School Visits to York Minster
Make the most of your school’s visit to York Minster A visit to York Minster is great experience for anybody, and especially for a child. But the impact is greatly increased by skilled interpreters of the building and its contents, and the Centre for School Visits provides just what you need. This book will show you the many resources we offer, for young people of all ages. Unlike most attractions, York Minster is a living place of worship. In our multi-cultural society, it provides a place not only to learn about the past, but to understand what the Christian religion means today. This is one of the most amazing buildings in the world, and we want to share it with you.
Keith Jones, Dean of York
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York Minster is an active place of worship This means at certain times of the year the Minster can be closed for special services.
Ways to Visit the Minster: Charges apply per pupil for ALL visits Accompanying adults 1:10 free with school groups. 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 & Minster 2 Hour visit led by teachers from the Centre
Option 2: Guided Tour of the Minster 1 Hour visit led by school guides Maximum group size per guide 30 pupils
Option 3: Pre-Booked Self Conducted Visit Schools who wish to conduct their own visit
Additional charges apply to enter: The Undercroft Treasury & Crypt, and the Tower.
The Dean & Chapter reserves the right to vary arrangements at the Minster, and we apologise if any parts of the cathedral are inaccessible at the time of your visit. Details of services and events can be found on the Minster's website.
Making a Booking Early booking is essential for sessions in the Centre and Tours. Please ring first to discuss your requirements and check availability. Online booking available for Self Conducted Visits. Please bring our confirmation with you as proof of booking.
Payment We do not require payment in advance. Pay on arrival or by invoice.
Adult Supervision Please ensure your pupils respect other visitors and the purpose of the building. Pupils must be accompanied at all times by an adult and remain the responsibility of their teachers. We suggest an adult to pupil ratio of 1:10.
Preliminary Visits Ring us to arrange a time, and free entry to the Minster.
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Health and Safety
Photography
See our Risk Assessment on the back cover. Available to download from the website.
The use of cameras at York Minster is welcomed for educational use within schools. Recording images or sound for commercial purposes or uploading onto the internet is not permitted without prior consent, and all commercial rights in all images remain the property of the Dean & Chapter of York.
Parking Coaches are not allowed inside the city walls. The nearest coach park is Union Terrace on Clarence Street.
Toilets In the Minster - entry from the North Quire Aisle. Please ensure that children are supervised at all times. Toilet facilities for disabled visitors are available in the Minster and Centre. The toilet facilities at the Centre are only available to schools for the period they have booked its use.
Special Educational Needs Please let us know if members of your group have any special needs. We will try to tailor our service to accommodate individual requirements. Almost all of the Minster is wheelchair accessible. The Undercroft, Treasury, Crypt and Tower are only accessible by stairs. The Centre for School Visits is on ground level with wheelchair access. Wheelchairs are available for loan.
Photography is not permitted in the Undercroft, Treasury or Crypt or during any act of worship.
Late Arrival If you are delayed, please contact us on 0844 939 0017. If you arrive late your teacher/guide may not be able to offer you the full session as booked.
Booking Terms A school cancelling a visit to the Centre and not giving 28 days notice may be charged a cancellation fee. If for any reason the Minster authorities find it necessary to cancel a school booking, the Dean and Chapter cannot be held liable for any costs which may have been incurred.
Eating Areas We regret that there are no covered eating areas at the Minster. Schools are welcome to picnic in Dean's Park or on College Green at the front of St William's College.
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York Minster Centre for School Visits
Clarence Street
Union Terrace Coach Park
This is located in St William’s College, adjacent to the East Front of the Minster and staffed by qualified teachers. You can choose from a range of topics to find out about the past and present life of the Minster. Many topics link into the National Curriculum. The hour in the Centre is based on inter-active teaching, which includes a multi-media presentation and (depending on your subject choice) models, a working replica of a masons’ loft, vestments and medieval stained glass on a light box. Students can also learn for themselves from a variety of relevant hands-on activities. The other hour is a guided tour of the Minster, taken by the same teacher who leads the Centre session. Lord Mayors Walk
Monkgate Bar
Monday to Friday 9.00 am to 4.45 pm. St William’s College Entrance to Centre for School Visits Petergate
Bootham Bar
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Maximum group size at any one time 90 (in groups of 30). Centre Opening Times:
City Walls
Gillygate
City Walls
South Transept ENTRANCE To Minster
Tel: Email: Web: Post:
0844 939 0017 schoolvisits@yorkminster.org www.yorkminster.org York Minster Centre for School Visits St William’s College York YO1 7JF
Centre Sessions Topics for Study Only available with the 2 hour visit As the teaching and activities set out in the Centre are specific to each topic, we do need to know in advance which topic you would like. As a general rule we ask that you choose only one topic from the following offered.
York Minster a Special Place Key Stage 1 This R.E. visit emphasises the special nature of the Minster as a place of worship; its use, the furniture, the different services, vestments and the stained glass. Pictures, models, computer presentation, dressing-up and jigsaws are used as illustrations. The tour includes a quiet time of reflection using candles and a closing prayer in the Crypt.
