Key information
To book
Phone: +44 (0)20 7323 8181
The next Home Education Day is on Friday 2 February 2024.
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The British Museum welcomes UK Home Educators.
Spanning ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, ancient Britain, ancient Rome, the Americas, Africa and Asia, the unparalleled collection at the Museum provides inspiration across a number of curriculum areas.
When visiting the Museum, UK Home Educators can book onto the following programmes:
- Ages 7–11 (KS2) can book onto presentations delivered in the Museum's lecture theatres.
- Ages 11–14 (KS3) can book onto presentations held in our lecture theatres.
- Ages 14–16 (KS4) can book places on our gallery-based talks.
- Ages 16–18 (Year 11 and KS5) can book places on school study days.
We also provide on-site family activities, free to download and to use on your personal device. UK Home Educators can also book free tickets for most paid exhibitions.
If you're looking for inspiration at home, the Museum provides a range of free learning resources on a host of topics.
Home Education Days
(Clore Centre for Education and Museum galleries)
Home Education Days are an opportunity for UK Home Educators to join us with their children to enjoy a day of activities and workshops.
Ages 5–11 (KS1 and KS2)
Friday 2 February 2024, 10.00–16.00
Aimed at UK home educated learners aged 5–11 (Key Stages 1 and 2), these days are a chance to take part in elements of the taught school offer and also experience more informal, drop-in learning activities. View the programme for more information about the activities available.
Each child in this age group attending the day will need a pre-booked ticket costing £8.50 per child (accompanying adults free) which is payable at the time of booking. All booked children should be accompanied by an adult. Book tickets by phoning the Box Office on +44 (0)20 7323 8181.
Ages 7–11 (KS2) presentations
(BP Lecture Theatre, Clore Centre for Education)
UK Home Educators are able to book spaces for their own children on all Key Stage 2 presentations.
Home Educators spaces are available at both the 10.30 and 12.00 sessions on any date when presentations are programmed to run. Book tickets by phoning the Box Office on +44 (0)20 7323 8181. There is a charge of £2.50 per attending child (accompanying adults free) which is payable at the time of booking. Bookings for a Home Education space on any Key Stage 2 presentation need to be made at least 24 hours in advance. See terms and conditions on school bookings.
Full details for each presentation, including support notes and dates, can be found on the presentation pages below.
Ages 7–11 (KS2) taught workshops
(Clore Centre for Education)
Taught workshops are available for UK Home Educators and their children aged 7–11 (KS2).
Book tickets by phoning the Box Office on +44 (0)20 7323 8181. There is a charge of £3.00 per attending child aged 7–11 years old (accompanying adults free) which is payable at the time of booking. All booked children should be accompanied by an adult. These sessions are designed for children aged 7–11 (KS2). Spaces are not available on these sessions for younger or older siblings outside the 7–11 age range. See terms and conditions on school bookings.
Taught workshops take place in the seminar rooms in the Clore Centre for Education, where you will work alongside other Home Educators. Each workshop lasts 60 minutes. Please see the available workshops and dates below.
Available workshops
Excavation in Egypt
(Rooms A and B, Clore Centre for Education)
Explore the history of ancient Egypt using a timeline linking Egypt's past and present. Handle replica objects and discover the fascinating contents of an Egyptian tomb and how archaeologists work.
- Monday 16 October 2023 at 14.00
- Thursday 25 January 2024 at 14.00
- Monday 13 May 2024 at 14.00
World in AD 900
(Claus Moser Room, Clore Centre for Education)
Starting with Anglo-Saxon England, learn about the world in AD 900, focusing on Maya, Islamic and West African culture and society. Use a range of interactive techniques to develop your enquiry skills.
- Friday 17 November 2023 at 14.00
- Monday 11 March 2024 at 14.00
- Friday 21 June 2024 at 14.00
A question for the people
(Rooms A and B, Clore Centre for Education)
Use a range of resources to find out what it meant to be an Athenian citizen in the 5th century BC. Then gather as the Athenian Assembly and put their values into practice using role play and decision making.
- Monday 4 December 2023 at 14.00
- Thursday 21 March 2024 at 14.00
- Thursday 2 May 2024 at 14.00
How to find out about Greek life
(Rooms A and B, Clore Centre for Education)
Develop your enquiry skills by studying images of ancient Greek pots then handle replica Greek objects and use them to find out about different aspects of life in ancient Greece.
- Monday 9 October 2023 at 14.00
- Monday 26 February 2024 at 14.00
- Thursday 6 June 2024 at 14.00
Prehistory
(Claus Moser Room, Clore Centre for Education)
Discover the range of natural materials used by people in prehistoric Britain to help provide food, shelter and safety for their communities. Handle a range of materials and develop your critical thinking skills as you explore different aspects of prehistoric life.
