School Visits

Mrs Catherine Warrington is Schools' Officer

Mrs Charlotte Newton is Assistant Schools' Officer

Guildford Cathedral welcomes visits from schools and offers a variety of activities to enhance schools' experiences as they explore the Cathedral.

We celebrate the visits the children make, many of whom have never been in a religious building before. For some the first word they say as they step through the angel doors is "Wow!". These young people, mostly between the ages of 5-11, express their appreciation of the size and beauty of this lovely cathedral in a very real way.

The School’s Office is run by Catherine Warrington and Charlotte Newton. We are very happy to tailor visits to meet specific requirements. Visits are available Tues - Thurs during term time if the Cathedral is free. No more than 60 pupils per visit.

Areas of Interest

Some subject areas which might be explored at different levels by Key Stage 1 & 2 pupils are:

The Cathedral as a place of worship;
Baptism and the Baptistry - including the story of Jesus' baptism;
A close look at the kneelers and an opportunity for pupils to design one for themselves;
A chance to see some of the Cathedral Vestments and make a Mitre (KS1) or look at the church year through colour (KS2);
A discussion of the use of Stained Glass in churches followed by the opportunity to design a stained glass window;
Seasonal Workshops to reflect the Church's Year such as Pentecost, Easter and Advent.
Sacraments of the Church of England, including Holy Communion and Marriage.

Visits by Key Stage 3 & 4 pupils are designed according to their course requirements and may include sessions on:

Any of the Key Stage 2 sessions in greater depth;
Rites of passage;
Special Art or Textiles workshops;
The Eucharist/Holy Communion.

Special Needs Schools

We will tailor visits to meet specific requirements. Popular activities are Brass Rubbing (instant results!) and a simple Picture Tour of the Cathedral.

Typical Morning

A typical morning session from 10.00 am - 12.30 pm or 1.00 pm includes a welcome and introductory session followed by 30 minute workshops with 10-15 children at a time. All visits include a guided tour of the cathedral. A drink and biscuit is provided during the morning. We can offer space inside for the children to eat their packed lunch or outside if the weather is fine.

Cost £2.50 per pupil, no charge for accompanying adults.

Guidance Notes For Teachers Bringing Pupils to Guildford Cathedral

To carry out a risk assesment you are most welcome to come to the Cathedral at anytime. It is wise to phone the office on 01483 547860 beforehand to ensure that there is nothing going on in the Cathedral at the time you wish to visit which would prevent you from having access to all parts of the building.

Please try to arrive in good time for your visit. We normally aim to start at 10 am, which means arriving by 9.45 to give you time to unload and get seated. If you find on the day of your visit that you are going to be late arriving at the Cathedral please phone the Cathedral office on 01483 547860 to let us know.

On arrival your coach may drop the children off on the double yellow lines right in front of the Cathedral then continue on round the side of the cathedral green to park (on the RHS as you look at the Cathedral).

Please remember that the Cathedral is a place of worship and turn off mobile phones while in the buildings.

The toilets are next to the Refectory – please be aware that these are public toilets. We give you a toilet break mid-morning but children needing to go during the workshop sessions will need to be accompanied and they have to cross the approach road to get to them.

Children may eat packed lunches while sitting outside the Cathedral (the grass to the South side is the best place as it is away from the road). Please take all rubbish away you – this encourages recycling and the public litter bins are not designed for a whole class worth of rubbish. In Winter or if it is raining we can usually offer floor space in the crèche, but this may not take a whole class and you may have to have lunch in shifts! No food or drink is to be consumed in the nave.

We always have a break in the middle of a full morning programme for children to visit the toilets and have a drink and biscuit. Unless you have requested otherwise, biscuits will be offered to the children. It is the responsibility of the school staff and helpers to ensure any one who suffers from allergies has an alternative snack.

We have a Cathedral gift shop where children are welcome after their visit in groups of up to 10 accompanied by an adult. There is a range of small items available. If you wish, the shop are willing to make up pre priced goody bags – please contact the shop direct for further information on 01483 547872.

