Ulster Folk & Transport Museum : Learning : Schools And Colleges : Guidelines For Schools : Museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland

Guidelines For Schools

Location
The Ulster Folk and Transport Museum is about 7 miles outside Belfast on the main Belfast - Bangor Road (A2). Although most educational groups arrive by private coach or school minibus, the Museum is also served by Ulsterbus and Northern Ireland Railways (NIR). For those groups wishing to visit the Transport Museum only and who are close to a train station, NIR may well be the best option for travel as they offer special concessions to school groups travelling to the Museum.

Payment
Admission prices are payable on arrival on the day of your visit. If you wish to be invoiced for a group visit, please mention when you book.

Guidelines for planning your visit
If you wish to see all of the Museum, a full day is required for the visit. For shorter, more focused. Visits, the following times are suggested:

Transport Galleries	1-3 hours
Folk Galleries	up to 1 hour
Town area	1-2 hours
Rural area	1-2 hours

The above times are only a guideline and will depend on the depth of your study.

What we expect from you:

Supervision
The primary responsibility for the welfare of children/young people visiting the Museum rests with their teachers/group leaders at all times and therefore all students must be supervised while visiting the Museum. Responsibility for students can not be passed on to the Museum or its staff.

We therefore recommend that you adhere to the following ratios which are laid down by the Children Order (NI) 1995:

0-2 years	1 to 3 children
2-3 years	1 to 4 children
3-7 years	1 to 8 children
7 years +	2 s (preferably one of each gender) for up to 20 children/young people and one additional staff member for every additional 10 children/young people therefore.

Please remember that children/young people must be supervised at all times.

Behaviour
The Museum wishes that all visitors have an enjoyable stay and expects all visitors to display courtesy and respect for others and for Museum property at all times. We therefore ask that as a group leader you do not allow your group to:

make any sectarian, ist, racist or other offensive remarks towards any person or group;
vandalise Museum property;
leave litter in the Museum grounds;
scare or hurt the animals;
enter areas of the Museum that are obviously not open to the public;
use bad language;
smoke;
consume alcohol or use proscribed ;
bully (verbally or physically);
use threatening, abusive or violent behaviour.

In the event that any of the above are not followed, the Museum reserves the right to refuse admission and/or ask the group to leave. Where a group causes malicious damage, the Museum also reserves the right to take additional action which may include charging the group for any damage caused.

Lost children
The Museum covers a large area and it is therefore possible to lose one of your group during the visit. If you do so, you should contact any member of Museum Staff immediately and Museum procedures will be followed.

First Aid/Accident/Emergency
A small number of Museum staff are trained to administer First Aid. If you have an accident or emergency, or if you or any of your group requires First Aid, contact any member of Museum staff who will follow Museum procedures.

Child Protection
The Museum operated a Child Protection Policy. For further information contact The Education Department.

Special Educational Needs
The Ulster Folk and Transport Museum provides excellent opportunities for pupils with physical and learning disabilities. Visits and activities can be arranged to meet the needs of these pupils by telephoning in advance. There is no admission charge to pupils with special educational needs.

Lunch facilities
The Museum has a public tea room which serves hot meals, sandwiches etc. Arrangements can be made in advance for organised groups with specific catering requirements by telephoning the Museum and asking for the caterers.

There are several areas in the Museum where packed lunches can be eaten and these should normally be booked in advance. Packed lunches should not be eaten in any of the Museum's tea rooms.

On fine days groups may picnic in many areas of the grounds.

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ULSTER FOLK & TRANSPORT MUSEUM

Guidelines For Schools