Booking a School Visit

School bookings should be made via the dli. Please see our contact us page to get in touch. The following information may be of use when planning your school visit:

Opening Times: 10.00am - 5.00pm (1 April - 31 October) and 10.00am - 4.00pm (1 November - 31 March)

Admission Charges: £1.35 (per child) for self-guided visit to museum or art gallery £2.15 for guided visit in museum or art gallery (eg.WW2 Detectives & worksheet session) Free for all staff and parents/helpers with children

Secondary Schools who are subscribers to Durham Learning Resources will get their admission paid for by DLR under the terms of their subscription - secondary schools would then only have to pay for the sessions led by a Visitor Assistant.

Preparatory Visit: Free admission for teachers planning a visit to the dli.

Length of visit: Morning or afternoon (1 to 2 hours) for museum or art gallery, depending on age. Full day for both museum and art gallery

Recommended number of pupils per visit: Groups can vary is size from just a few children to 80 for a full day of organised museum & art gallery activities.

Number of adults required per group: We would recommend that school groups bring a minimum of 1 adult with every 10 children. With larger groups, parents or other adult helpers are essential to ensure that each child gains the maximum benefit from the visit.

Location: ½ mile north of Durham City by County Hall - A691 (Framwellgate Peth)

Parking: Ample free parking for coaches & cars.

Accessibility: The dli is fully accessible for all visitors with sloped access to building, lift to all floors, adapted toilet for visitors, displays at wheelchair height and objects to handle. Groups with children with specific requirements are particularly encouraged to visit the dli.

Education Space: Available for groups of up to 30 children either as part of a guided visit or, if available, for other unguided groups. Coats & bags can be left in this space.

Clipboards: 30 clipboards are available for use by school groups.

Art Gallery: Open Your Eyes is an art resource pack specially designed to help teachers of Key Stage 1 & 2 children make full use of a visit to the art gallery. Available to download & print or direct from the dli (charge to cover p&p).

Toilets: There are toilets both inside & outside the dli for visitors.

Packed lunch space: There is room for lunch both inside (in the education room) or outside (if not cold or raining) on the terrace or grass.

Café: The café seats 30 visitors and is not usually available for large school groups, though smaller groups are encouraged to use it. All children may buy drinks, snacks, etc from the café.

Shop: The shop sells a range of pocket money toys, gifts & souvenirs, with something to appeal to all ages.

Health & Safety: The dli has a modern fire alarm system & all fire exits are clearly marked. A Hazard Identification Sheet is available on request to help teachers with their risk assessments.