School Visits toYork Minster

Make the most of yourschool’s visit to York Minster

A visit to York Minster is great experience foranybody, and especially for a child. But theimpact is greatly increased by skilled interpretersof the building and its contents, and the Centrefor School Visits provides just what you need.This book will show you the many resources weoffer, for young people of all ages.

Unlike most attractions, York Minster is a livingplace of worship. In our multi-cultural society,it provides a place not only to learn about thepast, but to understand what the Christian religionmeans today.

This is one of the most amazing buildings in theworld, and we want to share it with you.

Keith Jones, Dean of York

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York Minster is an active place ofworshipThis means at certain times of the year theMinster can be closed for special services.

The Dean & Chapter reserves the right to varyarrangements at the Minster, and we apologiseif any parts of the cathedral are inaccessible atthe time of your visit. Details of services andevents can be found on the Minster's website.

Making a BookingEarly booking is essential for sessions in theCentre and Tours. Please ring first to discussyour requirements and check availability. Onlinebooking available for Self Conducted Visits.Please bring our confirmation with you as proofof booking.

PaymentWe do not require payment in advance. Pay onarrival or by invoice.

Adult SupervisionPlease ensure your pupils respect other visitorsand the purpose of the building. Pupils must beaccompanied at all times by an adult and remainthe responsibility of their teachers. We suggestan adult to pupil ratio of 1:10.

Preliminary VisitsRing us to arrange a time, and free entry to theMinster.

Ways to Visit the Minster:

Charges apply per pupil for ALL visitsAccompanying adults 1:10 free with schoolgroups.

Contact the Centre office for current prices on:0844 939 0017 or www.yorkminster.org

Please book ALL types of visit in advance

Option 1: Centre for School Visits &Minster2 Hour visit led by teachers from the Centre

Option 2: Guided Tour of the Minster1 Hour visit led by school guidesMaximum group size per guide 30 pupils

Option 3: Pre-Booked Self Conducted VisitSchools who wish to conduct their own visit

Additional charges apply to enter:The Undercroft Treasury & Crypt, and the Tower.

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Health and SafetySee our Risk Assessment on the back cover.Available to download from the website.

ParkingCoaches are not allowed inside the city walls.The nearest coach park is Union Terrace onClarence Street.

ToiletsIn the Minster - entry from the North Quire Aisle.Please ensure that children are supervised at alltimes. Toilet facilities for disabled visitors areavailable in the Minster and Centre. The toiletfacilities at the Centre are only available toschools for the period they have booked its use.

Special Educational NeedsPlease let us know if members of your grouphave any special needs. We will try to tailor ourservice to accommodate individual requirements.

Almost all of the Minster is wheelchair accessible.The Undercroft, Treasury, Crypt and Tower areonly accessible by stairs. The Centre for SchoolVisits is on ground level with wheelchair access.Wheelchairs are available for loan.

Eating AreasWe regret that there are no covered eating areasat the Minster. Schools are welcome to picnicin Dean's Park or on College Green at the frontof St William's College.

PhotographyThe use of cameras at York Minster is welcomedfor educational use within schools. Recordingimages or sound for commercial purposes oruploading onto the internet is not permittedwithout prior consent, and all commercial rightsin all images remain the property of the Dean &Chapter of York.

Photography is not permitted in the Undercroft,Treasury or Crypt or during any act of worship.

Late ArrivalIf you are delayed, please contact us on 0844939 0017. If you arrive late your teacher/guidemay not be able to offer you the full session asbooked.

Booking TermsA school cancelling a visit to the Centre and notgiving 28 days notice may be charged acancellation fee. If for any reason the Minsterauthorities find it necessary to cancel a schoolbooking, the Dean and Chapter cannot be heldliable for any costs which may have beenincurred.

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York Minster Centrefor School VisitsThis is located in St William’s College, adjacentto the East Front of the Minster and staffed byqualified teachers. You can choose from a rangeof topics to find out about the past and presentlife of the Minster. Many topics link into theNational Curriculum. The hour in the Centre isbased on inter-active teaching, which includesa multi-media presentation and (depending onyour subject choice) models, a working replicaof a masons’ loft, vestments and medieval stainedglass on a light box. Students can also learn forthemselves from a variety of relevant hands-onactivities. The other hour is a guided tour of theMinster, taken by the same teacher who leadsthe Centre session.

Maximum group size at any one time90 (in groups of 30).

Centre Opening Times:Monday to Friday 9.00 am to 4.45 pm.

