School visits to Worcestershire County Museum at Hartlebury Castle

A girl skipping outside Hartlebury Castle; she is dressed as a Victorian schoolgirl.

Why bring your class to the County Museum at Hartlebury Castle?

Hartlebury is full of potential for learning and creativity.

A visit will bring history to life through role-play and immersive learning, including the sensory experiences of handling real objects and exploring our historic buildings. All of our activities are led by experienced staff and support specific schemes of work whilst also helping pupils to make cross-curricular links between different subject areas.

Whether it’s a lesson with the schoolteacher in the Victorian Schoolroom or meeting the servants in the Scullery, children will find out first-hand what life was really like in historic Worcestershire.

“Best trip I have ever taken children on. The children and staff loved every minute.” Year 1 teacher.

How do I book?

For more information, to discuss or make a booking for the County Museum, please submit an enquiry form and the team will be in touch as soon as possible.

If your query is urgent, contact the Learning Team on 01299 250416.

How much do the trips cost?  

Admission £4.15 per child; adults free of charge 1:10 and additional adults £6.50.

Plus workshop fee £85 per half day or £150 per full day.

What are your opening hours and session times?

The Castle and Museum are open Tuesday – Friday 10am – 5pm.

Morning sessions start at 10.15am and last approx. 1hr 45 min. Afternoon sessions start at 12.30pm. Times may be altered according to your needs.

Can I come and see the site prior to the visit?  

We recommend a free preliminary teacher visit to help you to plan your day. These are available Tuesday to Friday 10am – 5pm and Saturday or Sunday 11am – 5pm.

How many children can we bring on a visit?

Our maximum capacity is 60 children, but please contact us to discuss options if you have a larger year group.

Can you provide sessions for SEND groups?

All of our school sessions are available to SEND groups and will be adapted to your needs.

What is your ratio for children and adults?

We request a supervision ratio of 1 adult to every 10 children, 1 to 6 for very young children.

Do you have lunch facilities? 

We have two rooms available for lunch, one or both of these will be allocated to your group depending on numbers. Coats and bags can be stored in these rooms.

If the weather is good, you are welcome to use the orchard area for lunch.

Do you have toilet facilities?

Toilets are available next to the Museum entrance and in the Castle; both locations include accessible facilities.

What is the accessibility of the building?

All areas of the Castle and Museum building can be accessed by lift or stairs. Please get in touch if you have any questions before your visit.

Can we park a coach/mini bus on site? 

We have space for 2 coaches/minibuses.

Can we visit the shop or order goody bags?

We have an on-site shop and goody bags can be pre-ordered.

Is there a café?

We have a café on site, serving hot and cold drinks, lunches and snacks. Drinks or food cannot be taken into the museum or workshops.

What if we need to cancel the trip?

Worcestershire County Museum aims to be as accommodating as possible with education group bookings. However, because of the high level of demand and costs incurred, if a booking is cancelled with less than 7 days’ notice we reserve the right to charge the full amount. Please ensure you confirm with the Learning Coordinator your cancellation. Full terms and conditions will be provided on your booking form.

View Worcestershire County Museum at Hartlebury Castle’s Risk Assessment Information for School Visits

Take a look through the sessions:

We offer the following topics for schools. Please bear in mind that these sessions are guidelines and can be adapted to suit your pupils’ age and SEND requirements or your educational programme.

Prehistoric Archaeology

Two children enthusiastically with hands up to answer a question.

The workshop takes place in two locations, a teaching area and the archaeology gallery.

The staff-led session will look at the way our ancestors lived in prehistoric times and introduce the main resources available to early man migrating to the British Isles, after the glacial periods. Hands-on activities will illustrate how archaeologists use a temporal framework to understand their finds.

In the gallery, teacher led activities will focus on a question sheet, encouraging the children to gain a better understanding from the objects and captions.  The gallery also contains exhibits from historical periods (Roman, Anglo Saxons and Mediaeval) which will be used to put their work on prehistoric cultures into context.

History: Changes in Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age, a local history study.

English: spoken language and reading skills, listen and respond appropriately to adults and their peers, ask relevant questions to extend their understanding and build vocabulary and knowledge. Participate actively in collaborative conversations. Use their findings to inform creative writing opportunities.

Numeracy: Undertaking maths activities, with particular regard to extended periods of time.

Science: materials and their uses, thinking and working scientifically, processes. Behaviour of materials and atoms.

Key Stage 2 (but can be modified for KS1 and 3).

Below Stairs

A woman dressed as a Victorian servant demonstrating laundry.

Discover what life was like ‘Below Stairs’ for Victorian servants.

