British Motor Museum

School Trips

Why book British Motor Museum for School Trips and Educational Visits?

Students will be inspired by our Art Deco style building and our amazing collection of British cars. The Museum is a great place for students to learn about how transport has developed and discover more about the people and products of the motor industry in the West Midlands.

Our extensive schools programme includes hands-on workshops and interactive Museum sessions in addition to self-led sessions and a range of add on activities. We also offer bespoke Museum tours and subject talks from our partners in industry for older students and adult learners.

The Museum offers a number of downloadable resources such as Maths and Science quizzes for KS1 and KS2 and can provide activities to structure free time whilst you explore our collection.

To make your visit as easy as possible, parking is free and there is a coach drop off point outside the Museum entrance. Accessible toilets, dedicated Learning Spaces and a lunch area are all included in the price of your visit. The experienced Learning team will offer a warm welcome and a mix of formal and informal sessions.

We welcome visits from SEND schools and pride ourselves on making a bespoke visit to support your students and their needs whilst creating a safe space for them to learn and have fun.

Teacher Checklist

Risk Assessments
Inspection Visits
Free Places for Teachers
Resource Packs

What activities are available during group visits?

The Museum offers a range of Interactive Museum Sessions and Hands-on Workshops:

Journeys through Time EYFS & KS1 – includes costumed role play and a tour along the Museum’s ‘Time Road’.

History of Transport KS2 - covers the local history of the motor car and includes a guided tour lead by costumed characters, role play and an object handling session.

Engineering Apprentices KS2, KS3 and KS4- explores the role of a Formula 1 pit crew and includes racing a remote control D-Type Jaguar around our track. (MAX 45 students)

Materials & Movement EYFS & KS1- explores the materials that are used to make cars through fun costumed role play and includes a LEGO® car building challenge.

Fashion vs Function EYFS, KS1 & KS2 - investigates how cars are designed for different purposes and allows pupils to become a car designer for the day and take home a customized Land Rover cut out car. *This is also offered as a virtual session.*

Discovering Forces KS2 - examines the different forces that act on vehicles. Includes a team car building challenge using LEGO® bricks.

Ready, Salt, Go! KS2, KS3 - Join the Professor and become scientists for the day in this interactive, narrative immersion activity where pupils build a car powered by salt and water to take back to school. *This is also offered as a virtual session.*

Bespoke Museum Tours KS3, KS4, KS5 & University/ apprentices - these interactive and hands-on tours can be tailored to the topic your students are studying. *These can also be delivered as virtual sessions.*

We also offer self-led visits and have a number of downloadable resources teachers can use to assist with their visit.

Which Curriculum Subjects do you cater for?

Maths topics: Ratio and proportion.

Explore ratios in our Ready, Salt, Go! workshop or test your maths skills out in the Museum with our downloadable KS1 and KS2 maths challenges.

Physics topics: Forces, Fuels and Energy, Electricity and circuits.

Explore energy, motion and how forces affect the design of our cars in our interactive workshops or test your science skills out in the Museum with our downloadable science challenges.

In our Ready, Salt, Go! workshop, students could join the Professor for the day, becoming climate change scientists and building a car powered by salt and water.

Design Technology topics: Mechanics and engineering.

Discover how cars are designed for different purposes and then put your knowledge to the test by designing your own Land Rover cut out car to take back to school in our Fashion vs Function workshop.

Older students can look under bonnets and in through doors to chart the development of the motor car through the decades and explore the designs of the fascinating vehicles in our collection.

PSHE topics: Teamwork and resilience.

A number of our hands-on workshops encourage teamwork and communication skills. Students can work together to build LEGO® cars in our Materials and Movement or Discovering Forces workshops or form a pit crew to race a remote controlled D-Type Jaguar as part of Engineering Apprentices.

Industrial

For Primary schools, our popular Journeys through Time and History of Transport sessions explore the development of the automotive industry, with a focus on the West Midlands.

Learn from Bertha Benz the story of the world’s first car and meet Herbert Austin to discover how his Austin 7 revolutionized the motor industry and the way we travel today.

Victorian

Discover the oldest cars in our collection and find out what it was like to drive them from characters such as Bertha Benz and Herbert Austin.

Local History

Discover the local history of the motor car and go on an exclusive guided tour and object handling session with our costumed characters Bertha Benz and Herbert Austin in our History of Transport session.

Older students can opt for a bespoke Museum tour to cover the local history of the motor industry.

SEN

Engineering

What size groups do you cater for?

The maximum capacity for visits is 60 pupils (dependent on programme) and this is usually divided into a maximum of 30 pupils per workshop session.

Do you offer on-site classroom facilities?

The Museum has two purpose built Learning Spaces and quiet spaces can be provided on request.

Is there first aid on site?

The Museum has trained members of staff able to provide first aid.

Do you offer access for visitors with disabilities?

The Museum aims to cater for the needs of all its visitors and is mostly wheelchair accessible with cars in the Museum being viewable from all sides. The Museum and Collections Centre both have flat, level flooring and there are lifts to all floors, induction loops and accessible toilets. Our audio visuals are fully subtitled and wheelchairs are available on request; however it is advisable to pre-book. Any 1:1 support staff are offered free admission.

If you have any questions about accessibility or would like to discuss how we can assist you on your visit, please call us on 01926 895300 or email bookings@britishmotormuseum.co.uk

Do you cater for visitors with Special Educational Needs (SEN)?

Sensory Touch and Access Tours can be booked in advance and quiet spaces can be provided on request. Our friendly Learning team can provide formal and informal learning opportunities for students of all ages and abilities.

Anything else?

The British Motor Museum offers a Travel Support Fund aimed at helping schools with the cost of their transport to the Museum.

Prayer space can be provided on request.