School Visits Fund
Please be advised that grants are allocated on a first-come first-served basis; funding is not guaranteed, even if you meet the eligibility criteria.
Established in 2015 the School Visits Fund provides the opportunity for schools to apply for grants to pay for school trips to the City Corporation’s cultural venues.
Funding is available to any state-maintained school with a pupil premium rate of 35% or more, special schools or youth organisations. Schools/organisations can apply for up to £275 for any trip that takes place on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday and for up to £325 for any trip taking place on a Monday or Friday.
About the School Visit Fund
What is the City of London Cultural & Creative Learning Fund?
The School Visits Fund aims to enable children to experience the benefits of learning outside the classroom.
Following the closure of schools and cultural venues due to COVID-19, the School Visits Fund aims to support the educational recovery of pupils in London. Funding is available for schools with a pupil premium level of 35% (the average in London) or above.
SEND schools or Pupil Referral Units do not need to meet the pupil premium requirement to be eligible for funding. Non-school educational organisations that work with school-age children can also apply to the fund.
Which venues can I use the fund to visit?
You can take your students to any venue in our portfolio of 19 inspiring cultural destinations.
- Bank of England Museum
- Barbican
- Barbican Library
- Barts Heritage
- Billingsgate Roman House and Baths
- The Charterhouse
- Dr. Johnson’s House
- Epping Forest
- Goldsmith’s Centre
- Gresham College
- Guildhall Art Gallery
- Guildhall Library
- Guildhall School of Music & Drama
- Hampstead Heath
- Keats House
- The London Centre
- London Metropolitan Archives
- London Mithraeum Bloomberg Space
- London’s Roman Amphitheatre
- London Symphony Orchestra
- The Monument
- Museum of London
- Museum of London Docklands
- Museum of the Order of St John
- St Paul’s Cathedral
- Small Business Research + Enterprise Centre
- Temple Bar London
- Tower Bridge
- West Ham Park
Step-by-step guide of the process
Step One
Submit application via the form. (We will notify you about the outcome of your application within 10 working days)
Step Two
Run your trip and retain all receipts
Step Three
Submit proof of bank details, new supplier form, and receipts
Step Four
Complete evaluation to be reimbursed.
FAQ
Money is reimbursed following your visit to the venue. Grants are released once we have received all relevant receipts, new supplier form, proof of bank details and a completed evaluation form.
Payment will be made within 30 days of confirmation of receipt of these documents.
To be eligible to apply for the City of London School Visits Fund, your school must meet all the following criteria:
- Your school or organisation must be in Greater London (within the M25);
- Your school must have a minimum pupil premium level of 35% (please note that this criterion does not apply to special schools);
- Your visit must be taking place before the end of the academic year 2024/25.
All state schools, including faith schools, special schools, and academies are eligible to apply for funding. Special schools are not required to meet the pupil premium criteria. Independent schools are not eligible to apply for funding.
You can apply for up to £275 for any trip that takes place on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday and for up to £325 for any trip taking place on a Monday or Friday. There is no minimum amount. You may make up to three applications per school in one academic year.
Provided your school meets the eligibility criteria, you can make separate applications to visit different venues. You may make up to three applications per school in one academic year. There is no limit on the number of applications you can make overall, so even if you have used the fund in a previous year can apply for further visits.
The money you apply for can be used to cover any reasonable essential costs (or part of a cost) associated with your visit, such as the cost of transport to your chosen venue (for example, coach or minibus hire), staff cover, admission fees or an activity at the venue.
The money does not have to be used for a single purpose – you can apply for funds to help with more than one aspect of the trip.
All the venues included in the fund are in the Cultural and Creative Learning strategy's portfolio of partners, which is led by the Education Strategy Unit in the City Corporation. This fund was set up to increase access to these cultural attractions.
More information
Email the Cultural & Creative Learning Coordinator