School visits to Tate St Ives

School visits to Tate St Ives and Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden are free for students aged 18 and under and teachers from Cornwall in formal education groups when they pre-book a visit. Please note, there is a charge for Tate-led activities in the gallery.

There is concessionary entry for formal education groups of teachers and students aged over 18 from outside Cornwall when they pre-book a visit.

• See group visits for a full list of admission prices.

We strongly recommend you visit Tate St Ives in advance to check the suitability of the artworks for your group. You can also use our online resources below to plan your visit to the gallery.

• Find out what’s on at Tate St Ives
• Find out about the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden

Please note: some of the galleries at Tate St Ives will close during the year while the displays are changed.

All groups must book in advance, whether visiting independently or taking part in a Tate-led session.

The maximum size of a visiting school group at Tate St Ives is 20 students. Large groups may be asked to stagger their entry times to avoid overcrowding. Arrangements can be made to run simultaneous activities at both Tate St Ives and Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden.

When you book a visit, please advise us of any specific access requirements that members of your group may have.

To enquire about a group visit and details about our specialist-led tours and workshops, please email us at stivesticketing@tate.org.uk and we will send you the relevant details.

If you would like to discuss your booking over the phone, please call +44 (0)1736 791 177 Monday–Friday, 9.30–16.30.

Tate-led sessions

We run sessions, tours and workshops for school groups, which you can book in advance of your visit:

Self-led sessions

Use our teachers' notes and resources to explore special exhibitions at Tate St Ives, the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden, and artworks in Tate’s collection. These are available for Key Stage 1–2 and Key Stage 3–4:

Please note: parking is very limited in St Ives. Call St Ives Tourist Information on +44 (0)1736 796297 for details of a shuttle-bus service from the coach/car parks.

Please arrive at the time you are booked in. If you are late leaving or delayed, please call + 44 (0)1736 796226.

Late arrivals may result in alterations to your booked itinerary. If a group arrives more than 30 minutes after their designated slot, any booked activities may be cancelled.

Group leaders are asked to leave their group in the Heron Mall or Loggia area and register at the information desk to collect their group’s stickers. Please ensure you have your booking reference number when you register.

Please note that there is very limited space outside the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden in which to congregate.

Adult supervision is required at all times with the following adult-to-student ratios:

• 1:5 for under 5s
• 1:10 for 6–11 year-olds
• 1:15 for 12–16 year-olds
• 1:20 for 16–18 year-olds

Please note that teachers are responsible for students’ behaviour and safety at all times. All group leaders should carry out their own risk assessment prior to their visit. At no stage can Tate assume the formal duty of care on behalf of teachers.

• Group leaders should clearly display their admission sticker at all times.
• Please be aware of school talks, workshops and guided tours taking place in the gallery. Tate speakers have precedence over outside lecturers.
• Do not lecture in rooms where talks are already in progress. The first group takes precedence and you may return around 20 minutes later.
• All groups are asked to remain no longer than 20minutes in front of any artwork and be prepared to move on if asked by Tate staff.
• It is best to be flexible in your route, due to other talks taking place.

Visitors are welcome to use the following materials in the galleries, with appropriate supervision levels for young people: graphite pencils, coloured pencils, ballpoint pens, enclosed / barrelled pencil sharpeners. NB: Erasers are not permitted at either site

For More Information, Please refer to our Visual Story.

Cloakroom and packed lunches

There is a free unstaffed cloakroom at Tate St Ives. We have a large secure locker for groups and payable lockers are also available. Please do not bring large bags to the gallery due to restricted cloakroom space. All structured groups will be asked to leave their bags in the cloakroom.

There are no cloakroom facilities at the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden.

There are no facilities inside Tate St Ives or the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden in which to eat packed lunches. At Tate St Ives, groups are welcome to use the outside undercover Loggia space for eating and drinking. There is also a café at Tate St Ives.

Learning spaces

There are three Learning spaces at Tate St Ives:

• St Ives Studio: a quiet space in which to access Tate’s teaching and learning resources, the online Tate collection and library and archive catalogues, and browse a range of art books and other publications to support your own research.
• Foyle Studio: available for pre-booked group activities.
• Clore Sky Studio: visit with your group to see our latest artist commission.

Artworks on display

Artworks can be taken off display at short notice. If you are visiting to see a particular work please check it will be on display:

email visiting.stives@tate.org.uk
or call +44 (0)1736 796226

Shops

To avoid congestion in the shop, please ensure that pupils visit in small, staggered groups and are supervised at all times.

An educational discount of 10% is available on all library and school orders for those with an account. To open an account, please call +44 (0)20 7887 8896.