School visits to Hayward Gallery
The Hayward Gallery’s exhibition programme presents adventurous and diverse artists from across the globe
For each exhibition, we deliver a series of school projects and events including teacher CPD, gallery visits, and our Hayward Gallery Takeover programme.
We aim to support teachers in diversifying their arts curriculum, and help pupils to develop their artistic and creative skills, while gaining insights into gallery roles including curators and workshop leaders.
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Primary and Secondary Schools Takeovers
Find out about our Takeover Days, which put your children ‘in charge’ of a day of workshops and activities inspired by our Hayward Gallery exhibitions.
Schools mornings
Our Primary and Secondary Schools Mornings offer school groups the opportunity to visit exhibitions and explore at their own pace.
Each session starts with an introduction by a gallery curator to discuss their role, provide exhibition insights, and give time for students to ask questions.
Groups can then wander around the exhibition and sketch their own response to the work. Paper and pencils will be provided.
How to book
If you’d like to participate in one of our Hayward Gallery Schools Mornings, please contact our team for more information.
Teacher Twilights
These sessions offer teachers the opportunity to meet members of the Hayward Gallery curatorial team, gain deeper knowledge and insight into the exhibited artist, find out more about our programmes, and visit the exhibition free of charge.
Our next Teacher Twilight event will be for Haegue Yang: Leap Year in autumn 2024. Details will be available here once confirmed.
Visiting a Hayward Gallery exhibition in your own time
If you’d like to bring your school group to visit a Hayward Gallery exhibition, please contact our ticketing team in advance. They can arrange the best time and date for your visit, and help you benefit from group discounts.
Hayward Gallery school visit FAQs
Here you’ll find the answers to some commonly asked questions relating to school visits to the Hayward Gallery, for FAQs relating to the wider Southbank Centre, see our School visits page.
If you’re attending an exhibition at the Hayward Gallery, booking your visit in advance is highly advised. If you bring a group to the Hayward Gallery without an advance booking, you won’t be entitled to receive the discounted group rate, or to free entry for local schools.
- Primary schools: Free, booking required.
- Secondary schools in Lambeth and Southwark: Free, booking required.
- All other secondary schools: £5 per pupil. Accompanying teachers go free.
Please note that 15 students is the maximum number that we can accommodate in one group per timed session. The £5 ticket price is also only available to groups over 10 people.
To receive the group rate, please email us with your preferred visit date and any other relevant school and pupil information at [email protected]
If you’re attending an event or project: Capacity vary depending on the project. Please check the relevant event listing for details.
If you’re visiting the Hayward Gallery: Tickets for all visitors to Hayward Gallery are issued for timed entry in hourly slots. For group visitors, there is a maximum of 30 people for each hourly entrance time. If you intend to bring a group of more than 30 people, you may be asked to split the group to stagger entry times. Please note that this maximum group size can vary depending on the exhibition.
Email [email protected] to find out more.
It is important that there are enough adults to supervise visits by under-16s. Adult supervision of students under 16 is required at all times, and we ask you to use the following ratios:
- 1:5 for under-5s
- 1:10 for under-11s
- 1:15 for ages 11 – 16
- 1:20 for ages 16 – 18
We reserve the right to refuse entry to our venues for safety reasons if there are not sufficient adults to supervise your group. Teachers and group leaders are responsible for students’ behaviour while on site.
If you’re attending an event or project: You will receive an email confirmation of your booking with all the essential payment and safeguarding information. Once you’ve paid and your booking is complete, you only need to bring a mobile or printed copy of your confirmation so that we can check you in upon arrival. No other tickets are required.
If you are visiting the Hayward Gallery: Once you’ve booked and paid, tickets will be left for collection at Hayward Gallery Ticket Office on the day of your visit. Please check beforehand that payment has been received.
If you’re attending an event or project: Projects and events take place in various locations in Southbank Centre. Check your booking confirmation for your starting location, or stop by the Welcome Hub on Level 2 of the Royal Festival Hall building to see where you’re meant to be.
If you’re visiting the Hayward Gallery: your group leader needs to register at the Hayward Gallery Ticket Office.
Large bags, rucksacks, coats or other articles of luggage are not allowed in the gallery. A cloakroom and provisions for groups to leave such items before entering are available for booked groups.
Students are welcome to sketch in the gallery using pencils. Please help keep the gallery tidy for other visitors by taking any materials with you after your visit. Paint, charcoal, pens, crayons, and pastels are not allowed and further restrictions may be in place for certain exhibitions. Please check with the Ticket Office before you enter.
We want your group to feel free to enjoy and discuss the artworks. For the safety of the artworks, and other visitors to Hayward Gallery, please remind your groups of the following:
- Inside the gallery, please don’t run, touch, lean, shout, eat or drink.
- Please do look, listen, debate, think, and discuss and be aware of people around you.
- To avoid congestion in the shops, please ensure pupils visit in small staggered groups and are supervised at all times.
Teachers are responsible for students at all times.