Home Educators
Key information
To book
Phone: +44 (0)20 7323 8181
The next Home Educators Day is on Friday 16 June 2023.
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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 take part in our engaging presentations delivered in the Museum’s lecture theatres.
- Ages 11–14 (KS3) can book onto presentations held in our lecture theatres.
- Ages 11–16 (KS3 and KS4) can book places on our in-gallery talks.
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 paying exhibitions.
The Museum is also a great source of material for Art and Design including superb examples of pottery, sculpture, metalwork, masks and costume.
If you’re looking for inspiration at home, the Museum provides a range of free learning resources on a host of topics.
Home Educators Day: Friday 16 June 2023, 10.00–16.00
Home Educators Days are an opportunity for UK Home Educators to join us with their children to enjoy a day of activities and workshops.
Aimed at young learners aged 5–12, 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.
Each child in this age group attending the day will need to pre-book a ticket costing £6.50 per child. Book online to secure your place. To book by phone, please call +44 (0)20 7323 8181.
Ages 7–11 (KS2) presentations
From September 2022, UK Home Educators will be able to book spaces for their own children on all Key Stage 2 presentations.
Home education 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 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 presentation, including support notes and dates, can be found on the presentation pages below.
Ages 7–11 (KS2) taught workshops
Taught workshops are available for UK Home Educators and their children aged 7–11 (KS2).
Book tickets for each session via the 'Book now' buttons below, or by phoning the Box Office on +44 (0)20 7323 8181. There is a charge of £2.50 per attending child aged 7–11 years old, that is payable at the time of booking. Accompanying adults are free. Spaces are not available for younger or older siblings outside this age range on these workshops. See terms and conditions on school bookings.
Taught workshops take place in Rooms A and B in the Clore Centre for Education where you'll work alongside other Home Educators. Each workshop lasts 60 minutes. Please see the available workshops and dates below.
Available workshops
Excavation in Egypt
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 27 March 2023 at 14.00
- Monday 26 June 2023 at 14.00
World in AD 900
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.
- Monday 13 March 2023 at 14.00
- Thursday 11 May 2023 at 14.00
A question for the people
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.
- Thursday 23 March 2023 at 14.00
- Thursday 27 April 2023 at 14.00
How to find out about Greek life
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 3 July 2023 at 14.00
Ages 11–14 (KS3) presentations
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 no charge for these sessions but all spaces must be pre-booked. See terms and conditions on school bookings. Full details for each session, including content and dates, can be found on the pages below.
Ages 11–14 (KS3) and ages 14–16 (KS4) gallery based talks
Gallery based talks are available for UK Home Educators and their children aged 11–14 (KS3) and 14–16 (KS4).
Book tickets for each session by phoning the Box Office on +44 (0)20 7323 8181. There is no charge for these sessions for UK Home Educator adults and their children attending these talks. Spaces are not available for younger or older siblings outside the age range specified for each gallery talks. 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 11–14 (KS3)
Roman city life
This gallery-based talk is designed to support students using objects as evidence. Led by a member of the learning team, students develop critical thinking and enquiry skills through investigating and discussing key objects in the British Museum collection. Students will use the objects to explore the development of the city of Rome, the spread of the Roman Empire and key aspects of life in Roman cities.
- Wednesday 19 April 2023 at 13:00
Parthenon
This gallery-based talk is designed to support students using objects as evidence. Focusing on the Parthenon sculptures, students will be introduced to the ancient Greek cultural and historic context in which they were created and consider the impact the ancient Greeks had on western culture over the next two millennia.
- Wednesday 22 March 2023 at 13:00
Roman Britain
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.
- Wednesday 14 June 2023 at 13:00
Ages 14–16 (KS4)
Roman city life
Using objects from the British Museum collections 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 British Museum 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 2 May 2023 at 13:00
Parthenon
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.
- Tuesday 23 May 2023 at 13:00
- Wednesday 21 June 2023 at 13:00
Roman Britain
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 June 2023 at 13:00
A-level lunchtime lectures
UK Home Educators are able to book spaces for their own children on the age 16-18 (KS5) A-level lunchtime lectures in the Museum lecture theatres.
UK Home Education 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 no charge for these sessions but all spaces must be pre-booked. See terms and conditions on school bookings. Full details for each session, including content and dates, can be found on the pages below.
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.
