Safeguarding Policy

Game of Thrones Studio Tour – Child Protection & Supervision Policy

The Game of Thrones Studio Tour is committed to providing a safe, respectful, and positive environment for all young visitors. We follow best-practice safeguarding principles designed to protect children from harm and ensure their well-being during their visit. One of the central pillars of child protection legislation is the principle of Protection, meaning children must be kept safe and appropriate intervention is required if a child is at risk.

We review this policy annually, and it is approved each year by our Senior Management Team.

Expectations for Adult Supervisors

Responsibilities

The responsibility for supervising children (including safety, behaviour, and movement around the building) lies with the accompanying adults — parents, guardians, teachers, or designated group leaders.

When children visit as part of an organised group, the group organiser must inform us at the time of booking who the lead contact is and must ensure they provide the correct number of supervisors as outlined in our terms and conditions.
A minimum of:

1 supervising adult per 10–15 children (depending on age), and

At least 2 adults per group or subgroup is required.

Supervising adults must remain with their group at all times.

Game of Thrones Studio Tour staff are present to deliver the experience, assist with guest services, and support evacuation procedures. They are not trained or vetted to be responsible for children without adult supervision.

All adult supervisors must be 18 years or older.
Young people under 18 may assist informally but cannot be counted as supervisors and must not be responsible for children.

Where possible, groups should be accompanied by a mix of both male and female supervisors. Bus drivers should not be considered supervisory staff unless arranged by the group’s organisers.

Types of Supervision

Close Supervision

The supervisor is in direct sight and immediate contact with the group.

Remote Supervision

The supervisor and group know each other’s location but are not necessarily in direct vision.
In this case:

The supervisor must clearly state where the group will meet next.

The supervisor must remain on the same level and within the same area of the Studio Tour as the young people.

Groups must not move into new areas or sections without adult supervision.

Supervisors must be present when young visitors access retail areas, food outlets, toilets, lifts, or outdoor spaces.

Behaviour & Conduct Expectations

The Game of Thrones Studio Tour team will support schools, colleges, and youth groups in upholding their own behaviour expectations. We ask that all children and young people behave appropriately and respectfully throughout their visit.

Supervisors should ensure that:

Clothing or symbols likely to cause offence or community tension are avoided.

School uniforms are worn where applicable, as they assist with visibility and identification.

Physical or verbal aggression, threats, or inappropriate language are not tolerated.

Horseplay, rough physical games, or disruptive behaviour are avoided.

Noise levels remain considerate of other guests and events.

Damage or vandalism to property is strictly prohibited.

Valuables, large amounts of money, and unnecessary personal belongings are not brought (The Studio Tour cannot accept responsibility for loss or theft).

All instructions from staff regarding health and safety, emergency procedures, and venue guidelines are followed.

Supervision Ratios
Under the Children (NI) Order 1995 – For children under 12 years

On-site activities:
1 adult per 5 children (aged 4–12)

Game of Thrones Studio Tour Ratios

Even though children aged 12+ fall outside this legislation, we require the following minimum ratios and provide free adult places to support them:

Age Group Required Ratio
Preschool/Nursery 1:6 (or as advised by your ELB)
Foundation (4–6 years) 1:10
KS1 (6–8 years) 1:10
KS2 (8–11 years) 1:15
Post-Primary (11–18 years) 1:15

Larger groups divided into smaller subgroups must have at least 2 supervising adults per subgroup, ideally one male and one female for mixed groups.

Additional supervision may be required for children or young people with disabilities, and our team is happy to provide guidance. Extra free places are available for carers supporting children with special educational needs.

Safeguarding & Staff Conduct

Staff Vetting

Game of Thrones Studio Tour staff do not have the prolonged or regular contact with children that is required for formal child safeguarding vetting procedures (e.g., DBS/Access NI).

Staff Behaviour Code

Our team follows strict standards designed to protect both young visitors and staff. Staff must:

Staff Must:

Follow safeguarding policies and procedures at all times.

Treat every guest with respect and without discrimination or prejudice.

Be mindful of children within the venue, especially around safety and supervision.

Staff Must Never:

Participate in rough physical games or horseplay with children.

Allow or engage in any form of inappropriate touching.

Carry out personal tasks for children that a parent or guardian would normally do.

Use humiliating, belittling, or inappropriate language around children.

Take children to the toilet.

Be alone with a child out of sight of others.

Failure to follow the code will result in internal disciplinary actions and, where appropriate, referrals to safeguarding authorities or law enforcement.

Photography Policy

To protect children’s privacy:

The school or youth organisation must obtain explicit parental consent for any images taken for publicity or educational use.

The Studio Tour stores images securely and only authorised team members may access them.

Images are only used for the purposes agreed with parents and are securely deleted when no longer required.

A strict “no photography of young visitors by anyone other than the school’s appointed supervisors” rule is in place during school/youth visits.
Staff may request that unauthorised photos or videos be stopped and deleted.

The Studio Tour complies fully with GDPR and does not share personal data regarding educational visitors.

Further Information

For additional support or questions about safeguarding procedures, please contact:

Game of Thrones Studio Tour – Education & Learning Team
+44 (0)28 40 464 777