Terms and Conditions for Self-led Educational and Supported Visits

Cadw offers free self-led visits to Cadw staffed sites, where charges are normally applied, to support a wide range of learners and those working with families and individuals with complex needs. 

All bookings are subject to availability and the discretion of the site. 

Schools, Colleges, and Universities must provide a Risk Assessment when making an online application. This will be identified within the booking process. 

Separate paid public events at Cadw sites are excluded.  

To qualify for a free self-led visit please check the following criteria:

• be a qualifying group (see below)
• book in advance
• have a genuine Educational/Support purpose with clearly defined objectives, i.e., planned and structured learning activities
• submit a risk assessment if you are representing a school, college, or university
• be led by a Group Leader, who has read and understood these terms and conditions and will ensure they meet the required ratios of leaders to learners at site at all times.

Groups that include children under 16 must have adequate adult supervision at all times when on site. The required adult to child ratio will vary according to the age of the children.

Learners are to be effectively supervised for the whole visit, at the following adult to learner ratios:

For an adult learning group, there are no ratios but there must be an appointed group leader.

To note: There must be at least one qualified first aider accompanying each school group.

Qualifying groups include:

Weekday term-time only:

• Schools (nursery, primary and secondary) 
• Groups from universities or colleges studying relevant courses
• Teachers and education professionals participating in continuing professional development
• Home educating families and recognised home educating groups
• Holders of a valid Children’s University Passport to Learning (must be accompanied by a paying adult)
• Foster Families – with Action for Children — Foster Family Cadw Entry Scheme — Letter of Authorisation.
• School groups on an organised exchange visit to the UK — when joined by teachers and pupils of the host school. Applications should be made by the host school or educational establishment
• Organisations with an educational remit that arrange visits for groups of those with additional support needs, special learning needs or disabilities, gifted and talented children, and mentoring services attached to a formal learning organisation
• Groups with UK student visas who are studying relevant courses full time, at a UK institution for at least one semester
• Adult learner groups from local authority lifelong learning courses, the University of the Third Age, Workers’ Educational Association or similar advertised provision.

Weekday term-time, and subject to availability weekends and school holidays:

• Scouts and Guides (and junior groups) and Boys’ and Girls’ Brigade groups, pursuing a relevant badge
• Boys and Girls clubs of Wales undertaking heritage activities
• Youth groups and skills/work programmes on themes related to work — e.g. heritage, tourism, hospitality, traditional skills 
• Those Undertaking DoE as part of group – when booking made by sponsor organisation – School, Scout/Guide group or similar
• Ministry of Defense cadet force groups
• Young Archaeologists’ Club groups
• Tempo Time Credit volunteers – with Tempo unique code
• Timebanking UK Volunteers – with Timebanking UK Cadw Vouchers
• Charitable organisations who operate outside during holidays and weekends offering educational visits to groups with additional support needs.

Outside of peak visit times

• Local authority family services teams, for individuals, families and/or groups working towards improving their circumstances
• Rehabilitation charities, such as MIND and those supporting Dementia
• Agencies involved in rehabilitation following drug and alcohol dependency
• Agencies supporting Back to Work initiatives
• Fusion activities supporting above
• Family Holiday Charity organised groups
• Health providers supporting patents with mental and physical health needs
• Oasis; Welsh Refugee Council; TGP Cymru; Sharedydd; Share tawe; Homes4U; British Red Cross; Ethnic Youth Support Team ( EYST); Displaced People In Action ; African Community Centre; Swansea Asylum Seekers Support; Tai Pawb; Sudanese Community Association; Housing Justice Cymru; Chinese Association in Wales; BAWSO; All City of Sanctuary Groups in Wales; Bloom; Just Across; The Gap, Newport; Women Seeking Sanctuary Group.

Groups not eligible for free entry:

Any groups that arrange visits through a commercial operator, or do not meet the criteria outlined above will not be eligible for free entry, including but not limited to:

• Tour and coach operators
• Organisers of study holidays, or summer schools, lecture tours and similar programmes arranged on a commercial basis between educational organisations, universities and holiday organisations
• Third parties who profit from organising visits for education groups
• Organisations bringing groups of adults on leisure visits, such as Women’s Institutes, local amenity groups and student societies
• Groups wishing to use outside providers such as tour guides, artists and theatre groups
• English as a foreign language (EFL) groups and language schools
• Child-minding services and holiday clubs and camps.

Please Note — Groups of 15 or more visitors who are paying together, but do not qualify for a free educational visit, may be eligible for a 10% discount.

Group leaders:

• By booking a free Supported Visit you agree to accept the terms and conditions of entry.
• Are recommended to undertake a free pre-planning visit to familiarise themselves with the historic site.
• Must complete their own risk assessment for their group and submit as part of the booking process. 
• For educational visits are to have clear learning objectives related to the site being visited and planned learning activities for and around the visit.
• Ensure the correct adult to child ratio are maintained throughout the visit.
• Must take full responsibility for the behavior and welfare of the group for the duration of the visit. All signage and safety warnings on the property must be obeyed, site staff should be treated with respect and any requests they make acted upon appropriately — Cadw site staff reserve the right to ask groups to leave the site if the behavior of group members is disruptive to other visitors or endangers the health and safety of any person or people on the site.
• Ensure all required emergency medication is brought on the visit and kept safe at all times. A standard first aid kit is available at site. 
• Report all accidents and incidents to the staff at site as soon as is practicably possible. 
• May be asked to supply proof of status and details of the organisation you belong to or activity planned on site.
• Ensure your group arrives within half an hour of the time arranged for the visit, admission may not be possible to parties which arrive outside of this time frame.
• Inform the site at least a week prior to your visit if you intend to bring more adults than you originally agreed with site/booked for; if you do not, any additional adults may be required to pay the entrance fee.
• Contact the site directly and promptly if you need to change the time of arrival, cancel the visit, or if you are unavoidably delayed.

Please be aware:

• If we believe for any reason that a booking has been made in breach of these terms and conditions, we reserve the right in our absolute discretion to refuse free admittance and charge the standard full entry price.
• We may ask for additional information with regards to the risk assessment as part of our auditing process.
• Any group or organisation found in breach of the terms will not be permitted entry and may be refused from accessing the scheme in future.
• We may close part or all of the site at short notice for health and safety reasons; such as adverse weather conditions. 

If after reading these terms and conditions you are unsure if your group qualifies for a free visit, or have further queries, please contact us: Cadw Education mailbox. 

Please contact the site before travelling.