Photographs may be taken of your own school group (subject to your school rules) and of the building. The only place where you may not take photographs is in the treasury. We are always happy to have any of your photographs for our own publicity and website, subject to parental approval, so please send or e mail them to us after the visit.

We will invoice you after the visit and will only charge you for the number of pupils attending on the day.

Seeds of Hope Children's Garden

The Garden was opened in May 2008. It is a special garden to help us explore feelings of loss of all kinds. It is a garden for all seasons and can be used by schools for a variety of purposes.

Schools are welcome to visit

As part of a morning's visit to the Cathedral;
As a stand alone activity;
As an afternoon session following a morning in the Cathedral.

Combined Visits

Some schools combine the Cathedral with a visit to Guildford Town or Woking Mosque. We are also working with Watts Gallery to provide complementary tours. We are always happy to be flexible with timings.

Festival Workshops

Every year we run themed workshops for Church of England and Independent Schools for Advent and Easter. Please contact the Schools' Officers for more details.

Bringing a school without a booking

Many schools, particularly in the summer months, wish to use the cathedral facilities as a “pitstop” on their way to residential weeks on the South Coast. We always encourage these schools to come and look inside the cathedral, even if it’s only for a few minutes. It is a shame to stop and use the lavatories or have a packed lunch, but not take the opportunity to show the children our wonderful building! Whilst we understand the constraints on time, we would encourage a 5 minute break for pause and reflection. In summer the Cathedral is frequently used for degree ceremonies and is closed to the public so please check with the schools’ office before you come, and we also may have another school visiting, which has paid for a staffed visit. We would always want to avoid any double bookings or disappointments.

Recent events

Easter arrives at Guildford Cathedral

The schools’ department has hosted two weeks of Easter workshops in the cathedral for children in Years 2 and 5. Over 700 children have participated in 8 days of Easter related activities. The workshops took place each morning and comprised a short enactment of the Easter story, including a Palm procession down the nave with donkey, some singing and lots of audience participation. After that, the children were divided into groups for art and craft activities, drama and music. We made palm crosses, painted stones, learnt about the Last supper, did brass rubbing, sang and danced and made newspapers. Below are some photographs of the children at work. Thanks go to our band of willing volunteers who helped run the workshops and provided refreshments.

Down to Earth - 27 & 28 April 2010

We had dragons, crocodiles and even a condor! Guildford Cathedral has just hosted two days of drama workshops on an environmental theme with three local schools, Parkmead, Westward and Boxgrove with a hundred children participating. The event was led by Scene Change Theatre Company and focused on the challenges facing us all as a result of the 1990 Kyoto Agreement’s requirement to cut our greenhouse gas emissions by 5.2% by 2012.

Through the use of drama and music, the children were encouraged to learn about humans’ impact on the environment, how resources are being wasted and animals are becoming extinct. Big questions were posed, such as to what extent are humans responsible? How can we make people acknowledge their responsibility and what do we need to do to make changes and have an impact? The drama posed the idea that there are two gangs in the world, “one is wasteful, one is grateful”. Which one do you belong to?

During the morning the children learnt about China and the way in which workers are exploited in factories to produce consumer goods for the Western world. They saw the way that industrialisation creates pollution and waste. One interesting fact learned was that if the rest of the world were to consume at the same rate as the US, we would need five planets to sustain us. We only have one.

The children also” visited” the Museum of Extinct and Endangered Species and learnt about how the destruction of their natural habitat is endangering animals around the world.

It was a lively and colourful event done from scratch in a matter of hours. The Theatre Company as brilliant at engaging, enthusing and challenging the pupils. They worked hard and were rewarded with a performance to be proud of and which was much enjoyed and appreciated by an audience of the Dean, teachers, parents and cathedral staff. Well done everyone!

Forthcoming events for your diary

Regular school visits

We are fully booked for normal school visits for the Summer term. We can book up to one year ahead, so please book early to avoid disappointment!

Monday 11 October 2010 - Big Draw Event

The cathedral will be holding a Big Draw Event on Monday 11^th October 2010. Please look out for more information nearer the time, or register your early interest with Catherine Warrington, Schools’ Officer.