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 length of Roman bath-house wall over 9 metres (30 feet) high, near a museum displaying the archaeology of Leicester and its region.
The only visible remains of Roman Leicester are these public baths. The bathing ritual lay at the heart of Roman social life.
A large Neolithic burial mound with spectacular vistas over the Severn Valley. Its internal burial chambers are uncovered for viewing.
Nympsfield long barrow stands high on the Cotswold scarp near Frocester with spectacular views over the Severn Valley.
Housed in a period farmhouse, established over 25 years a spectacular Model Railway Exhibition and traditional toyshop situated right in the centre of the picturesque Cotswold village of Bourton-on-the-Water.
Private and public hire cruise boats offering different sizes and services for every occasion. Self drive hire facilities also available. Pre booking essential.
Cotswold River Cruises operate 'Adventuress ' from The Riverside Marina Halfpenny Bridge Lechlade-on-Thames GL7 3DL, gateway to the Cotswolds.
The imposing stone walls, with added towers for catapults, of a Roman 3rd century 'Saxon Shore' fort.
Panoramic views over Breydon Water, which the fourth wall collapsed into a long time ago.
The exact date of the building of Enniskillen Castle is not recorded.
Hugh 'the Hospitable' Maguire died in 1428 after returning to Ireland from pilgrimage in Spain. The Castle must have been built before then, sometime during the 1420s.
The earliest known reference to Enniskillen Castle occurs in the Annals of Ulster in 1439.
The riverside ruins, principally the solar tower, of a manor house progressively fortified against the Scots during the 14th century.
The Andrew Jackson Cottage highlights Carrickfergus' strong American and Ulster-Scots connections as well as telling the story of Andrew Jackson, the 7th president of the USA, whose parents emigrated to America from Carrickfergus in 1765. Located less than a mile from the town centre off the Larne Road, this single storey building has been restored to its original state.
Prudhoe Castle has many a story to tell so a family day out to this Northumberland fortress is truly worthwhile.
The impressive ruins of a 14th-century castle with a massive keep, inner and outer baileys, and towered curtain walls still standing.
It was built by the Abbot of Furness on the south-eastern point of Piel Island, to guard the deep-water harbour of Barrow-in-Furness against pirates and Scots raiders.
In a picturesque setting beside the crossing of the River Eamont in Cumbria, Brougham Castle was founded in the early 13th century. This great keep largely survives, amid many later buildings - including the unusual double gatehouse and impressive 'Tower of League'.
Commanding a vital ford over the River Tweed, Norham was one of the strongest of the border castles, and the most often attacked by the Scots. Besieged at least 13 times - once for nearly a year by Robert Bruce - it was called 'the most dangerous and adventurous place in the country'.
Penrith Castle was begun at the end of the 14th century by Ralph Neville, who played a key role in defending this area against the Scots. It was later transformed into a luxurious residence by Richard, Duke of Gloucester (subsequently Richard III). Surviving to their full height, the castle walls stand in a public park.
History
St John’s Cathedral, Oban, is the Mother Church of the Scottish Episcopal Diocese of Argyll and The Isles. Although only partly built, the Cathedral has a dignity and a presence that is quite remarkable. We welcome visitors – so please come in and look around if you are passing, or join us for a service.
A fortified farmhouse with thick stone walls, of a type distinctive to the troubled 16th century Anglo-Scottish borders. The living quarters were only accessible at first floor level.
Set in splendid walking country, on the Reivers Route cycle trail.
The beautiful and now tranquil setting of Augustinian Lanercost Priory belies an often troubled history. Standing close to Hadrian's Wall, it suffered frequent attacks during the long Anglo-Scottish wars, once by Robert Bruce in person.
Set in the charming village of Etal by a ford over the River Till, this Northumberland castle is the ideal location for a school trip.
Built by Robert Manners as a defence against Scots raiders in the mid 14th century, it fell to James IV's invading Scots army in 1513, immediately before their catastrophic defeat at nearby Flodden.
The Cathedral of The Isles and Collegiate Church of the Holy Spirit is a cathedral of the Scottish Episcopal Church in the Scottish town of Millport on the Isle of Cumbrae.
The ruins of an Augustinian priory founded by the Bruce family, afterwards Kings of Scotland. They are dominated by the dramatic skeleton of the 14th century church's east end.
Founded in 1786 this restored cotton mill - now a UNESCO World Heritage Site - was powered by the river Clyde and is situated close to the Falls of Clyde.
The Denny Tank is located in West Dunbartonshire, in the town of Dumbarton on the River Clyde, close to Dumbarton Castle. It was built by the Denny family, Victorian shipbuilders and designers, famous for their work on the Cutty Sark and inventors of the Denny helicopter and Denny hovercraft.
The Cathedral Church of Saint Mirin in Paisley, dedicated to Saint Mirin the patron saint of Paisley, is the mother church of the Catholic Diocese of Paisley and is the seat of the Bishop of Paisley.
The Cathedral Church of Our Lady of Good Aid, popularly known as Motherwell Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, Scotland.
Thanks to its massive, 3.5m-thick frontal wall and proliferation of gun holes, Ravenscraig has generally been regarded more as an artillery fort than a castle. This view holds that it was built to help defend the Firth of Forth from an English invasion.
Welcome to Kirkcaldy Galleries, the town’s new cultural venue and visitor attraction. Situated in the heart of Kirkcaldy, a £2.5million refurbishment programme has restored many of the original features of the War Memorial building, as well providing a fresh, contemporary space for visitors to enjoy.
After receiving a warm welcome at the new reception area, you can explore
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.