Home Educators offer for Buckingham Palace sites
- Next event: 15 Jun 2026
Every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday (6 Mar 2026 - 3 Dec 2027) - Key stage 1, Key stage 2, Key stage 3, Key stage 4
- Art & Design, Citizenship, English, History
- Art History, British values, Buckingham Palace, Changes within living memory, Chronology, Coronation, Creative writing, Critical understanding of artists, Drawing techniques, Famous people, Historical Interpretation, Kings and Queens, Learning from paintings, Monarchy, Portraits, Transport
Royal Collection Trust continues to welcome Home Educators to our sites and would like to invite Home Educator Families to join our inspiring and educational activities at the Royal Mews, The King's Gallery and The State Rooms, Buckingham Palace.
This page outlines the planned offer for Home Educator families and groups for 2026.
Reduced rate admission is available for children at the schools groups rate. See 'Prices' tab for details. One complementary adult ticket is provided for every 2 child tickets.
Self-Guided visits:
All Home Education Families and Groups are welcome to book a self-guided visit to the Royal Mews, The King's Gallery and The State Rooms during our opening periods and during UK term-time.
Home Educator Days:During 2026 there will be opportunities to participate in our Home Educator Days at The Royal Mews and The State Rooms, Buckingham Palace. On both occasions, these sites are closed to the general public, providing you with an exclusive opportunity to explore these amazing locations at your own pace.
A number of different activities will be provided and repeated at different points during those days so that your family can experience as much or as little as they wish. In addition there will be a drop-in Arts & Crafts workshops that can be accessed at any point during your visit or you can use our age appropriate activity trails to discover more about the history and role of our sites.
These events have been created with the flexible needs of Home Educator families in mind, with the activities created to allow families to work together during the sessions.Further details about the specific events can be found in the 'Upcoming Home Educator events' section below.
Taught workshops for Home Education Groups:Home Education Groups can book taught workshops on a number of days during the year for our sites. This opportunity includes:
- The Royal Mews - select from one of the current workshops available to schools. These sessions are available from 14:30 on:
- Thursday 16 April
- Thursday 25 June
- Thursday 22 October
- The State Rooms, Buckingham Palace for the 'Behind the Throne' workshop. Further details on dates and booking information will be available in the 'Upcoming Home Educator events' section below. Please continue to check this page for updated details nearer the time.
Please contact the Learning Bookings team if you wish to make a booking. Details available in the 'How to Book Info' tab.
- The Royal Mews - select from one of the current workshops available to schools. These sessions are available from 14:30 on:
General information
Changing the Guard
On Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays the Changing the Guard ceremony takes place at the front of Buckingham Palace, facing the Mall. The ceremony begins at 11:00, however large crowds start to gather beforehand.
If you are travelling to the Royal Mews around this time we recommend you travel from the direction of Victoria station. Avoid travelling from the direction of Green Park.
If you are travelling by car, coach or bus be aware that roads around the area will close before the ceremony, causing traffic to move slowly.
The ceremony is usually finished by 12:00.
By underground
The nearest tube stations are Victoria, Green Park, St. James's Park and Hyde Park Corner (all approximately 10 minutes walk).
For further information visit the Transport for London website.
By train
The nearest train stations are London Victoria (10 minute walk) or London Charing Cross (20 minute walk).
Visit National Rail Enquiries for times and fares.
By coach/bus
Bus numbers 11, 211, C1 and C10 stop on Buckingham Palace Road. Victoria Coach Station is a 10-minute walk from the Palace.
For further information visit the Transport for London website.
Our learning programmes are designed to be accessible to all pupils. Most of our sessions can be adapted to meet any educational or access needs your group may have. Please ask for details when booking.
You may find the information for visitors on the Autism spectrum helpful when planning your visit to The Royal Mews.
Free access companion tickets are available for adults accompanying any pupils with a disability in your group.
Pre-booked school groups to The Royal Mews will have use of the facilities in the Learning Room, which is within the Royal Mews precinct. This is your base for the duration of your visit to the mews. Facilities include a space to eat packed lunches and a safe place to leave coats and bags.
If lunch spaces are unavailable, Green Park and St James’s Park are located nearby. Lunch room facilities are available at the nearby Girl Guiding UK ICANDO Centre on Buckingham Palace Road. For bookings please telephone 020 7592 1818.
To find out more or to make a booking contact the Learning Bookings team.
Please have to hand:
- Preferred date and possible alternatives, plus time of arrival
- Numbers of children and supervising adults
- The taught programme you would like
- Details of any special educational or access needs
Please use the downloadable Bookings Forms to send your details to the Learning Bookings Team.
You will then be sent a reservation letter, together with your teachers’ resource pack, giving a date by which full payment must be received to secure the booking.
Please note: you may be asked to cover the cost of the session if you cancel within short notice of your visit. Non-booked schools will be charged at standard group admission rates. Please see our Terms of Application for Learning Group Admissions.
Contact us
Learning Bookings Team
Ticket Sales and Information Office
Buckingham Palace
London SW1A 1AAT. (+44) (0)303 123 7323
F. (+44) (0)20 7930 9625
[email protected]Sharing Learning Objectives
You will find our learning objectives for each taught session on the relevant programme information page. Sending us your learning objectives prior to your visit will help us tailor the session to your group’s requirements.
Planning Visits
Once you have made your booking, we offer two complimentary tickets for you and a colleague to conduct a planning visit. If you would like to meet a member of the Learning team during this visit, please let us know at the time of booking.
Reduced-rate admission for school groups
Pre-booked school groups: £3.00 per pupil
Children in Reception or below: FREEPlease note the minimum school group sizes for booking taught workshops are:
- 15 Pupils
- 10 Pupils for SEN groups
All online workshops: £50 per class attending a booked session.
Accompanying adults
One teacher or adult helper is admitted free of charge at the following ratios:
- Under 5s - 1 adult: 3 pupils
- Years 1 to 3 - 1 adult: 6 pupils
- Year 4 and above - 1 adult: 10 pupils
Please ask for details of rates for additional adults when booking.
Arrival
Following your booking a confirmation letter, with an agreed arrival time, will be sent to you; your letter serves as a ticket for your group. The group leader must have a copy of the confirmation letter to present on arrival.
Security Measures
Royal Collection Trust sites have airport-style security measures at all public entry points, through which all visitors, including school groups, are required to enter. All adults and children will be asked to:
- Allow any bags to be searched by hand
- Walk through a metal detector arch, one at a time
- Switch off mobile phones
The Royal Collection Trust Learning section asks that teachers undertake the following guidelines to make entry to Royal Collection Trust sites as smooth and quick as possible:
- Please arrive at the Royal Collection Trust site at least 15 minutes before the scheduled time for the booked workshop
- Teachers and children should not bring the following: scissors, compasses, metal cutlery, sharp metallic implements
- Only bring what you need! The Royal Collection Trust Learning section will provide all necessary equipment such as clipboards, pencils and drawing materials (groups can bring their own sketchbooks if they prefer to use these)