Colour and Light Key Stage 1 & 2 This topic explains the process of making stained glass windows. It includes the use of different materials, transparency, light sources, light and dark, as well as references to the Minster as a place of worship. Pictures, computer programme and stories are used in the presentation. To complement this topic we now have a specially designed, upright light box. We can build up a complete ‘stained glass window’ in vivid and illuminated detail, to illustrate the process of how the panels were designed, painted and leaded. For KS 2 pupils the function of tracery and the use of metal supports in the window frame will be included. The tour includes a time of quiet candle-lit reflection in the Crypt.
Christmas Celebrations Key Stage 1 As the season of Christmas approaches schools may like to concentrate on Christmas celebrations. This visit covers the use of the Minster as a place of worship, its services, furniture & stained glass; but also includes Advent and the telling of the Christmas story using crib figures. During the four weeks of Advent, the Advent wreath hangs inside the Central Tower, with its lighted candles. This topic finishes with a quiet time of candlelit reflection in the Crypt and a closing Christmas prayer.
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York Minster Across The Centuries Key Stage 2 & 3
The Development of the Minster Site From the beginnings of York to the present time, there have been buildings on the Minster site. Find out what they were and how they have changed over the centuries. Discover more about the Minster today; its function, the furniture, the people who work in it, the medieval stained glass and much more.
The Minster as a Place of Worship Key Stage 2 & 3 This visit concentrates on the Minster as an example of a place of Christian worship. During their time in the Centre, some of the students will be dressed in vestments used in the cathedral today. More emphasis will be placed on the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion with older pupils. The visit can include a short time of reflection using candles in the Crypt.
How Was It Done? Key Stage 2 & 3
Building a Medieval Cathedral This programme combines elements of Science, Design and Technology to illustrate the choice of materials and their use within the building, the structure of the building, its design in response to its use as a place of worship. We will use our reconstructed Masons’ Lodge teaching resource to explain how parts of the Minster were set out and built. (Weather permitting) .
Romans, Anglo Saxons & Vikings in Britain Key Stage 2 The first building on the present site of the Minster was the HQ of the Roman Fort. The first Minster was built in Saxon times. Models and artefacts illustrate these aspects of the Minster’s history and relate them to the period being studied in school.
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problems inherited by Elizabeth are considered, and the establishment of the Elizabethan Church examined.
Medieval Britain Key Stage 3 and above Few places can surpass the Minster for a visit to illustrate the role of the church in the Middle Ages. We look at the development of the building itself, and see how it fitted into the context of an important medieval city. Using the evidence provided by its architecture, stained glass and recorded history, we will consider the cathedral as a place of power, pilgrimage and praise.
Post 16 Visits
The Church in Tudor Times Key Stage 2 & 3 Where better to study the break with Rome than at the Minster? Our computer presentation illustrates the changes in church furnishing according to the beliefs of the reigning monarch, and shows how Catholic or Protestant each Tudor ruler is considered to be.
We can also accommodate visits for older students focusing on topics such as: The Minster as a Place of Worship or Tourist Attraction The History of Art and Architecture
At Key Stage 3 this session compliments Unit 5 of the National Curriculum. The changes in belief and practice through the Tudor period are spelled out in more detail. The causes of the religious
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York Minster Revealed Restoration and Revelation The East Front & Lady Chapel The far East End of York Minster is currently scaffolded within and without, as a major restoration programme is undertaken as part of the York Minster Revealed programme. Approximately two thirds of the tracery in the magnificent Great East Window and a considerable amount of stonework on the exterior is in urgent need of replacement or repair. Thus the entire window is being conserved.
John Thornton’s superb glass of 1405-8 will also be cleaned and conserved. A full size image of the window will hang on the internal scaffold in order that its sheer beauty and scale can still be appreciated Glazier at work throughout the restoration process. Clearly there will be some disruption in the far East End during this period. However, the available space will be used to house a developing exhibition relating to the story of the window and the work in progress. Visitors will be able to learn much about the technology, craftsmanship and conservation skills carried out by the Minster’s own workforce in the Stoneyard and Glaziers’ Trust, as well as the symbolism and meaning of the window itself. The lunchtime services have been relocated to St John’s Chapel in the North Transept. This will not affect access to the Transept, but we ask visitors to respect the fact that worship will be taking place here daily at lunchtime.
Panel 8e from the Great East Window The Army of Horsemen (Rev 9:16-19) Green glass from the 1830’s inserted in the 1950’s has been replaced with modern glass matching the original 15th Century green.
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Taken as a whole, this is York Minster’s biggest restoration project since the work to stabilize the foundations between 1967 and 1972; eclipsing even the aftermath of the 1984 fire!
Undercroft As part of the overall scheme of work, access to – and interpretation of – other parts of the Minster will also be improved. The Undercroft is to be provided with a lift, and steps will be replaced with ramps and elevated walkways which will allow step-free access to the Undercroft, Treasury and Crypts. This means there will be periods when the Undercroft will be closed in whole or in part. The Centre for School Visits will be able to provide schools with current information. Details will also be available on the website: www.yorkminster.org All of the masonry and carving of the restoration will be done by our own team of Stonemasons.
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Risk Assessment for School Groups 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 Minster Access/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 Tower Public 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 Visits Groups 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: Email: Web: Post:
0844 939 0017 schoolvisits@yorkminster.org www.yorkminster.org 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.