Here’s some handy information to help you and your students get the most out of your experience.
Planning your visit
We recommend teachers undertake a pre-visit to The Box to familiarise themselves with the galleries, facilities and current exhibitions. To support your visit to both venues we have included the following resources to help facilitate your day and inspire your students.
Bridging the Tamar Visitor and Learning Centre
- Welcome Pack [PDF]
- Risk Assessment [PDF]
- Access
The Box
- Plan Your Visit
- Pre-visit Workshop Resources
- Free Online Resources
- Teachers’ Hazard Assessment (Risk Assessment) [PDF]
- Access
Before visiting, if anyone in your group including staff or students has COVID-19 symptoms, we ask that you please postpone your visit.
On the day
Both venues have dedicated coach and mini bus drop off points. For mini bus and car parking please refer to the specific venue online resources. Our staff will meet you on arrival and show to your bag drop to store your coats and bags.
A typical schedule for the day will be:
| 10am-11am | Arrive at the Bridging the Tamar Visitor and Learning Centre, starting with a guided tour of the two iconic Tamar bridges. |
| 11am-12pm | Visit to the Learning Centre to take part in hands-on experiments and to discover how Isambard Kingdom Brunel designed the Royal Albert Bridge. |
| 12pm-1pm | Travel and arrival at The Box with reserved lunch space (please note you are responsible for your own travel between the two sites). |
| 1pm-2pm | Take part in our STEAM inspired workshop exploring the engineering feats of Plymouth (including the lighthouse, the Breakwater and the Tamar Bridge). Using sound, light and construction activities students learn to solve design challenges. |
| 2pm | Group departure or you are welcome to stay and enjoy The Box for as long as you like self-directed. |
FAQs
Do you have a workshop layout?
Detailed workshop layouts for The Box are included in the Pre-visit Workshop Resources section.
Do you have a risk assessment?
You can download both venue’s risk assessments from the links above. The Box provides a Teachers’ Hazard Assessment to help you to write your own risk assessment.
How do we make payment?
Visiting schools or groups will be invoiced by ARCA (Plymouth) our financial company post-visit to confirm student numbers. Please note we only accept payment through bank transfers. If your school or organisation issues purchase orders for payments, we ask that you provide us with the PO number within 7 days or we cannot confirm your booking.
What if we have to cancel?
We operate a 14 day cancellation policy as stated in our Terms and Conditions under ‘Group Bookings’. If your booking is cancelled in less than the 14 days before the agreed workshop/tour, we will request full payment to cover facilitator and administration fees.
What if our students have special, medical or access requirements?
Please see the Plan Your Visit at the top of this page for both venue’s access sections which give detailed information on how we can support students with special or access requirements. If your students have specific medical requirements such as lunch timings or private space please contact the learning team before your visit.
Where do we eat lunch?
Lunch space is provided at The Box in the Simmons Learning Room within easy access to all museum facilities.
Is there parking on-site?
The Bridging the Tamar Visitor and Learning Centre provides limited onsite coach and mini bus parking, however we recommend you read the welcome pack for parking information before your visit.
The Box is located near Plymouth’s city centre with coach drop-off points located next to the museum entrances on North Hill (maximum waiting time 15 minutes). For details on short and long stay car parking locations please visit Plymouth City Council’s parking page. Long stay coach parking is available at Plymouth Pavilions and Stagecoach South West.
Will we have any self-directed time?
If your group would like some self-directed time at The Box and/or time to visit the museum shop we ask that you allow time for this after your workshop as opportunities on the day are limited. If your students are visiting the shop we recommend splitting into smaller groups with an adult for supervision.
How do we find out about upcoming exhibitions and teacher events?
To hear about upcoming exhibitions, teacher’s CPD events and fully funded school projects sign up to our newsletter ticking the ‘Learning’ box.
