Information for Visitors

LOCATION

All our classes are in Wilmslow Library, SK9 1NW.

If you arrive before 10, you will need to enter via the side door, just to the left of the main door. The main Library doors do not open until 10.00 AM except on Saturdays. Go up the stairs (or use the lift) and our room is immediately in front of you.

There is more information about our location on the "Find Us" page.

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NOTE: Just for the 5 weeks from Wednesday 30th October until Saturday 30th November we will be at the Quaker Meeting House (QMH) at 1a Bourne Street, Wilmslow, SK9 5HD (next to the Wilmslow Guild) whilst the Christmas Shop occupies our space in the Library. The QMH is a charming building, with a nice workspace for us and with rather better additional facilities than we have in the Library. Please find a parking space in the street either in Bourne Street or on neighbouring roads and not in the Guild car park. The QMH is 0.8 miles from the railway station and 0.6 miles from the Library.

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SCHOOL HOURS

Term dates are on this page.​

Class times are 9 AM to 1 PM. We are completely flexible about times; if you want to arrive late or leave early, that is always fine, and you don't need to inform us. We have a tea break at 11, with lots of snacks. If you would like something more substantial, just across the car park is a large Sainbury's where you can get a sandwich and Costa coffee meal deal at a low price.

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Any school day is fine to visit, although Thursdays are generally best for CPD and for new student visitors. Peter is in every day and Malcolm is usually in on Thursdays and Fridays. We really don't need any notice for teachers or for students who have visited us on previous occasions, you can just turn up. Information for visiting students is here.

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The number of teachers and students varies considerably from day to day and from week to week. We have 15 trainees (September 2024), but most are part-time, so on our average day there about 3/4 teachers and about 7/8 students with a wide variation. Thursdays tend to be busiest, but not always.

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INFORMATION FOR VISITING TEACHERS

All qualified teachers are always welcome to visit our classes on any training day, without notice, and are always free to arrive and depart at the time of their choosing. This is normal for our school, you don't need to ask!

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Visiting newer teachers have two choices:

1) You can come as a teacher, in which case you will receive some turns and can work with trainees as much or as little as you like, or,

2) You can come as a formal postgraduate student. As a postgraduate, you will receive turns from most (sometimes all) of the teachers each day and be offered supervised hands-on groups on some days (especially on Thursdays) with Malcolm or Peter and sometimes with other teachers. You are free to work with trainees as much or as little as you like.

INFORMATION FOR VISITING STUDENTS

Information for visiting students is on this page.

 

TRAVEL INFORMATION

Train - We are a five minute brisk walk from Wilmslow mainline railway station with frequent high speed direct trains to destinations throughout the country. At least four trains each hour make the journey to Manchester City Centre in 15-20 minutes and at least one train each hour travels direct to London Euston in under 2 hours.

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Car - Wilmslow is very accessible by car, anc close to several motorways and the airport link road.

There is a very large 'pay and display' car park with lots of empty spaces right in front and at the back of the Library although only for up to 3 hours. However, the area behind Hoopers Department Store (1 minute walk) allows for 4 hours for £3.30, and the long stay area behind Sainsbury's (2 minute walk) allows for up to 8 hours and is only £2.70 for 3 - 4 hours and £3.70 for 4 - 6 hours.

If you arrive early, there are almost never traffic wardens first thing, so you can buy your ticket just before entering the Library. We are always out by 1 PM.

If you would prefer other long term parking, or would like to park for free and walk (under 10 minutes), there is more detailed information about parking here.

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Flying - Wilmslow is just 4 miles from Manchester International Airport, which is by far the most important airport in the UK outside of London, with direct flights to most major destinations around the world. Travel into Wilmslow by train (8 minutes) or by taxi.

 

ACCOMMODATION AND FOOD

One of our students can sometimes accommodate visiting teachers. Wilmslow has several hotels and has many restaurants, pubs and coffee shops within a few minutes' walk of the school.

 

The Wilmslow Lodge hotel is a four minute walk from the school. It is probably the most convenient place to stay in Wilmslow but it is usually a little more expensive than the others. The rooms are of a similar standard to Premier Inn. The hotel has no other facilities apart from the attached large pub, which is friendly and pleasant, with a good restaurant. Request a room at the back of the hotel at the opposite end to Sainsbury's for the quietest night.

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The Wilmslow Premier Inn is about a 20 minute walk to the school in a leafy location. There is another Premier Inn in Handforth that is sometimes cheaper. It is a 35 minute walk, although there is bus that covers most of the route. Premier Inn is a large chain with a formula of a very nice, very clean and comfortable en-suite room, but usually there are no other facilities. If you can plan ahead, they are usually much cheaper if you book in advance with the non-refundable option.

Suggestions for breakfast as above.

 

The King's Arms Hotel (really a pub with rooms) is very close to the school and is sometimes cheaper than the Premier Inn, but more basic and on a busy road. One visiting teacher told me that they liked staying there.

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If you are travelling by car, nearly all of the major hotel chains, from the simplest to the most luxurious, can be found serving Manchester Airport.

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Food

Breakfast: Several visitors have told me that the Wilmslow Lodge breakfast is expensive and disappointing and the Wilmslow Premier Inn does not serve breakfast. However, all the coffee shop chains (Costa, Starbucks, Nero, etc) are within a 5 minute walk, and also places that offer a good (but more expensive) breakfast, such as Gails. You can also find a very inexpensive breakfast to take back to your hotel room at Greggs, and Sainsbury's and Waitrose have a large sandwich and pastry selection and a coffee machine. The Sainsbury's right next to the Wilmslow Lodge and Wilmslow Library offers a "meal deal" that is good value and includes a Costa coffee or other beverage.

We provide a tea break at 11.00 that includes tea, coffee and snacks and usually home made cake or bread on a Thursday.

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Lunch and dinner: Wilmslow has a tremendous number of takeaways, cafes, pubs and restaurants of all types and price levels within a very small and easily walkable area, and a restaurant is attached to the hotels above.

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OTHER INFORMATION

If you have time to spare in Wilmslow, there are the usual mix of shops and Hoopers, a posh department store. It's a short walk from the town centre to a pleasant riverside walk that extends for several miles, past Styal Mill with a NT tearoom, see below.

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Sightseeing: If you are staying for a while, there is much to do and see in the area. Manchester, Britain's second city by several measures, is 20 - 30 minutes by train, with the usual big city amenities. There are many notable National Trust (NT) properties nearby, two in less than 10 minutes' drive. One the most interesting NT properties in the country, Styal Mill, can be reached by a 40 minute pretty riverside walk that starts a 10 minute walk from the school; and the third most visited NT property in the UK, Dunham Massey Hall, Park and Gardens, is a 20 minute drive. Also, some of the best non-NT gardens in the UK, Tatton Park, Arley Hall and  RHS Bridgewater are less than a 30 minute drive away. Or you can walk into the beautiful Tatton country park from the charming ancient Cheshire town of Knutsford.

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The Members' area of our website has much of interest, and is open to all qualified AT teachers, all trainee teachers (from any training course) and to regular student visitors to our classes. It only takes a minute to sign up.​​