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Planning your visit to Mottisfont Essential information and advice for planning your educational group visit
Rich in history and natural resources, Mottisfont has a wealth of learning opportunities for all stages of development. Schools, home educators and other educational groups are welcome to explore and find inspiration in this special environment.
We have a year-round programme of exhibitions which can link into curriculum-related activities. Outdoors, there are plenty of opportunities to get close to nature. Our grounds include wild play areas and an outdoor classroom. We can also arrange for an indoor community learning space for your group, depending on availability.
Working with the University of Southampton's Education Department, we have produced a number of free curriculum-linked resources for teachers to make use of when visiting with their groups. As well as information for teachers, there are pupil worksheets for carrying out practical activities. You can download these from nationaltrust.org.uk/mottisfont/features/learning-at-mottisfont
Booking your visit
With the exception of June, we're happy to consider an educational group booking at any time of year. We're open every day (excluding 24 and 25 December), from 10 - 5pm (or dusk if earlier).
All educational group visits must be booked at least 14 days in advance.
To enquire about booking a visit, please contact [email protected]. If you need help or advice before making the booking, please telephone 01794 344037.
We will need to know:
• The date you would like to visit – it can help at busy times if you have a few options. Please note that access to the property is only available from 10am.
• What time you will arrive and have to leave – so we know how much you can fit in • How many students and adults • The year groups of the students and whether any have specific access or SEND requirements • Any specific resources you are thinking of bringing or activities you will be doing
We’ll then send you a booking form. Please ensure you complete it with all the relevant information we need to help make the visit a success. Once we've received your completed form, you will then be sent a confirmation letter.
• You’ll need to advise us about any specific resources you are bringing or activities you will be doing
• Let us know if you need to book our ‘Learning Space’: equipped with tables and chairs, this can be used as an indoor base for work projects, lunch, storage of resources, etc. Please note that this is the only space available for indoor lunches. It is not always available due to other planned events
• We will also need to know if you would like to visit the house or the walled gardens – these need to be booked in advance as they can only accept small groups at a time
Our learning group can help you to plan your visit and discuss the following:
• What you want to focus on • What activities you would like to do
Contact us via [email protected].
Preparing for your visit
Please ensure that all accompanying adults have read this guidance carefully, to avoid any misunderstandings and ensure that your visit will go smoothly.
Preliminary site visit
The National Trust requires that all educational groups planning to visit a property or site undertake a preliminary visit and carry out their own risk assessment.
Group leaders may make a free, preparatory visit to a property for planning purposes. These visits must be booked in advance and any accompanying adults or children are subject to normal admission rates.
Prepare the risk assessments
Responsibility for risk assessments are that of the school or college. To help, Mottisfont can provide you with a hazard identification sheet. Please contact the Group Bookings Co-ordinator via [email protected] / 01794 340757 if you require this.
Also consider…
• When was the last risk assessment undertaken? • Will the children be doing the same activities? • Will the group be doing new activities? • Are the same teachers leading the group, or are they new to the site? • Have all the teachers and helpers coming on the visit read the guidance in this pack?
If in any doubt, we suggest you arrange to come and do another risk assessment.
Insurance
For your legal protection, all education groups must provide evidence that they have public liability insurance with a minimum £5M indemnity limit when they take out Education Group Membership, and must ensure their insurance cover is valid when they visit. This doesn’t apply to home-educating families when parents are visiting solely with their own children.
Group supervision
Ensure you have sufficient adults for supervision of activities - there is no charge for accompanying adults.
• For primary aged children we require one accompanying adult for every eight pupils. • For secondary and tertiary we require one adult for every ten pupils or students. • For all educational organisations a minimum of two supervising adults per group are required. • Groups with additional needs or undertaking specialised activities need to have higher numbers
of accompanying adults, to be confirmed at the time of booking. • For home-educating families, Education Group Membership covers up to two accompanying
adults for one family group. Any further adults will be required to pay normal admission rates.
The number and size of groups admitted to a site at any one time are at the discretion of the property manager.
Remember to bring your Education Group Membership card with you – please ensure it’s up to date!
On the day
One of our outdoor guides will meet you and show you where the facilities are, including the Learning Space (if booked). The guide will also show you where the resources linked to our learning activities
can be found, and will be able to help you with any queries. You will be provided with an ‘amber card’ - this will explain where you can get further help should you need it.