Tel: 0844 939 0017Email: schoolvisits@yorkminster.orgWeb: www.yorkminster.orgPost: York Minster Centre for School Visits

St William’s College York YO1 7JF

Lord Mayors Walk MonkgateBar

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City Walls

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St William’s CollegeEntrance toCentre for

School Visits

South TranseptENTRANCETo Minster

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Centre SessionsTopics for StudyOnly available with the 2 hour visitAs the teaching and activities set out in the Centre

are specific to each topic,we do need to know inadvance which topic youwould like. As a generalrule we ask that you chooseonly one topic from thefollowing offered.

York Minster a Special PlaceKey Stage 1

This R.E. visit emphasises the special nature ofthe Minster as a place of worship; its use, thefurniture, the different services, vestments andthe stained glass. Pictures, models, computerpresentation, dressing-up and jigsaws are usedas illustrations. The tour includes a quiet time ofreflection using candles and a closing prayer inthe Crypt.

Colour and Light Key Stage 1 & 2

This topic explains the processof making stained glasswindows. It includes the useof different materials,transparency, light sources,light and dark, as well asreferences to the Minster as a place of worship.Pictures, computer programme and stories areused in the presentation. To complement thistopic we now have a specially designed, uprightlight box. We can build up a complete ‘stainedglass window’ in vivid and illuminated detail, toillustrate the process of how the panels weredesigned, painted and leaded. For KS 2 pupilsthe function of tracery and the use of metalsupports in the window frame will be included.The tour includes a time of quiet candle-litreflection in the Crypt.

Christmas CelebrationsKey Stage 1

As the season of Christmasapproaches schools may like toconcentrate on Christmascelebrations. This visit coversthe use of the Minster as a placeof worship, its services, furniture & stained glass;but also includes Advent and the telling of theChristmas story using crib figures. During thefour weeks of Advent, the Advent wreath hangsinside the Central Tower, with its lighted candles.This topic finishes with a quiet time of candle-lit reflection in the Crypt and a closing Christmasprayer.

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York Minster Across The CenturiesKey Stage 2 & 3

The Development of the Minster SiteFrom the beginnings of York to the present time,there have been buildings on the Minster site.Find out what they were and how they havechanged over the centuries. Discover more aboutthe Minster today; its function, the furniture, thepeople who work in it, the medieval stainedglass and much more.

The Minster as a Place of WorshipKey Stage 2 & 3

This visit concentrates on the Minster as anexample of a place of Christian worship. Duringtheir time in the Centre, some of the studentswill be dressed in vestments used in the cathedral

today. More emphasis will be placed onthe sacraments of Baptism and

Holy Communion with olderpupils. The visit can include a

short time ofreflection usingcandles in the

Crypt.

How Was It Done?Key Stage 2 & 3

Building a Medieval CathedralThis programme combines elements of Science,Design and Technology to illustrate the choiceof materials and their use within the building,the structure of the building, its design in responseto its use as a place of worship. We will use ourreconstructed Masons’ Lodge teaching resourceto explain how parts of the Minster were set outand built. (Weather permitting) .

Romans, Anglo Saxons & Vikings inBritainKey Stage 2

The first building on the present site of theMinster was the HQ of the Roman Fort. Thefirst Minster was built in Saxon times. Modelsand artefacts illustrate these aspects of theMinster’s history and relate them to the periodbeing studied in school.

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The Church in Tudor TimesKey Stage 2 & 3

Where better to study the break with Rome thanat the Minster? Our computer presentationillustrates the changes in church furnishingaccording to the beliefs of the reigning monarch,and shows how Catholic or Protestant eachTudor ruler is considered to be.

At Key Stage 3 this sessioncompliments Unit 5 of the NationalCurriculum. The changes in beliefand practice through the Tudorperiod are spelled out in moredetail. The causes of the religious

problems inherited by Elizabeth are considered,and the establishment of the Elizabethan Churchexamined.

Medieval BritainKey Stage 3 and above

Few places can surpass the Minster for a visit toillustrate the role of the church in the MiddleAges. We look at the development of the buildingitself, and see how it fitted into the context ofan important medieval city. Using the evidenceprovided by its architecture, stained glass andrecorded history, we will consider the cathedralas a place of power, pilgrimage and praise.

Post 16 VisitsWe can also accommodate visits for olderstudents focusing on topics such as:

The Minster as a Place of Worship orTourist AttractionThe History of Art and Architecture

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York MinsterRevealedRestoration and Revelation

The East Front & Lady ChapelThe far East End of York Minster is currentlyscaffolded within and without, as a majorrestoration programme is undertaken as part ofthe York Minster Revealed programme.Approximately two thirds of the tracery in themagnificent Great East Window and aconsiderable amount of stonework on the exterioris in urgent need of replacement or repair. Thusthe entire window is being conserved.

