Essential Information

A minimum of three hours is recommended, though a typical school visit lasts 10am-2.00pm. All visits can be tailored to your own specific travel times and needs. Please note that if your group is onsite less than three hours, not all recommended activities can be done.

Suitable footwear (not open-toed, but with grip and that you don’t mind getting muddy!), wet weather clothing (whatever the weather at home!), packed lunch (unless you’re getting food from the café!). There are first aid kits situated across site. Hard hats for the site and underground are provided. For the underground section, torches are not necessary as it is partially lit, however for very young, or more nervous students, having a torch to hold can increase their confidence.

Outreach sessions can be held at local schools either before or after your visit; Themed loan boxes are free to borrow for visiting groups (subject to availability); Geevor’s Learning Team is here to help your planning and will draft a timetable for your visit to make the best use of your time whilst onsite.

A loans box is free to borrow for all visiting groups, subject to availability. A box can be borrowed for up to 2 weeks, or if there is no demand, borrowing time can be extended. Only one box can be borrowed by a school at any one time, as we have limited number of boxes! Priority for a loan box will be given to booked groups. It is the borrowers’ responsibility to ensure the loans box is picked up and returned as agreed at booking, and to ensure boxes are returned with all contents intact. A charge may be incurred for damaged or missing objects. Please contact Geevor’s Learning Team to book an available loans box by contacting 01736 788662 or learning@geevor.com

This is led by one of Geevor’s Learning Team and includes a hands-on session of handling objects as preparation or reinforcement of a site visit, or just get them enthused about the topic! Outreaches are available to schools up to 50miles radius of Geevor, but charges depends on distance from Geevor and the length of session required. A Standard 1hour Outreach, covering Mining History basics starts from £50 (ex.VAT) for schools up to 30miles away from Geevor. Other topics for Outreach sessions are also available.

Yes, we offer free site admission for any teacher or group leader prior to bringing their group in order to prepare risk assessment or research for their visit. A general site risk assessment is sent with each booking confirmation.

All ages can experience the site as informal learners. The primary school workshops are age-specific and are arranged in Key Stages as found in the National Curriculum: Early Years (Foundation stage, 3-5yrs), Key Stage 1 (5-7yrs) and Key Stage 2 (7-11yrs). Secondary school (Key Stage 3, 11-14) activities are also available, including downloadable activity booklets and cross-curricular projects developed with local teachers. Activities can also be arranged for older students and lifelong learners. Please contact Geevor’s Learning Team to discuss by contacting 01736 788662 or learning@geevor.com

All school groups have an opportunity to go underground, have a go at panning for gems and hand-drilling, as well as experience a sensory guided tour of selected surface buildings. For primary school groups, optional themed workshops lasting from 30mins to half a day, are also available. The workshops are led by the Learning team and use artefacts and hands-on group activities to encourage the learners’ sensory exploration of various aspects of the mine. Check out our relevant key stage section of this website or the ‘Learning at Geevor’ leaflet for the selection of workshops and activities available. The day will be timetabled for you to make the most of your time onsite and tailored to your groups’ specific needs.

As a group leader you can pre-visit the site for free; browse this website, check out the up-to-date developments on Geevor’s Facebook page; talk with a member of Geevor’s Learning Team. Once booking is confirmed, a bespoke timetable of activities for your visit will be produced for you to fit your requirements.

Yes, each pre-booked visit is guided by a trained Geevor staff member, unless self-guiding is specifically requested but teachers are responsible for their students at all times whilst onsite.

Not necessarily. If your students are between 3yrs-11yrs then we would recommend you choose a primary school workshop to get the most out of your visit onsite, with tailored activities and dedicated staff time. However every groups’ needs are different, so please discuss your specific details with Geevor’s Learning Team beforehand and we will endeavour to help wherever possible, even if you wish to explore the site without a guide.

For primary school workshops, we recommend one class (up to 30 students) is practical, as for most activities we split into two groups of up to 15 each. We have regularly accommodated up to 60 students (i.e. 2 classes) at one time onsite, by swapping activities at lunchtime, but please be aware that this may limit the range of activities available to you.

For the early years (3-5yrs, Foundation Stage/Reception) workshop, called ‘Mini-Miners!’, we recommend a maximum of 30 students at once, due to the increased supervision required.

An indoor eating area suitable for up to 60 students can be available. If fair weather, there is also an outdoor picnic area available. Additionally, Geevor’s Count House Café can provide food, such as pasty lunches, if pre-booked with them in advance, by telephoning 01736 788662.

Toilets can be found around site in the Reception building, next to the picnic area, by the café and in the Hard Rock Museum. Wheelchair-accessible toilets are also available onsite.

The Geevor Shop stocks a range of pocket-money gifts, including stationery and minerals. If you would like your students to have time in the shop, please notify the Learning Team when booking so that it can be timetabled into the day, as only small, supervised groups allowed in the shop at once.

Yes, there are ramps for most of the surface buildings, including the museum, shop and café, and there are wheelchair-accessible toilet facilities onsite. However, due to the industrial nature of the site, the Processing Mill and the Underground are not wheelchair accessible. Please note also that the site is situated on a steep incline. Geevor staff endeavour to be as accommodating as possible for any visitor’s access needs and can suggest alternatives.

The site buildings and underground are checked daily by Geevor staff for safety. A general site risk assessment is sent with each booking confirmation. Hard hats are provided for around the site and overcoats for the underground section and safety goggles are provided for the hand-drilling activity. Groups are guided whilst onsite by trained staff. The underground section requires no climbing or crawling and is routinely experienced by thousands of visitors each year of all ages.

Yes, an evaluation form is sent to the group leader with every invoice following a visit or can be downloaded here and sent to Geevor via email or post. Alternatively, comments can be posted on our Tripadvisor page. Geevor’s Learning Team values your constructive feedback about learning at Geevor and your visiting experience, as it informs our future practice, so please contact us.

Yes, in addition to the main car park their is a separate coach park, both are free.

If you have any further queries, please don’t hesitate to contact Geevor’s Learning Team.

T: 01736 788662

E: learning@geevor.com