Our costumed Housemaid will take children through some of the Castle’s rooms, explaining about the work of a servant and contrasting a servant’s life with that of his or her employer.

Children will then have an opportunity to take part in a number of hands-on activities using original artefacts, including washing, ironing, kitchen tasks and cleaning carpets.

History: know where people and events fit within a chronological framework and identify similarities and differences with different periods; understanding changes within living memory and in national life; a study of British history beyond 1066.

English: listen and respond appropriately to adults and peers; ask relevant questions to extend understanding and knowledge.

Key Stages 1 and 2.

Toys From the Past

A group of children excitedly watching a jack-in-the-box pop up in the museum.

A hands-on activity looking at the similarities and differences between toys today and toys in the past.

Using toys from the Museum’s handling collection, staff will create a timeline, focusing on what materials toys are made from, how toys work and who might have played with them.

Children will have an opportunity to play with some of the toys and look at some of the museum’s collection of special toys.

History: develop an awareness of the past; discover where the people and objects studied fit within a chronological framework; use a wide vocabulary of everyday historical terms; understand some of the ways in which we find out about the past and how it is represented.

Science: identify and name a variety of everyday materials; describe the simple physical properties of a variety of everyday materials.

English: ask relevant questions to extend their understanding; articulate and justify answers, arguments and opinions; maintain attention and participate in conversations, initiating and responding to comments.

Key Stage 1.

Victorian Schoolroom

A Victorian schoolmistress teaching a class of children.

Experience a typical Victorian school morning or afternoon with one of our costumed schoolteachers.

Take part in a Victorian lesson in our schoolroom, use slates and pencils and find out about school punishments.

This will be followed by a traditional playtime with whipping tops, hoops, skipping ropes and yo-yos.

History KS1 – know where the people and events they study fit within a chronological framework and identify similarities and differences between ways of life in different periods. Changes within living memory.

History KS2 – A study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066.

English Key Stage 1 & 2 – spoken language. Listen and respond appropriately to adults and their peers. Ask relevant questions to extend their understanding and knowledge.

Key Stages 1 and 2.

Homes from the Past

A woman dressed as a Victorian servant.

Find out what homes were like in the past, particularly Victorian homes and how they differ from today.

Children will have the opportunity to try activities such as washing and ironing, rag-rugging and handling original household objects.

History: changes within living memory of national life; know where the people and events fit within a chronological framework and identify similarities and differences between ways of life in different periods.

English: ask relevant questions to extend understanding and knowledge; articulate and justify answers, arguments and opinions; maintain attention and participate in conversations, initiating and responding to comments.

Key Stage 1.

Evacuated to the Castle

A man dressed as an ARP warden looking up towards the sky.

Using the schoolroom at Hartlebury, children will learn about the lives of Wartime evacuees.

Our ‘WVS leader’ or ‘ARP warden’ will talk about evacuation and children’s everyday experiences, including shopping, air raids and life in the countryside.

Children will be able to take part in a series of hands-on activities including packing an evacuee’s suitcase, sending Morse code messages, playing with wartime toys and shopping with WW2 coins.

History: a study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066; a significant turning point in British history; events beyond living memory that are significant nationally or globally.

English: listen and respond to adults and peers; ask relevant questions; articulate and justify answers, arguments and opinions; maintain attention and participate in conversations.

Key Stage 2.

Make Do and Mend

A photo showing the hands of someone creating from scraps.

The Scullery has been set up for children to experience a morning or afternoon in the life of a Wartime child.

Our WW2 housewife will explain about life on the Homefront, Make Do and Mend and rationing.

Children will then take part in a series of hands-on activities including planning menus using rations, washing, ironing, rag rugging and dressing up in WW2 costumes.

History: a study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066; a significant turning point in British history; events beyond living memory that are significant nationally or globally.

English: listen and respond appropriately to adults and their peers; ask relevant questions to extend their understanding and knowledge; articulate and justify answers, arguments and opinions; maintain attention and participate in conversations, initiating and responding to comments.

Key Stage 2.

Hartlebury Castle logo

Get in touch

Submit an enquiry form or contact the Learning Team on 01299 250416 if your query is urgent.

Outreach

We can bring a session to you! Fancy a visit from Florence Nightingale or Samuel Pepys?

Check out Outreach sessions

A man dressed as Pepys blowing through a pipe to create flames.

Where to find the County Museum at Hartlebury Castle

Make an enquiry

For more information, to discuss or make a booking with Worcestershire County Museum, please submit an enquiry form and the team will be in touch as soon as possible.

If your query is urgent, contact the Learning Team on 01299 250416.