Coach parking
There is no access for coaches on the Cathedral site (individual disabled parking is available). The nearest drop off point is outside the Dick Whittington Pub, just a couple of minutes’ walk away. Coach parking in Westgate Street Car Park (SAT NAV: GL1 2SZ) is on a first come, first serve basis and is free for coaches and minibuses. It is approximately a 5-10 minute walk from the Cathedral. The services last for approximately one hour. Please provide this information to your coach company when planning arrivals and departures.
Arrival Time
Plan to arrive at either 10:00am or 1:00pm, aiming to be seated 15-20 minutes before the start of each service. This allows for your pupil volunteers to be told about their duties. If you are unavoidably delayed and you think that you will be arriving after the start of the service, please contact: xxxx and leave a message with the name of your school and the estimated time of arrival.
Entrance arrangements
There will be flags outside the door to guide you into the Cathedral, where you will be met by stewards. Please ensure we have registered your arrival, and you have collected your holding crosses, before you take your seats.
Banner, reader and candle volunteers
Please seat all your volunteers (banner, reader and candle volunteers) near to aisle seats with your school group, for easy access.
Banners – Please bring your school banner on the day. Once your banner volunteer has found they’re aisle seat, please can they take their banner to the steward in the far-right hand south aisle before the start of the service. On handing in their banner, they will be given further instructions by stewards about the banner procession. If an adult can accompany them that would be helpful.
Candle – Once your candle volunteers have found their aisle seats, please ask both your child and adult candle volunteers to speak to the candle steward (in the right hand aisle) to confirm arrangements. The candle may be taken back to school to use in collective worship.
Reader(s) (where relevant) – if you have a pupil who is taking part in the prayers/reading, please send them to the front centre of the nave to speak to Mr David Williams to confirm arrangements for their reading, once they have found their aisle seat.
An Inclusive Service
We want everyone who comes to our Leavers’ Services to feel comfortable and able to be a part of the experience. If you have children who find the use of fidgets/fiddle toys beneficial in such events, they are welcome to bring them. The acoustics of the Cathedral and use of audio-visual equipment means that some children find ear defenders helpful. Again, they are welcome to bring these. We recommend that anything brought to the Cathedral is named as there will be many schools and children present.
We will have a Sensory Spirituality Space available for children with identified additional needs. This gazebo area will be accessible for pupils who may need to leave the main nave of the Cathedral to regulate but still be nearby and have a quiet view of the leavers’ services. The sensory space will be accessible via the right-hand (south) aisle, up the ramp, and to the right.
Any child using this space must be accompanied by an adult. The steward who will be supervising this area is there to help keep the space welcoming for all but is not there to supervise a child or to assist them.
If it would help you to share this information with a pupil in advance, the sensory space will include the following options to help with regulating: on-loan ear defenders, beanbag seats, mindfulness colouring, puzzles, a bubble/lava lamp and more.
We need a clear indication of the number of children who are likely to have a genuine need to access this for each service. Therefore, if you have children for whom this is relevant, please indicate this on the Essential Information Form.
Accessibility
The main ground floor of the Cathedral is step free. There is an accessible toilet on the ground floor in the Cloisters. There are six disabled parking spaces available on a first-come first-serve basis. Full details can be found in the Cathedral accessibility guide.
If you would benefit from having seats saved towards the front for children with visual impairment, or a chair removed to allow a wheelchair space, please state this on the Essential information form. If you are bringing more than six people you will definitely have at least one end of row seat as part of your seating. Please only make special seating requests if you are below this number of people in your group or there is an exceptional need for multiple end of row seats.
Toilet Trips
Ideally, please ensure that any children needing the toilet are taken before the service begins (always accompanied by an adult from your group). The stewards will be able to direct staff with children to the toilets where necessary. Please note: the toilets are open to the public and accessed through the Cloisters, opposite the Garth – inner gardens – to the left.
Lunch
Your school group are welcome to eat packed lunches either before or after the service in the grounds of the Cathedral. If it is raining, you are welcome to eat in the Cloisters area, which is a covered area with stone benches, but please be aware that there are building works being undertaken in part of the Cloisters so some areas are currently not accessible. There are no lunch tables available and these spaces are not reserved but are available for all, including the general public. School staff are responsible for their arrangements and full supervision during lunchtime.
In the Event of an Emergency
Procedures for evacuating the Cathedral in the event of an emergency will be managed by the Vergers and Cathedral staff. If First Aid is required, First Aider Vergers will be on hand in the Cathedral to help. Please ask a steward, who will get help to you.
A risk assessment is available to view if required.
Questions? Please email ku.gr1777463570o.coi1777463570dsolg1777463570@srev1777463570aello1777463570ohcs1777463570 in advance. On the day of your services please contact us via ku.gr1777463570o.coi1777463570dsolg1777463570@noit1777463570acude1777463570 or on ?
