School Visits

Experience Living History as we transport you through Evacuees’ experience of billeting, new homes and friends, finding out the jobs they will be doing, being issued with an identity card and exploring children’s experiences of being evacuated.   

KS1-3: Significant events; Local History Study; Changing Lives

QUARRYING

Find out about the significant role the railway played in local industry, particularly its links with quarrying on the Mendips, bitumen & farm produce.  The railway as part of local, regional and national industry & freight movement is often overlooked: passengers were definitely not the only commodity being moved!! 

(KS2-3: Local History Study; Changing Society; Industrial Revolution & STEM)

Through the eyes of some key characters of Cranmore’s past, pupils explore how the railway was organised, the range of jobs, the discipline and camaraderie and the working routine of the station.  It also highlights the range of supporting industries and businesses that built up around the railway networks as well as railway towns such as Swindon.

KS1-3: Changing Lives; Turning Points

Exploring the state of East Somerset as a powder keg in the 1840s, this develops understanding of the impact of the decline of the wool trade, riots, frame-breakers and mill arson and the surprising levels of poverty in towns and villages using newspaper archives.

KS2-3 Local History study & Turning Points

Using a variety of artefacts and sources, pupils develop their handling and enquiry skills to investigate items for audience, reliability, utility and origin as well as an Enquiry-Setting task for school follow-up.

KS1-3: Historical Skills

Going back to the 1850s, pupils will explore some surprising women who worked on railways, as well as discovering the impact of both world wars on women’s opportunities.  This also explores different attitudes that women experienced and the work patterns and skills involved.

KS2-4: Equality & Suffrage; Significant Events; Rise of Suffragettes

Using the local area, we explore the life and times of the Somerset Coal Canal, local Turnpikes & stagecoaches, the railway network and the arrival of motor transport.  Change and continuity skills in abundance through this map and source based activity.

KS2-4 Transport Through Time; KS1-3 Local History Study

What did Brunel ever do for us?!  Comparing and contrasting his key structures of the SS Great Britain, Box Tunnel, the Clifton Suspension Bridge and Temple Meads Station, pupils address some key engineering processes.

KS1-3 Significant Individuals

Choose from a) Why was Bristol Blitzed? B) Somerset & WW2 c) Resistance & the Auxiliary Units in East Somerset d) Farm life and WW2 e) Air raids, Shelters and near misses f) Evacuee experiences.  Uses primary and audio-visual sources.

KS 1-3: Changes within living memory; changing aspects of social history; significant national events; Local History study

Discover how Benjamin Parker was affected by Influenza and what remedies were popular with a Shepton Mallet doctor. (KS2-4) 

What was the typical routine for a Victorian prisoner?  Explore the story of Isaac Perrett & Cornhill Prison, the second oldest gaol in England (KS2-4)

Let your pupils weave their way through a question maze to find out which railway job would best suit them! (KS2-3)

Hunt the Magic Tickets, uncover the hidden numbers & find out the Stationmaster’s bell code: give the bell a ding! (KS2-3)

Your pupils can get some first-hand tips on being a Guard and have a go themselves.  Beware of whistles! (KS1-2)

An extension numeracy activity for able pupils to organise some timetabling challenges for the Stationmaster (Upper/able KS2-3)

Take on some elephant, tiger and forest activities to investigate conservation work supported by our founder, David Shepherd (KS1-4)