Unstaffed open site, no booking required
History
History
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
Venues for this Curriculum
A large area of beautiful downland and woodland, including West Wood. The Park is ideal for walking and picnicking, with fine views over central Hampshire, particularly from the interesting monument at Beacon Hill.
The 'Horse Monument' at Farley Mount
An enchanting 16th-century tower house, Crathes is surrounded by 240 hectares of formal gardens, woodland walks and rolling Scottish countryside. Guided tours are available for school groups in the Castle. The ranger service takes education visits to cover aspects of environmental education.
The exciting, new £27 million Mary Rose Museum opened its doors to visitors last year. Located just metres from Nelson's flagship, HMS Victory and the ships of the modern Royal Navy, the new museum provides one of the most significant insights into Tudor life in the world and creates the new centrepiece to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.
Located in the area where graphite was first mined for pencils and the first pencil factory was built in 1832.
Discover how the Royal Navy helped shape the modern world through stories of courage and determination in our three exhibition galleries.
Home of the world's fastest car - Thrust II!
Coventry is the birthplace of the British cycle and motor industry. If you’re looking for a fantastic FREE day out for all the family, you can’t beat Coventry Transport Museum.
National Railway Museum Shildon, also known as Locomotion: The National Railway Museum at Shildon or Shildon Locomotion Museum was built during 2004 at a cost of £11.3 million, and is based on the former "Timothy Hackworth Victorian Railway Museum".
The Windermere Steamboat Museum has a nationally important collection of historic vessels demonstrating the continuous development of boatbuilding in the Lake District over 200 years from 1745. The collection, however, dates from 1200 all the way through to the late 20th century and is an important part of the dispersed national boat and maritime collection.
The Stream in the Sky!
It's our exhilarating stream in the sky. Our horseshoe of waterfalls in North East Wales. Our beautiful canal. Not one but two aqueducts. Our World Heritage Site. Breathtaking!
Stephenson Railway Museum is open Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays until 2 November 2014 and all week during school holidays (excluding Christmas holidays). With heritage train rides on Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays.
200 years since George Stephenson built his first locomotive Blucher.
A lovely miniature steam railway that runs on Sundays from the beginning of March to September. There is also a lovely 16mm gauge model railway to enjoy. Inexpensive, old fashioned fun.
It is definitely worth a visit if you are already in the area on a Sunday between from the beginning of March to September.
Amerton Railway is a mile long 2 foot gauge line with spectacular seasonal specials, regular open days great for family trips, a railway museum and tours available of the Locomotive Shed.
It is home to a 115 year old W.G. Bagnall Saddle tank called Isabel, so important to Stafford that she was placed on a plinth outside of Stafford Railway Station until she was restored.
Mainly early 14th century remains of a large courtyard castle.
Also known as Llanblethian Castle, St Quentin's Castle near Cowbridge includes a massive twin-towered gatehouse. It is believed that the majority of the castle was built by Gilbert de Clare (the Last, d. 1314).
Unstaffed open site, no booking required
The National Waterfront Museum (Amgueddfa Genedlaethol y Glannau) tells the story of industry and innovation in Wales, now and over the last 300 years.
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