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
Hampden Park, Glasgow, is home to the Scottish Football Museum.
Exhibits date back to the world's very first international game - a 0-0 draw between Scotland and England in 1872.
Other artefacts include the world's oldest national trophy, the Scottish FA Challenge Cup.
Our Cathedral Church is the main place of worship in the Catholic Diocese of Aberdeen. It was opened in December 1860 as the principal Catholic Church in the west end of the city, replacing St. Peter's Church in the Castlegate, when there were about 1,000 Catholics out of a population of 74,000 and the number of Catholics was increasing.
The Cathedral Church of St Andrew is a Catholic cathedral in the West End of the city of Dundee, Scotland.
Welcome to St Paul’s Cathedral. At St Paul’s, you will find a living and lively faith community right in the heart of Dundee’s vibrant city centre. Our community is made up of a diverse group of people ranging from those who have been born and bred in Dundee to people from all over the world who come to Dundee for work or study at one of the two excellent universities that the city boasts.
The Palace of Holyroodhouse is The Queen’s official residence in Scotland. It stands at the end of Edinburgh's Royal Mile against the spectacular backdrop of Arthur’s Seat and is closely associated with Scotland’s rich history.
The Cambridge Centre for Computing History was established as an educational charity to tell the story of the Information Age through exploring the historical, social and cultural impact of developments in personal computing.
At the heart of Lydiard Park is Lydiard House – a striking Grade I listed Palladian house that for 500 years was home to the St John family. The ground floor state apartments of Lydiard House have been beautifully restored and are open to visitors all year round to view the ornate plasterwork and original family furnishings displayed alongside portraits and photographs of the St John family.
Set amongst the magnificent scenery of Royal Deeside, in the shadows of Lochnagar is the Balmoral Estate.
In her journals Queen Victoria described Balmoral as "my dear paradise in the Highlands" - we hope you will feel the same way about Balmoral once you have visited this most special place.
The Edinburgh Dungeon brings together an amazing cast of theatrical actors, special effects, stages, scenes and rides in a truly unique and exciting walkthrough experience that you see, hear, touch, smell and feel. It’s hilarious fun and it’s sometimes a bit scary.
We love it. We know you will too. Here's why:
Find out what life was like in Northern Ireland during the Second World War!
The Guildhall is a prestigious historic building, with acres of oak and walnut panelling, marble floors and the city’s old courts and cells.
Not only is it the owrking home of Hull City Council, but it houses a public collection that includes fine art, sculpture, furniture, the Hull Tapestry and the Civic Insignia and silver.
Hull Tapestry
This magnificent High Victorian Anglican church was designed in the 1870s by the flamboyant architect William Burges, and has been called his 'ecclesiastical masterpiece'. The extravagantly decorated interior displays coloured marble, stained glass, a splendid organ, and painted and gilded figures in all their original glory.
Castle Ward will take you on a journey of discovery. The 18th-century eccentric house with two distinctly different styles, classical and Gothic, will entice you to explore further.
Starkly impressive Brough Castle stands on a ridge commanding strategic Stainmore Pass, on the site of a Roman fort.
Frequently the target of Scots raids, its towering keep dates from about 1200, and more comfortable living quarters were later added by the Clifford family, only to be accidentally burnt following a 'great Christmas party' in 1521.
Three venues in one, Ripon's museums allow you to uncover history.
Cumbria‘s Museum of Military Life was founded in 1932 and tells the 300-year story of Cumbria’s army regiments through books, documents, photographs and artefacts. Based at Carlisle Castle, the museum moved into the larger Alma Ward room in 2014.
The Intertwined History of 300 years of British Infantry Regiments
Set on a high rock above the River Tees, Barnard Castle takes its name from its 12th century founder, Bernard de Balliol. It was later developed by the Beauchamp family and then passed into the hands of Richard III.
Take your place on the battlefield. Stand face-to-face with fearless medieval warriors. Witness two opposing kings – Robert the Bruce and Edward II – whose tactics in 1314 changed the path of Scotland’s history, forever.
The centre is a world-class visitor attraction marking the 700th anniversary of the battle.
Welcome to the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, close to which we believe the mortal remains of Saint Patrick lie buried. However the cathedral is not merely a tourist attraction but it is a place of pilgrimage and prayer for all people.
Down County Museum is located in the restored eighteenth century County Gaol of Down. The museum collects, conserves and interprets those objects which best illustrate the history, culture and environment of County Down.
The Downpatrick and County Down Railway runs through the drumlin countryside of County Down - St. Patrick's Country - over the River Quoile and under the graceful Down Cathedral. With a mix of steam and diesel trains, and vintage carriages, there's plenty for train fans of all ages - from wee kids to "big kids".
The Museum of the Iron Age tells the story of Danebury Hill Fort which lies to the south west of Andover. The hill fort was excavated by Professor Barry Cunliffe between 1969 and 1988 and is one of the best studied sites of the British Iron Age.
Saint Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral stands on the hill from which the City of Armagh derives its name – Ard Macha; the hill of Macha. Less than half a mile away, on the adjoining hill, is our sister St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Cathedral.
The most hugely impressive Iron Age hillfort on the Welsh Borders, covering 40 acres, with formidable multiple ramparts. Old Oswestry was built by Iron Age people nearly 3,000 years ago and is one of the best preserved hillforts in Britain.
Information panels tell you about the hillfort and its inhabitants.
This fine Elizabethan mansion features some of the earliest external Renaissance architectural detail in the country, and two rare and outstanding sets of 16th century wall paintings of mythical and Biblical subjects.
Hill Hall has now been divided into private houses, but parts remain open to the public by prior arrangement.
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.