The Outdoor Classroom and Learning Space
You are welcome to use our Outdoor Classroom; you might also like to use the nearby paddock area as a space for children to run and let off steam. Please just make sure that adults and children are aware of any potential hazards. Ball games are only permitted in this part of the garden to ensure that no accidents happen - medieval glass is expensive to mend!
If you’re using the Learning Space, please make sure it is left as clean and tidy as possible.
Toilets
There are toilets in the stable block – close to the Learning Space and the Outdoor Classroom. There are other toilets around the property as marked on our welcome map. If you have a large group of children, it is a good idea to ‘stagger’ the trips to the toilet – for all concerned!
Around the grounds
At different times of the year, some places in the garden need extra protection. For example, some areas of grass get very muddy and need to be left to grow back or it may be that spring bulbs are coming up in the grass under some of the trees. We will have notices up to let visitors know, and would ask you to make sure the children are aware of parts to avoid and why.
There are places to picnic in good weather.
School staff and accompanying adults are responsible for the pupils behaviour at all times:
• Please discuss risk awareness and potential hazards with the children at the start of the day • Ask the children to be aware and respect the space of our other visitors • Tell the children to find a National Trust staff member if they are lost (all staff will be wearing
badges)
At the end of the day the guide will again meet you, collect back all the resources and ensure your visit has been successful.
Visiting the house and gallery
Our house is very old and full of interesting objects and paintings. Because of the confined space, visits to the house need to be booked in advance – please enquire when you’re confirming your booking. We ask teachers to ensure that groups are no bigger than 8 children with one adult. We also ask that you ‘stagger’ the times of the visits so that everyone can enjoy the experience. Please ask the supervising adult to provide close supervision with reminders of the need to walk, use a quiet voice and be considerate of other visitors. Children are welcome to ask our room guides questions about the house – they are very friendly!
Please note that no food or drink (even water) is allowed in the house or art gallery.
Access to the maids’ rooms is very limited. If you are interested in carrying out a specific project here, please discuss this at the time of booking. We may be able to offer you some time before the house is open to the general public.
Gift shop and catering outlets
Pupils are welcome in these areas under supervision of an adult. Again, if you have a large group of children, it is a good idea to ‘stagger’ any of these trips due to limited space.
Helpful guidance – around the grounds
If you follow this guide, you will be able to help us look after this place forever, and for everyone to enjoy.
The walled gardens
Our walled gardens are very special, holding the National Collection of old-fashioned roses. You are welcome to book in advance if you want to carry out a specific project in this area with a small group of children.
Trees and nature
Many of our trees are incredibly old and are part of the garden’s special charm. Climbing on trees causes significant damage to the bark as well as root compaction around the base of the trees. Climbing can mean that branches snap and trees can be uprooted more easily. Please make sure that children do not climb on the trees or pick the flowers; children are instead welcome to climb in our Wild Play area.
Water sense
The font stream garden is over 400 years old and very delicate. We ask teachers to ensure that children do not throw stones, paddle, build dams or climb on the waterfalls along the font stream (however tempting).
The Abbey Stream can be deep and the current strong in parts. Adults need to supervise children carefully in this area for their protection. We also need to protect the unique habitat of the stream where native fish can lay their eggs. Please ensure that children do not paddle in the stream at any time – for the sake of both children and fish!
The best place to see fish is from the main bridge by the millstone. To keep healthy, they need to eat grubs and beetles – not sandwiches! Please do not feed them.
At the end of your visit
It’s really helpful for us if you could pass on any feedback about our visit, especially if there are ways you think we could improve. Your outdoor guide will supply you with a comment card – please mark as ‘educational group visit’ and return to visitor reception on your way out.
Planning your visit checklist
Here is a helpful list of checks to assist you in planning your day.
Have you…
Confirmed your booking with Mottisfont?
Ensured the risk assessment is current and appropriate for the activities you will be taking part in?
Checked your insurance cover is valid?
Made a preliminary visit to Mottisfont?
If necessary, booked the Learning Space and/or visits inside the house?
Checked that your staff-pupil ratio is appropriate?
Made sure that all adults have read the 'Planning your visit'?
Remembered your Education Group Membership card?
Thank you for checking the details of your visit. Please contact us if you need any other information or assistance. We look forward to seeing you!
