suit your needs and area of study.
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Enquire now
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School visits academic year 2020-21
In line with government guidance, we’re pleased to confirm that over 60 of our English Heritage sites are open for education visits from 12 April, and we’re now taking bookings online up to 16 May.
Our COVID-secure measures will remain in place until all restrictions are lifted. Visitor numbers are limited, and all bookings must be made at least 14 days in advance.
English Heritage are legally required to request and record the contact details of customers and visitors aged 16 years and over. The information that you provide will only be shared with NHS Test and Trace, if requested. For more information and for details of our safety measures, please see our what to expect page.
Due to the current situation we can’t answer calls as quickly as we’d like to. If you’d like more information about a site, email us and we’ll put you in touch with an Education Visits Officer.
