Educational visits for students
We offer a range of opportunities for schools to engage with our outstanding collections of manuscripts, maps, rare books and archives. A visit to the Bodleian Libraries is a wonderful way to introduce students to working with primary sources, develop their visual and verbal literacy, and improve their research skills.
Learning sessions based on the Bodleian's special collections materials, exhibitions and world-class research cover subjects including English, history, modern foreign languages and science. Sessions can be linked to the curriculum or designed to enrich learning beyond the classroom, introduce exciting new topics and allow students to experience an inspiring taste of University teaching. Our education programme is designed for students in KS3 to KS5 and we currently prioritise working with state secondary schools and colleges in Oxfordshire.
Taught sessions include exhibition tours, ‘collections up close’ seminars, study days, lectures, and hands-on printing workshops. We also offer digital resources to support teaching, self-guided gallery visits and independent learning.
Our education programme is designed for students in KS3 to KS5. We also welcome groups visiting as part of Oxford University's widening access and participation initiatives for taster lectures, tours and workshops.
As part of the University of Oxford Gardens, Libraries and Museums (GLAM), we can often arrange complementary sessions with other University collections for joint visits.
Planning a school visit