Frequently Asked Questions for school groups

If you have a question about school visits to The Lightbox that isn't answered below or would like to make a booking, please contact our team at [email protected] 

Please only visit if you are feeling well. If any staff or students are exhibiting symptoms of any illness please contact us as soon as possible to rearrange your visit. As a public space, we are mindful of the welfare of all our visitors including those who might be vulnerable.

Do I have to make a booking before we come to The Lightbox?
Advance booking is essential for all school groups, including self-guided groups. Visiting groups who wish to have facilitated activity sessions must book at least two months in advance of their visit. If you come to the gallery without a booking, we cannot guarantee that there will be space for your group.

How much does it cost to visit The Lightbox?
Groups that would like to have guided activity sessions, including a creative workshop in the Education Studio, will be charged £180 to £280+VAT for up to 30 children, depending on the topic, length of session and timing, with up to a maximum of 60 children per time visit. Gallery-based Critical Thinkers sessions are charged at £140-£200+VAT for up to 30 children max, depending on any additional add-ons. Self-guided visits are free with any accompanying adults buying day passes, please see this page for further information.

What are activity sessions?
Facilitated activity sessions include a hands-on gallery session and a creative workshop in the Education Studio. They are suitable for students in Key Stage 1 and above. Activity sessions last approximately two hours, one hour in the gallery and one hour in the Education Studio. During the activity sessions the students will make something to take away with them. We are unable to store your student's artwork after the session as our studio is in constant use, so please make plans to take the work away with you. We recommend bringing a box or boxes to place the work in. 

When are activity sessions offered?
Sessions begin at 10.00 am (earlier times can be arranged on request) and are available Tuesdays to Fridays. The Lightbox is closed to the public on Mondays. Self guided visits are recommended anytime from 11am.

What are Critical Thinkers?
Sessions are aimed at Key Stage 3 and above and can incorporate many of your National Curriculum topics with History of Art.  The sessions are 90 minutes and do not involve a creative workshop in the studio.

Can I add on a creative workshop to Critical Thinkers?
Yes, the price will change and we can work with you to ensure your students gain the most from your visit.

There are 35 children in our year group. Can we all take part in one activity session?
In order to ensure an enjoyable visit, there is a maximum class size of 30 children per activity session. Up to two activity sessions can be run simultaneously. Larger groups can book two activity sessions and be divided evenly, for example, a larger group of 35 can be divided into two smaller groups of 18 and 17. The price will change and we can work with you to ensure your students gain the most from your visit.

Are you able to accommodate more than 60 children in one visit?
Due to space constraints, it is unlikely that groups of more than 60 children will be able to participate in regularly scheduled Activity Sessions. Special activities may be planned to accommodate visiting groups of more than 60 children.

What is the required ratio of adults to children?
School groups are required to provide at least one adult per 8 students under the age of 12 and one adult per 10 students under the age of 18. Before booking, please ensure you have enough staff available to support this. Teachers are expected to stay with their classes at all times and to be in charge of their behaviour while visiting The Lightbox.

Are there any eating facilities for school groups at The Lightbox?
Unfortunately, we do not have a designated lunch area for school groups, however it is possible for students to have lunch in our studio after a facilitated activity session by prior arrangement and subject to availability. We charge £15 +VAT for a 30 minute lunch slot to cover additional staff time and cleaning.

Can you provide catering for school groups?
Unfortunately, we cannot provide catering for school groups.

Are there any accessibility issues at The Lightbox?
The Lightbox aims to be as accessible as possible. Teachers and group leaders are encouraged to visit The Lightbox before coming with their groups to identify any possible access issues. To find out more about accessibility to our building and programme, our facilities and the resources we offer to our visitors please see the webpage here: https://www.thelightbox.org.uk/accessibility

Is there easy access to toilets?
There are toilets on every floor of The Lightbox with disabled toilets on the Ground and First floors.

I have a student with special educational needs. Are the sessions suitable for them?
We can make adaptions to the sessions to support students with additional needs. We also have full lift access to all floors, hearing loop available, we can create tactile images, we are trained in audio description, and have a Visual story of the building and a quieter space available. It is helpful for us to know about any students who have additional needs so that we can make any necessary adaptations to ensure that they enjoy the trip.

Is there somewhere to store coats and bags?
We can provide somewhere to store coats and small bags in the studio when on a facilitated activity session. Critical Thinkers and Self-Guided sessions will be able to use our lockers on the ground floor for any items. We advise you only bring small items as our lockers and storage area are space limited. All objects are left at their owner’s own risk.

Can I come and visit The Lightbox before bringing my class?
Teachers are welcome to make pre-visits to The Lightbox any time during opening hours. Please contact [email protected] 

Can I take photographs?
You are very welcome to take photographs as long as you ask a member of staff for permission as some artwork may have copyright issues. Photographs must be of your own students.

Is there a car park to park the coach?
There is no coach park, but coaches can drop off on Brewery Road. Please visit the Woking Borough Council website for more information on coach parking in Woking. We can accommodate 1 minibus space to stay on-site, please contact [email protected]

Is it safe to walk to The Lightbox from the coach drop-off point?
Groups can walk from Brewery Road to The Lightbox (2 minutes away) by crossing the bridge over the canal.

Are schoolchildren allowed in the shop?
Due to space constraints, only 5 children will be allowed into the shop at a time. Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

Do you have a risk assessment you can send me?
We have risk assessments available for all our facilitated sessions. All group leaders should carry out their own risk assessment to cover their children prior to their visit, especially if you are coming on a self-guided visit.

Will there be nude artworks on display?
Our exhibitions occasionally feature depictions of nude figures as the naked human body has long been a theme in art from the ancient Greeks onwards. We know that some cultures have different opinions on the nude figure, but that in art galleries what is seen as acceptable in artwork is not what is seen as generally acceptable in the outside world. We want children to learn about art in all its forms and so although we can avoid some artworks to discuss, they may be on display during your visit.