History tells stories about people, places and things to help explain to young people of any age why the world is as it is as they grow up and begin to question it.
Schools will choose different periods and settings and topics to cove during different Key Stages, but all of them are pretty well guaranteed to be rooted in actual places that can be visited, explored and enjoyed.
It has been a curious fact that for many years primary classes have studied the Roman, Anglo-Saxon and medieval periods, while secondary school syllabuses have been more engaged in post-medieval periods. For a while secondary courses involved a great deal of ‘topic work’. While this discipline still exists, the recent examination syllabuses have returned to an emphasis on historical periods and links.
But all periods and topics provide fantastic opportunities for school visits. We are so lucky that so many general and specialist museums and visitor centres exist in the UK. The problem is not a shortage of possibilities but how one sifts through the available opportunities to make choices.
The Historical Association website carries information about course, conferences, study tours, and the Association has published ‘The Historian’ magazine for many years. Handsam is also happy to help, please contact us on 03332 070737 or email info@schooltripsadvisor.org.uk.
Most venues will have teaching materials and activities geared to students’ different ages and aptitudes whether at primary or secondary level. All of them will set out to develop students’ ability to understand, analyse and evaluate key features and characteristics of historical periods and events studied.
Some venues will be easy to identify because they fit neatly with the period and topic being studied but others may offer new possibilities, not least to the teachers themselves. Teachers need and deserve their own stimulation.
Over the next four years there will be an upsurge in visits to the First World War battlefields. Because of this there will be an increase in companies offering visits and requirement for battlefield guides, especially in northern France and Belgium. There are bound to be discrepancies in guides’ knowledge and experience. Close research into the credentials of the company you are contracting with, and the company’s guarantees about guides, will ensure that your group will not be disappointed.
Main organisations:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Inclusion: NASEN
Thought of visiting?
Roman Vindolanda and Roman Army Museum at Hadrian’s Wall
Viriconium, Wroxeter, Shropshire
The Jorvik Viking Centre, York
Offa’s Dyke Trail and Chirk Castle
The National Trust for Scotland
Clan Donald Visitor Centre, Isle of Skye
Bosworth Battlefield Visitor Centre
Haus am Checkpoint Charlie, Berlin
Exeter Cathedral Education Centre
The National Maritime Museum, Greenwich
The Mary Rose Museum, Portsmouth
East Anglia Railway Museum, Colchester
The National Tramway Museum, Matlock
A small collection of artifacts and bones recovered from the caves at Buckfastleigh Devon and interpretation of the geology and speleology of that area.
On our public guided walk you can see our Lime Kilns, 120,000 bone deposits and meet our Greater Horseshoe bats.
The Society was formed in February 2000 to further understanding of the geology, occurrence and properties of the ball clays of Devon and Dorset and to preserve the history and heritage of clay production, transport and use.
Housed in the west wing of the Bishop’s Palace is a modern library and archive facility in which we preserve many thousands of books and documents – most of them rare or unique - and make them available to people.
Ranked among the finest in South West England, Torquay Museum is a journey of discovery for all ages. Experience the sights and sounds of country living as you walk through a reconstructed Devon farmhouse, wonder at the prehistoric artefacts excavated from nearby Kent's Cavern or become an explorer on our interactive trail.
A treasure trove of models, paintings, photographs and artefacts which tell the story of Salcombe’s links with ships and the sea from ancient times to the Second World War.
There is plenty to amuse and engage younger visitors including tales of local smugglers and pirates as well as dressing-up box in the ‘young sailors corner’.
A glimpse of the museum from Runnymede Gardens, which is situated next to The Landmark Theatre on Ilfracombe's seafront. A fascinating place to visit come rain or shine and one of the best value for money attractions in North Devon.
The remains of the largest castle in Devon, in a stunning setting on a wooded spur above the rushing River Okement. Begun soon after the Norman Conquest as a motte and bailey castle with a stone keep, it was converted into a sumptuous residence in the 14th century by Hugh Courtenay, Earl of Devon, much of whose work survives.
