- Wednesday 10.15 – 12.15 – 1 x class
- Wednesday 12.45 – 2.45 – 1 x class
- Thursday 10.15 – 12.15 – 1 x class
We can accommodate class sizes of up to 33 students.
All visits must be booked at least a month in advance. To begin your booking, please get in touch with the Learning Team via email education@soane.org.uk or call 020 7440 4253. Please note that the Learning Team works part time, and do not work on Fridays.
Using Sir John Soane’s collection as a starting point, our sessions for KS2 pupils explore a wide variety of subject areas linked to the Science, History, Maths and Art curricula.
We offer a menu of five sessions: Rocks and Soils; Romans and Domes; Ancient Egyptians; Light, Shadows and Reflection; and Ancient Greeks.
Your visit will comprise a tour of the Museum and a related activity, led by one of our specialist museum educators.
To find out more about the sessions we offer, click here.
We currently offer two tours for Key Stage 3 students and above: General Tours, which can be tailored to the specific Learning needs of your class, and Classics Tours which are able to cover: A general introduction to the ancient world; Mythology and the gods; Art, architecture and sculpture; and Pompeii
To find out more about the sessions we offer, click here.
When you arrive at the Museum please come to the door at No. 14 Lincoln’s Inn Fields. A member of the Learning team will be waiting to greet you and lead your group down to the Art Room, where the session will be based.
For KS2, an outline of the session is as follows:
- A short introduction to the Museum and the topic
- Divide into three groups to explore Sir John Soane’s Museum through a carousel of 3 activities:
- A tour of the Crypt
- A tour of the ground floor
- A hands-on workshop
- A whole-group plenary, to consolidate learning and share knowledge and understanding.
For KS3 and above, an outline of the session is as follows:
All our school sessions are available to book as Virtual tours on Tuesday mornings. These last an hour and include: an introductory presentation; a live, virtual visit to the Museum floor; and a plenary discussion. In addition, we can send follow-up workshop session plans and resources to you to use in school after your virtual visit.
Explore Soane is our digital platform for exploring the Museum virtually. Using the latest in 3D technology, we have scanned and digitised a selection of Museum rooms and objects – including Soane’s Model Room, the ancient Egyptian sarcophagus of King Seti I, and the Picture Room.
Linked to Explore Soane is our collection of specially-created digital teaching resources, to bring the Soane into your school.
Download the Explore Soane Teaching Resources
Sir John Soane’s Museum has been left almost exactly as it was when it was bequeathed to the nation in 1837. Due to the nature of the Museum, with the vast majority of Soane’s original collection left on open display, we have to be extremely careful on the museum floor. We ask all visitors not to touch or lean on any objects, walls or surfaces. We really appreciate teachers’ help in ensuring that students abide by this rule, to keep the collection safe and ensure that visits to Sir John Soane’s Museum are enjoyable for visitors now and in the future.
As every class will be split into three groups, there must always be a minimum of 3 adults during a school visit. Please note that to comply with the legal adult to pupil ratios, you must have the following for the duration of the visit:
KS1: 1 adult to every 6 students
KS2: 1 adult to every 8 students
KS3-5: 1 adult to every 10 students
Students who receive 1-2-1 support at school (e.g. for SEND) should also be provided with this at the Museum.
All our school sessions (in-person or online) are offered free of charge, although a voluntary donation is appreciated. All donations, no matter what size, help us enormously as an institution and enable us to continue making sure everyone can enjoy Sir John Soane’s legacy, today and in the future.
If you would like to donate we have a suggested donation of £2.50 per child. Information about how to donate can be found on our Donate page.