- Thursday 30 November 2023 at 14.00
- Thursday 8 February 2024 at 14.00
- Thursday 27 June 2024 at 14.00
Ages 11–14 (KS3) presentations
(Stevenson Lecture Theatre, Clore Centre for Education)
UK Home Educators are able to book spaces for their own children on the age 11–14 (KS3) presentations in the Museum lecture theatres.
Spaces are available at all sessions on any date when these presentations and talks are programmed to run. Book tickets by phoning the Box Office on +44 (0)20 7323 8181. There is a charge of £2.50 per attending child (accompanying adults free) which is payable at the time of booking. See terms and conditions on school bookings. Full details for each session, including content and dates, can be found on the pages below.
Ages 14–16 (KS4) gallery-based talks
(Museum galleries)
Gallery-based talks are available for UK Home Educators and their children aged 14–16 (KS4).
Book tickets for each session by phoning the Box Office on +44 (0)20 7323 8181. There is a charge of £3.00 per attending child (accompanying adults free) which is payable at the time of booking. All booked children should be accompanied by an adult. These sessions are designed for children aged 14–16. Spaces are not available on these sessions for younger or older siblings outside the 14–16 age range. See terms and conditions on school bookings.
All gallery-based talks begin at the Roman rider statue in the Great Court and use relevant public galleries in the Museum, where you will work alongside other UK Home Educators. Each talk lasts 50 minutes. Please see the available workshops and dates below.
Ages 14–16 (KS4)
Roman Britain
(Rooms 49 and 50)
This gallery-based talk is designed to support GCSE Classical Civilisations and History studies. Led by a member of the learning team, students develop critical thinking and enquiry skills through using objects as evidence to explore and discuss key aspects of life in Roman Britain. Students will investigate, analyse and interpret material evidence to explore the Roman social, cultural and historic context in which they were created. They will also learn about key themes related to life in the Roman Empire such as trade, religion and the role of the army.
- Tuesday 27 February 2024 at 13.00
- Tuesday 4 June 2024 at 13.00
Parthenon
(Rooms 17 and 18)
Focusing on the prescribed material source, the Parthenon sculptures, this gallery-based talk is designed to support the Classical Civilisations GCSE component Myth and Religion (J199/11). Students will investigate, analyse and interpret material evidence to explore the ancient Greek social, cultural and historic context in which they were created.
- Wednesday 15 November 2023 at 13.00
- Tuesday 2 July 2024 at 13.00
Roman city life
(Rooms 69 and 70)
Using objects from the collection this gallery-based talk is designed to support the Classical Civilisations GCSE component Roman City life (J199/22). Led by a member of the learning team, students develop critical thinking and enquiry skills through exploring and discussing objects in the collection. They will investigate, analyse and interpret material evidence to explore the Roman social, cultural and historic context in which they were created, and key themes related to life in Roman cities.
- Tuesday 17 October 2023 at 13.00
- Tuesday 28 November 2023 at 13.00
- Wednesday 31 January 2024 at 13.00
- Tuesday 30 April 2024 at 13.00
Ages 15–18 (A-level) Study Days
(Clore Centre for Education and Museum galleries)
UK Home Educators are able to book spaces for their own children on the age 15–18 (KS5) A-level Study Days at the Museum. These days can also be booked for age 15 (Year 11) children who are interested in finding out about A-level learning.
UK Home Education spaces are available at all Study Days. Book tickets by phoning the Box Office on +44 (0)20 7323 8181. There is no charge for UK Home Educator adults and their children attending these Study Days. See terms and conditions on school bookings.
Full details for each session, including content and dates, can be found on the Exhibition and events page under the filter 'Study days and courses'.
Resources
The Museum provides a wide range of free activity sheets and resources aimed at schools that are available to download. All resources are available in Word and can be edited to suit your specific needs.
Resources can be found on the following pages:
Museum exhibitions
UK Home Educators can book free tickets for themselves and their own children for most paying exhibitions as part of the education offer. Spaces can be booked on school exclusive mornings or alongside the general public. Home Educator tickets should be booked via the Box Office by phoning: +44 (0)20 7323 8181.
Please find more information about our current exhibitions and events.
Activities
There are a number of family activities that can be used to provide learning experiences at the British Museum and from home. Delve into our Museum explorer trails or Museum Missions for families that offer a structured context for visits or home exploration to engage children with the collection. Discover our YouTube playlist of short videos about historical periods in school curriculums. Use them as a starting point for a learning activity or enjoy them before visiting the Museum.