Plymouth and West Devon Record Office is your one-stop shop for help with family, house and local history research.
The North Devon Maritime Museum offers a fascinating insight into the rich shipbuilding and seafaring history of the area. It is housed in a fine, Georgian Grade II listed building which has been the home of several ship owners and master mariners in the past 200 years and is situated in the picturesque village and sea port of Appledore.
Devon & Cornwall Police's Heritage and Learning Resource contains extensive archives, artworks, photographs, ephemera, equipment and uniforms relating to the history of policing throughout Devon and Cornwall. The earliest items in the collection date from around 1840 and we continue to collect today.
The Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon is the perfect way to find out more about North Devon. Our collections and displays cover the natural and human history of this beautiful part of the country. Highlights of the Museum include the Tarka Gallery, the Story of North Devon and the Regimental Collection of the Royal Devon Yeomanry.
It’s a day out for the whole family with model/miniature railways and a country park as well as heritage steam and diesel locomotives operating and a host of other attractions. Sometimes you can see special visitors, be it Thomas the Tank Engine, a vintage Steam or historic Diesel Loco.
In addition to the famous monuments on Calton Hill, the old City Observatory can be found here. Inspired by a Greek temple of the Four Winds, the building was designed by William Henry Playfair in 1818.
Discover the craftsmanship and heritage behind Bombay Sapphire at our distillery in the heart of England. Laverstoke Mill in beautiful, rural Hampshire is the setting where you are invited to go behind the scenes as we make our gin in our state-of-the-art distillery.
A visit to Canterbury is not complete without experiencing Chaucer’s famous tales of medieval misadventures at one of the City’s most loved visitor attractions.
Experience the sights, sounds and smells of a bygone era in this fabulous recreation of medieval life; a unique introduction to Canterbury and its famous literary connection.
This delightful triangular building was designed by Sir Thomas Tresham (father of one of the Gunpowder Plotters) and constructed between 1593 and 1597. It is a testament to Tresham’s Roman Catholicism: the number three, symbolising the Holy Trinity, is apparent everywhere. There are three floors, trefoil windows and three triangular gables on each side.
In the Old Grammar School you find an historic building, a range of collections and a local history archive. Each one of these would be worth visiting on its own, but to experience the three is exceptional. The collections are displayed over 8 galleries and cover mainly the social history of Kingsbridge and the surrounding area.
Set in the heart of rural Northamptonshire, Lyveden is a remarkable survivor of the Elizabethan age.
Begun by Sir Thomas Tresham to symbolise his Catholic faith, Lyveden remains incomplete and virtually unaltered since work stopped on his death in 1605.
Discover the mysterious garden lodge and explore the Elizabethan garden with its spiral mounts, terracing and canals.
Lord's is quite simply the home of cricket. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club. As well as being England's headquarters it is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club and hosts major domestic finals, as well as the finals of major international competitions when held in the UK, plus at least one Test match each summer.
The Whimple Heritage Centre is managed and maintained by an enthusiastic group of volunteers interested in Whimple's past and also its present.
“I have looked further into space than any human being did before me.” William Herschel
Over the winter we will be carrying out a transformation of the castle, creating new displays and preparing to tell new, previously untold, stories. 2015 will mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, so make sure you set aside time in your diary to visit when we reopen from April.
Welcomes you to journey back to a bygone age and experience the thrill of steam and diesel on their preserved railway.
Peak Rail welcomes you to journey back to a bygone age and experience the thrill of steam and diesel on their preserved railway, operating between Rowsley South and Matlock Platform 2 for a distance of 4 miles and open to the public throughout the year.
Welcome to the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity, Waterford.The Cathedral is situated on Barronstrand Street in Waterford City.
The Bushcraft Company offer residential school trips with a difference, taking students into the wild and giving them real back-to-nature experiences they will never forget.
A 15-year-old boy fell 60ft over the edge of a cliff whilst on a geography school trip, miraculously only suffering minor injuries.