Home Educators
Key information
Please note that our Home Educator sessions are currently paused.
Sign up to our Schools and Families newsletters to receive the latest news and booking information.
The British Museum welcomes UK Home Educators.
Spanning ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, ancient Britain, ancient Rome, the Americas, Africa and Asia, the unparalleled collection at the Museum provides inspiration across a number of curriculum areas.
When visiting the Museum, UK Home Educators can enjoy family activities, with trails free to download and to use on your personal device. UK Home Educators can also book free tickets for most paid exhibitions.
Home Educator's offer update
We have some exciting changes happening that support our path to net zero as part of the Museum's Masterplan. This will mean some reductions in public programmes, including facilitated school programmes, in-person school group visits and lunch and locker capacity at the Museum whilst key infrastructure work is carried out. The Museum recognises that this reduction in capacity may lead to some disappointment for home educators and students, however, the Museum's learning team are working hard to bring new programming opportunities later in the year.
Therefore, the following programmes are currently paused:
- Ages 7–11 (KS2): presentations delivered in the Museum's lecture theatres
- Ages 7–11 (KS2): taught workshops delivered in the Museum's seminar rooms
- Ages 11–14 (KS3): presentations held in our lecture theatres
- Ages 14–16 (KS4): gallery-based talks
- Ages 16–18 (Year 11 and KS5): school study days
If you're looking for inspiration at home, the Museum provides a range of free learning resources on a host of topics.
Please sign up to our schools e-newsletter for the latest news on our schools offer and check our school web pages regularly.
Home Education Days
(Clore Centre for Education and Museum galleries)
Home Education Days are an opportunity for UK Home Educators to join us with their children to enjoy a day of activities and workshops.
Aimed at UK home educated learners aged 5–11 (Key Stages 1 and 2) and 11–16 (Key Stages 3 and 4), these days are a chance to take part in elements of the taught school offer and also experience more informal, drop-in learning activities.
There are currently no Home Education Days planned. Sign up to our schools and families newsletter to receive updates.
Quote
My family attended one of the Home Education Days. It was a wonderful opportunity; we all had a very good experience! You thought of all the little things to help tailor the day to home educators – like providing for a wide range of ages, the facilities like the reading area for the little ones, the cloakroom, and the break-out space. We will certainly be coming again, thank you so much!
Chong family
Ages 7–11 (KS2) presentations
(BP Lecture Theatre, Clore Centre for Education)
Please note that these Key Stage 2 presentations are currently paused. To stay up to date with news, updates and information about our schools and family programmes, please sign up to our schools newsletter.
UK Home Educators are able to book spaces for their own children on all Key Stage 2 presentations.
Home Educators spaces are available at both the 10.30 and 12.00 sessions on any date when presentations are programmed to run. Book tickets by phoning the Box Office on +44 (0)20 7323 8181. There is a charge of £2.50 per attending child (accompanying adults free) which is payable at the time of booking. Bookings for a Home Education space on any Key Stage 2 presentation need to be made at least 48 hours in advance. See terms and conditions on school bookings.
Full details for each presentation, including support notes and dates, can be found on the presentation pages below.
Home Educator quote
We both really enjoyed the Lives of the Ancient Maya school presentation; it was clear the presenter was passionate about the topic. The children were given opportunities to move around and remained focused and engaged throughout. I am so glad we came!
Home Educator
Ages 7–11 (KS2) taught workshops
(Clore Centre for Education)
Please note that these Key Stage 2 taught workshops are currently paused. To stay up to date with news, updates and information about our schools and family programmes, please sign up to our schools newsletter.
Taught workshops are available for UK Home Educators and their children aged 7–11 (KS2).
Book tickets by phoning the Box Office on +44 (0)20 7323 8181. There is a charge of £3.00 per attending child aged 7–11 years old (accompanying adults free) which is payable at the time of booking. All booked children should be accompanied by an adult. These sessions are designed for children aged 7–11 (KS2). Spaces are not available on these sessions for younger or older siblings outside the 7–11 age range. See terms and conditions on school bookings.
Taught workshops take place in the seminar rooms in the Clore Centre for Education, where you will work alongside other Home Educators. Each workshop lasts 60 minutes. Please see the available workshops and dates below.
Available workshops
Excavation in Egypt
(Rooms A and B, Clore Centre for Education)
Explore the history of ancient Egypt using a timeline linking Egypt's past and present. Handle replica objects and discover the fascinating contents of an Egyptian tomb and how archaeologists work.
