Terms and conditions | Historic Royal Palaces

Our terms and conditions for booking a school visit, including refunds and cancellations

Coronavirus (COVID-19) closures

All school visits due to take place from Monday 23 March 2020 to 14^th May 2021 have now been cancelled. We will be in touch with all groups due to visit during this time. School visits to Hampton Court Palace, Kensington Palace, and the Tower of London will resume in June 2021. Visits to Hillsborough Castle and Gardens will resume in May 2021. Due to the changing nature of the current situation, we are able to reschedule your visit in the event of national lockdowns, local lockdowns, or students needing to self-isolate. Please contact us as soon as possible to discuss your options.

Terms and conditions

Once your visit is booked it is fully subject to these terms and conditions. You will receive a booking confirmation email which will have your invoice attached.
Please ensure that your finance team have received your invoice and are aware of the payment terms detailed on your invoice and when it is to be paid by. As the person making the booking, it is your responsibility to ensure that your finance team have received the invoice, and that it is paid on time.
In the unlikely event that your invoice is not paid by your payment due date, you will be chased for payment by our finance team. All outstanding invoices must be settled before any further bookings will be made for your school or company.
We retain the right to cancel your booking, or refuse entry, if payment isn't made on time. We reserve the right to charge interest in line with The Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998.
Your deadline for payment, cancelling or amending your booking is 42 days (6 weeks) prior to your visit date. If you need to make any amendments to your booking, or need to cancel for any reason, you must let us know in writing before this date. If you inform us of a cancellation after this date you will still be charged for your visit as per your latest invoice and will not be refunded for any payment that has been made.
Coronavirus (Covid-19): During the 2020/21 academic year we will accept amendments to your visit date should your school be affected by a local lockdown or other Covid-19 related issue. You must notify us in writing prior to your visit date, visits may be rescheduled within the 2020/21 academic year only.
If you need to add extra pupils or adults please let us know before your amendment deadline date, as mentioned above. You may be charged the general group admission rate for any additions made after this date.
If you need to reduce the number of people on your booking you must let us know prior to your 6 week amendment deadline. If you let us know after this deadline you will still be charged for the full invoice as per the numbers you originally booked.
Should it be necessary to change the ‘School Contact’ , ‘Lead Teacher’/’Group Leader’ or ‘Finance Contact’ on your booking you must notify us via email, using the details found on your booking confirmation.
Pupils and students must be supervised at all times according to our supervision ratios. You are responsible for ensuring that all adults in your group are aware of the supervision requirements. Please refer to our Essential Information packs for more information. Adult supervisors are responsible for the behaviour of pupils. If pupils misbehave or are not adequately supervised, Historic Royal Palaces (HRP) has the right to ask the whole group to leave the site. You are responsible for any damage caused to HRP property by any member of your group during your visit.
Our staff reserve the right to refuse entry to groups who do not meet these ratios, with no possibility of a refund.

Early Years Foundation Stage = 1:4 (free adult spaces available up to 1:2)
Key Stage 1 = 1:5 (ages 4 -7)
Key Stages 2, 3 & 4 = 1:10 (ages 7-15)
Key Stage 5 and up = 1:15 (16 +)

If you are late on the day of your visit you must call us on 0203 166 6646 to confirm your estimated time of arrival. We will then discuss your options with you.
If you have booked a session: Due to the number of sessions that presenters deliver during the day please be aware that if you are between 15 and 30 minutes late you will receive a shortened session. Groups who are more than 30 minutes late will forfeit their session.
If you are booked for a self-led visit: You must arrive onsite within 30 minutes of your allocated entry time. Unfortunately, if you arrive after 15:00 we cannot guarantee you entry to the site, and you may forfeit your tickets, without a refund.
Please note we cannot give refunds for late cancellations or non-arrivals.
Historic Royal Palaces (HRP) have the right to cancel bookings at any time. In such a situation, HRP will endeavour to provide as much notice as possible, but shall only be liable to refund you the booking payment only. Any other costs incurred are at your risk.
Palace routes, exhibitions, and on-site experiences are subject to changes and occasional last-minute closures. We cannot give refunds for such closures.
Intellectual property rights and copyright of any materials provided or delivered during any education sessions belong to Historic Royal Palaces and may not be utilised or re-purposed without our permission.
In respect of any dispute, the laws of England and Wales will apply, except in respect of Hillsborough Castle and Gardens bookings where the laws of Northern Ireland will apply.
If you are a school, educational establishment, or home educator you may not without our consent sell learning rate admissions other than to members of a club, school or association. Sales must be in line with our learning rate admission prices as sold to you. Our consent is at our sole discretion.
Agents may sell learning rate admission only as part of a package comprising the learning rate admission and other elements such as accommodation and/or transport. Any package which includes learning rate admission must offer "good value for money". It must be sold for the price which the Visitor would reasonably expect to pay for a similar package.
We reserve the right to withdraw our learning rate should we uncover practices which contravene these terms.

Refunds and Cancellations

We regret that no refunds can be given for cancellations, or for amendments made less than six weeks in advance of your visit. This includes non-arrivals on the day.