The Tamworth attraction has confirmed what teachers need to do to get free entry this weekend
Drayton Manor is offering free tickets for teachers to celebrate World Teacher Day
When Drayton Manor bosses announced they were giving away free tickets to teachers this weekend, lots of people got very excited.
To redeem the World Teacher Day offer, people were asked to book a ticket for a guest aged 4+ then visit the ticket office on October 3 or 4 with valid teacher ID confirming their current teaching role to claim free entry.
Many teachers scrambled to buy tickets for their families, thinking they were likely to sell out fast.
But some then became concerned that their ID badges said ‘staff’ or ‘lecturer’ rather than ‘teacher’.
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The Tamworth attraction has now confirmed to BirminghamLive what teachers need to do to get free access this weekend – see below.
Kerry Mcdermott-Cole, a secondary school music teacher, was delighted when she saw the offer and quickly booked tickets for her husband and daughter so they could go together.
Her ID card just says ‘staff’ so she contacted the Tamworth attraction to check she could still get in for free if she showed her payslip to prove she is a teacher, and she says she was told no.
“I purchased tickets for my husband, three year old and eight month old last night thinking I didn’t want them to sell out and also thinking “surely they’ll accept a pay slip which clearly states I’m on the teacher pay scale’,” said Kerry, who lives near Coventry.
“I’ve asked Drayton Manor if I can bring my ID badge and this month’s pay slip to prove I’m a teacher and get free entry and they’ve come back to me today and said no.
“Now I am facing having to stand in line with teachers going in for free whilst I’ll have to pay purely because our ID badges are different.”
Kerry was concerned she could be facing having to pay £27.50 on top of the cost of her husband and daughter’s tickets, or risk getting turned away at the gate, which would mean a 40-minute wasted journey.
“I’m annoyed and frustrated,” said Kerry, who has been a teacher since 2005 and has even taken school trips to Drayton Manor.
“This was going to be my daughter’s first visit to Drayton Manor as she’s three and so just the right age and height for the rides and the zoo.
“I’m on maternity leave and returning to school in January so our time is running out to do nice things together before then.”
What Drayton Manor has said
BirminghamLive contacted Drayton Manor to seek clarification on the rules of the special offer for teachers and teaching assistants.
A spokesman said: “As long as guests have some form of documentation stating they are a teacher, they will be let in for free.”
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