Payment and Cancellation

Teachers must ensure that trip bookings are authorised by the school and relevant senior staff before making their booking. The Florence Nightingale Museum cannot be held liable for covering the costs of a session in instances where schools book and then wish to cancel because relevant permissions with head teachers or parents are unable to be secured.

We ask that payment is made at least two weeks in advance of your session.

Cancellation Policy:

• Schools groups are able to cancel and receive a refund up to 30 working days prior to the session.
• Schools wishing to cancel less than 30 working days prior to the session will be charged the full amount of the visit.

Changes to Your Booking Policy:

• Schools are able to change the date of their visit and re-book free of charge up to 7 working days prior to the session.
• Schools wishing to make changes less than 7 working days prior to the booked session will be charged the full amount of the original session as well as the cost for any sessions subsequently booked.

If you book less than two weeks before the date of the session, please contact us to make payments arrangements.

On very rare occasions, we may need to cancel activities due to unforeseen circumstances. If this happens we will contact schools as soon as we can, and offer alternatives where possible. If schools have already paid and cannot take up our suggested alternatives, we will give a full refund.

Pre-visit

For each session booked, up to two teachers may visit the museum for free prior to their session. Please email info with the date and time that you wish to visit so that we can ensure the relevant staff are available to speak with you and show you the space.

Risk Assessment

Our risk assessment guidance is available to download here. A pre-visit is recommended so that a risk-assessment can be carried out by the lead teachers.

What to expect on the day of your visit

Getting Here

We are located in the grounds of St Thomas’ Hospital, a short walk (10-15 minutes) from Waterloo and Westminster stations and have many bus stops in the area. The museum entrance is located at car park level accessed from Lambeth palace Road- you do not need to go through any hospital building to get to the museum.

If you are running late on the day of your visit, please call the museum on 0208 7188 4400 and let us know your approximate time of arrival. We will try to accommodate lateness but this may not be possible and schools remain liable for the full cost of their session.

Session Timings

Standard session – 10.20 – 12.00 or 12.20 – 14.00

Due to limited space, the Museum is only able to accommodate one class of up to 32 children at a time. Each class will be admitted at the start time and will leave the Museum at the end of their time slot. Activities are scheduled for the above specific times and if a school is late, we may have to adjust or cancel elements of the session. We will try to accommodate lateness but this may not always be possible.

Adult Supervision

We require a supervision level of 1:5 for primary schools. The session cost includes entry for all adults within this ratio, plus any 1:1 SEN support if needed. Please let us know, via your booking form, how many adults will be in attendance on the day.

Accompanying adults are responsible for supervising small groups during the visit, so please ensure all adults in attendance are aware of their responsibilities.  Museum staff & volunteers are unable to supervise school children.

Behaviour

Respecting the space in which you are visiting is vital for the preservation and longevity of our collection, for ensuring the comfort and enjoyment of all visitors here and for ensuring your own safety.

We ask teachers to remind their pupils and accompanying of the following before their visit:

• Please follow any instructions provided by Museum staff
• Please treat the Museum’s spaces and collections with care and respect
• Please walk, don’t run
• Please respect others enjoying their visit
• Please do not eat or drink in the musuem
• Please stay with your group at all times

In making your booking with the Florence Nightingale Museum, you agree that your group will abide by this code. Please ensure all accompanying adults are aware of the code and that children are well supervised throughout their visit.

Lunch

The museum does not have a lunch space and no food or drink (other than water) is to be consumed within the museum. It is your responsibility to make lunch arrangements for the trip but the following spaces are regularly used by schools:

• The Mary Seacole Statue in St Thomas’ Hospital Gardens (a couple of minutes from the museum entrance)
• Archbishop’s park, across the road from the museum
• Jubilee Gardens, 10 minute walk

If the weather is poor the hospital have kindly said that schools may use their café seating are inside the main entrance (please note this is NOT the main dining hall). Some choose choose to eat within Waterloo station sidings or the Southbank centre during poor weather- the museum has no agreement or affiliation with these places so this must be arranged yourselves.