Frequently Asked Questions

RHS Hyde Hall School Visits: Guided and Self-guided

Before the visit | On the day | Health and safety | Additional information | Following

Before the visit

Please complete the enquiry booking form which can be found on our webpages once bookings are opened up for the next academic year.

Yes, we recommend making a pre-visit if you are unfamiliar with the Garden. Please contact the Learning team to arrange a date and time to schedule this.

See here for details of the garden including our interactive map.

We do not provide risk assessments for schools. We ask that you attend a pre-visit and then complete your own school risk assessment before your visit. All workshops are carried out by trained professionals.

Considerations for creating your visit risk assessment for RHS Hyde Hall

We will confirm your booking upon receipt of your completed booking form. Please ensure that all parts of the form are completed.

The RHS is the UK’s leading gardening charity and all educational visits to RHS gardens are funded by the RHS (free). If you feel able to give a donation to the RHS to help support our educational work this would be much appreciated, we ask you to consider a donation of £3 per student for your visit.

Accompanying adults are also admitted free of charge.

All of our programmes include outdoor experiences in the garden.

Workshops will go ahead in most types of weather. Please ensure that the students and accompanying adults are dressed sensibly for the weather, with suitable footwear and appropriate clothing and during hot weather we recommend that pupils bring re-fillable water bottles, hats and sunscreen.

It is advisable that pupils visiting the garden have up-to-date tetanus inoculation, particularly if a hands-on gardening activity is planned. For information about tetanus please see here.

This will depend on the time of year and activities taking place around the garden and will be confirmed at the time of booking.

For Guided workshops we can usually accommodate 60 students (this can be higher during the spring/summer).

For Self-guided visits – contact the Learning team to check availability. Self-guided resources can be found on our webpages.

On the day

Coaches are able to drop off passengers in the coach drop off area and park in the allocated parking bays.

Guided visits
A member of our Education Team will meet you at the front entrance upon arrival. Please aim to arrive by 10am.

Self-guided visits
Please make your way to one of our welcome desks at the visitors’ entrance and a member of staff will direct you into the garden.

Our guided workshops usually run from 10am to 2pm with a break for lunch. For self-guided visits you can arrive and leave at any time during opening hours.

Guided visits
Students can leave their belongings in the designated cloakroom areas provided in the Clore Learning Centre.

Self-guided visits
Students will need to carry their belongings with them throughout the visit.

A cardboard box to carry home your plants
A bin bag to take home all your lunch waste
First aid kit / any specific medication required

Yes, each workshop provides the opportunity to plant a seed or cutting to take back to school. Please bring a cardboard box with you to transport these.

Please remind pupils that our gardens are home to a variety of wildlife, including ducks and geese. For their safety and wellbeing, we ask that students observe animals from a distance and do not touch, chase, or feed them.

Guided visits
During your guided visit, we have allocated areas for lunch either within the classroom or in the school outside picnic area (weather permitting).

Self-guided visits
We are unable to provide indoor lunch space for self-guided visits however there is a picnic area on Clover Hill which you can find located on our interactive map of the garden.

Download our Lunchbox Challenge, and encourage healthier packed lunches.

Health and Safety

At the start of your guided visit and to protect the garden, you will be briefed by an Education Officer on Health and Safety procedures while in the garden. This will include fire and safety, and evacuation measures for the Clore Learning Centre. We rely on your support to help students understand the importance of behaving responsibly in nature and so ask you the following:

All accompanying staff actively supervise their students throughout the visit
Pupils are respectful of the natural environment, including plants, animals, and other visitors
Any inappropriate behaviour is addressed promptly

Your engagement and leadership make a big difference in helping us maintain a safe and enjoyable environment for everyone.

Accompanying school staff are responsible for pupils’ safety and other needs, including medication and behaviour, at all times during their visit. We have first aiders on duty every day, should one of your group need assistance, however, RHS staff will only carry out first aid under the direction and authority of an accompanying school staff member.

Please let us know on your booking form if any students have allergies or require special assistance.

Please speak to the Education Officers about any special needs or access requirements that you may have. Our garden is accessible for wheelchair use. More information on Accessibility at RHS Garden Hyde Hall can be found on our web pages.

Foundation: 1:4
Years 1-3: 1:6
Years 4-6: 1:8
All Others: 1:10
Our safeguarding policy requires a minimum of three accompanying adults per class.
Additional adults to support SEND learners are welcome.

We understand that sometimes you may need to bring extra help, in order for your group to visit us safely. We are happy for you to include a reasonable number of additional adults if and when you feel this is necessary.

Guided workshops and Self-guided visits
Areas of the garden, including the play areas, may be closed during high winds, rain or ice weather. Hot or cold temperatures may also impact visits.

During AMBER weather warnings and below, we will do our best to accommodate visits safely and comfortably, making changes to workshop activities and locations where necessary. Please ensure your children come prepared - waterproofs, suncream, water bottles etc. If you would prefer to cancel / rearrange, we will do our best to accommodate this.

During RED weather warnings, school visits will be cancelled. or if possible, rearranged.

The RHS is not liable for expenses incurred as a result of cancelled visits.

Additional booking information

Autumn Term 2026 bookings will open in March 2026
Spring/Summer Term 2027 will open in September 2026.

Detailed information on calendar availability and opening will be updated on our website nearer the time.

Yes, please see the LOtC website for details, or email us for a copy of our certificate.

Many of our school workshops are fully booked with slots in high demand. If you need to cancel your school visit, it is essential you email us as soon as possible and with at least ONE MONTH’S NOTICE so we can reallocate your place to another school.

RHS Garden Hyde Hall is an outdoor attraction and may be closed or partially closed in the event of dangerous weather without notice. Please keep an eye on met office forecasts and contact us if you have any concerns.

If the garden is closed in full, workshops will be cancelled. If the garden remains open or is only partially closed due to weather, workshops will go ahead but schools should be aware that we may change workshops or provide an indoor alternative

Following your visit

School donation letter

We have a wonderful Education Team here who are passionate about engaging children in a fun day of learning about plants, nature and exploring our fantastic garden.

We would be grateful if you could take a moment to share your thoughts by following this link: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/2G7DGX8

Get involved

The RHS is the UK’s gardening charity, helping people and plants to grow - nurturing a healthier, happier world, one person and one plant at a time.