World in AD 900
(Claus Moser Room, Clore Centre for Education)
Starting with Anglo-Saxon England, learn about the world in AD 900, focusing on Maya, Islamic and West African culture and society. Use a range of interactive techniques to develop your enquiry skills.
A question for the people
(Rooms A and B, Clore Centre for Education)
Use a range of resources to find out what it meant to be an Athenian citizen in the 5th century BC. Then gather as the Athenian Assembly and put their values into practice using role play and decision making.
How to find out about Greek life
(Rooms A and B, Clore Centre for Education)
Develop your enquiry skills by studying images of ancient Greek pots then handle replica Greek objects and use them to find out about different aspects of life in ancient Greece.
Prehistory
(Claus Moser Room, Clore Centre for Education)
Discover the range of natural materials used by people in prehistoric Britain to help provide food, shelter and safety for their communities. Handle a range of materials and develop your critical thinking skills as you explore different aspects of prehistoric life.
Ages 11–14 (KS3) presentations
(Stevenson Lecture Theatre, Clore Centre for Education)
Please note that these Key Stage 3 presentations are currently paused. To stay up to date with news, updates and information about our schools and family programmes, please sign up to our schools newsletter.
UK Home Educators are able to book spaces for their own children on the age 11–14 (KS3) presentations in the Museum lecture theatres.
Spaces are available at all sessions on any date when these presentations and talks are programmed to run. Book tickets by phoning the Box Office on +44 (0)20 7323 8181. There is a charge of £2.50 per attending child (accompanying adults free) which is payable at the time of booking. See terms and conditions on school bookings. Full details for each session, including content and dates, can be found on the pages below.
* KS3 presentations will only run if 20 paid spaces or more have been booked. If bookings are below this number two weeks before the session is due to take place it will be cancelled, and a refund issued.
Ages 14–16 (KS4) gallery-based talks
(Museum galleries)
Please note that these Key Stage 4 gallery-based talks are currently paused. To stay up to date with news, updates and information about our schools and family programmes, please sign up to our schools newsletter.
Gallery-based talks are available for UK Home Educators and their children aged 14–16 (KS4).
Book tickets for each session by phoning the Box Office on +44 (0)20 7323 8181. There is a charge of £3.00 per attending child (accompanying adults free) which is payable at the time of booking. All booked children should be accompanied by an adult. These sessions are designed for children aged 14–16. Spaces are not available on these sessions for younger or older siblings outside the 14–16 age range. See terms and conditions on school bookings.
All gallery-based talks begin at the Roman rider statue in the Great Court and use relevant public galleries in the Museum, where you will work alongside other UK Home Educators. Each talk lasts 50 minutes. Please see the available workshop and dates below.
Ages 14–16 (KS4)
Parthenon
(Rooms 17 and 18)
Focusing on the prescribed material source, the Parthenon sculptures, this gallery-based talk is designed to support the Classical Civilisations GCSE component Myth and Religion (J199/11). Students will investigate, analyse and interpret material evidence to explore the ancient Greek social, cultural and historic context in which they were created.
Ages 15–18 (A-level) Study Days
(Clore Centre for Education and Museum galleries)
Please note that these A-level Study Days are currently paused. To stay up to date with news, updates and information about our schools and family programmes, please sign up to our schools newsletter.
UK Home Educators are able to book spaces for their own children on the age 15–18 (KS5) A-level Study Days at the Museum. These days can also be booked for age 15 (Year 11) children who are interested in finding out about A-level learning.
UK Home Education spaces are available at all Study Days. Book tickets by phoning the Box Office on +44 (0)20 7323 8181. There is no charge for UK Home Educator adults and their children attending these Study Days. See terms and conditions on school bookings.
Full details for each session, including content and dates, can be found on the Exhibition and events page under the filter 'Study days and courses'. Please note that these events only run on specific days, so if no event is showing, check again at a later date.
Resources
The Museum provides a wide range of free activity sheets and resources aimed at schools that are available to download. All resources are available in Word and can be edited to suit your specific needs.
Resources can be found on the following pages:
Museum exhibitions
UK Home Educators can book free tickets for themselves and their own children for most paying exhibitions as part of the education offer. Spaces can be booked on school exclusive mornings or alongside the general public. Home Educator tickets should be booked via the Box Office by phoning: +44 (0)20 7323 8181.
Please find more information about our current exhibitions and events.
Activities
There are a number of family activities that can be used to provide learning experiences at the British Museum and from home. Delve into our Museum explorer trails or Museum Missions for families that offer a structured context for visits or home exploration to engage children with the collection. Discover our YouTube playlist of short videos about historical periods in school curriculums. Use them as a starting point for a learning activity or enjoy them before visiting the Museum.