John Thornton’ssuperb glass of1405-8 will also becleaned andconserved. A fullsize image of thewindow will hangon the internalscaffold in orderthat its sheer beautyand scale can stillbe appreciatedthroughout the restoration process.

Clearly there will be some disruption in the farEast End during this period. However, theavailable space will be used to house adeveloping exhibition relating to the story of thewindow and the work in progress. Visitors willbe able to learn much about the technology,craftsmanship and conservation skills carried outby the Minster’s own workforce in the Stoneyardand Glaziers’ Trust, as well as the symbolism andmeaning of the window itself.

The lunchtime services have been relocated toSt John’s Chapel in the North Transept. This willnot affect access to the Transept, but we askvisitors to respect the fact that worship will betaking place here daily at lunchtime.

Taken as a whole, this is York Minster’s biggestrestoration project since the work to stabilize thefoundations between 1967 and 1972; eclipsingeven the aftermath of the 1984 fire!

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Glazier at work

Panel 8e from the Great East Window The Army of Horsemen(Rev 9:16-19) Green glass from the 1830’s inserted in the1950’s has been replaced with modern glass matching theoriginal 15th Century green.

UndercroftAs part of the overall scheme of work, accessto – and interpretation of – other parts of theMinster will also be improved. The Undercroftis to be provided with a lift, and steps will bereplaced with ramps and elevated walkwayswhich will allow step-free access to theUndercroft, Treasury and Crypts. This meansthere will be periods when the Undercroft willbe closed in whole or in part. The Centre forSchool Visits will be able to provide schoolswith current information.

Details will also be available on the website:www.yorkminster.org

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All of the masonry and carving of the restorationwill be done by our own team of Stonemasons.

Please note this is only a guide to help you with your risk

assessments and we strongly advise that if in doubt you

pre-visit.

York Minster is a medieval Cathedral open to the general

public. Health and Safety policies are in place and are

regularly reviewed. It is considered, by us, that visiting

York Minster or the Centre for School Visits is a very low

risk activity.

York MinsterAccess/Egress steps are all in sound condition and fitted

with hand rails. Wheelchair access is possible to the main

floor of the Minster. There is no disabled access to the

Undercroft/Treasury or Crypt. There is no public access to

restricted high level areas of the building. The stone flooring

is generally sound with no apparent trip hazards. During

the current maintenance work all hazardous areas are

isolated and warning signs displayed. There are designated

qualified first aiders on site. In the unlikely event of an

emergency Minster Staff will supervise evacuation.

The Central TowerPublic access to the top of the Central Tower is mostly by

an enclosed spiral staircase. Part of the ascent/descent

involves walking along the exterior of the South Transept

at roof level. This walkway is railed and deemed safe for

public use. The top of the tower is caged on all sides and

always marshalled.

Please note there are 275 steps to the top. Climbing the

Tower may not be suitable for those with heart conditions

vertigo, claustrophobia, high blood pressure, angina,

breathing trouble (asthma, hay fever, and bronchitis), poor

mobility or who are pregnant. For health and safety reasons,

no children under 8 are allowed to climb the Tower.

Any group with over 10 children (aged 16 and under)

must be accompanied by a minimum of 3 adults.

One adult is to lead both the climb and descent, one

is to be in the middle of the party and one is to bring

up the rear. It is the group leader’s responsibility to

ensure no children ascend / descend the Tower ahead

of the lead adult.

Groups of 10 or less children may climb the Tower

with two adults; but if anyone needs to be escorted

down the Tower the whole group must descend.

If in doubt please visit beforehand. Climbing the Tower

does not form part of a visit conducted by our staff. It

is always at the choice and risk of the individual group.

The Centre For School VisitsGroups using the Centre for School Visits are at no

greater risk than in a supervised classroom. Centre

staff will be with your group throughout your visit.

Your accompanying staff must remain at all times. In

the unlikely event of an emergency Centre Staff will

supervise evacuation. Movement from the Minster to

the Centre for School Visits does involve crossing one

very quiet road. Accompanying staff must be in

attendance.

Approved by: Health and Safety Officer at York Minster

Tel: 0844 939 0017Email: schoolvisits@yorkminster.orgWeb: www.yorkminster.orgPost: York Minster Centre for School Visits

St William’s College York YO1 7JF

© Dean and Chapter of York 2009.

Photography by Jarrolds and Kippa Matthews.

Risk Assessment for School Groups