Resources for Primary Schools

What we offer

Stimulating activity sheets at the museum (linked to the national curriculum)
Objects for loan to schools (handling boxes)

At the museum KS1 and KS2 history

Historical background for 'What was it like for children living in Victorian Britain?'
(QCA Unit 11)
Historical background for 'What was it like for children in the Second World War?'
(QCA Unit 9
Famous People (Field Marshal Montgomery)
How has life in Britain changed since 1948?
(QCA Unit 13)
Numeracy links
Literacy links

New taught session and Museum activity sheets

Led sessions (using authentic objects) look at: -

Dad in the services
The Blitz
Evacuation
Toys, games and entertainment
Food, clothes and rationing

Students handle real objects from the period. It will give them a better understanding of British society during the War, especially the experiences, ideas, beliefs and attitudes of men, women and children.
Engaging and easy to use activity sheets about the historical background to World War II, enabling students to place events and people in a chronological framework.
Activity sheets on the historical background to World War II.

(Most school groups will be split, with half doing the taught sessions and half working on the activity sheets, before swapping over).

Handling boxes for loan to primary schools KS1 and KS2 history

No need to just rely on two-dimensional images and facts from textbooks, use real objects to make history more meaningful and exciting for your students.

What was it like for children in the Second World War? (QCA Unit 9)
What are we remembering on Remembrance Day? (QCA Unit 17)
Literacy links

These resources were developed with a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. For further details/bookings please contact Stephanie Bennett using the contact details at the bottom of the page.

Further information: the museum visit

Engaging activity sheets linked to the national curriculum are provided. These can be adapted to occupy a class from 1 hour to half a day (please discuss your requirements when booking these free sessions).
The activities will help students to place events and people in a chronological framework. During a visit to the museum about World War II students will learn about when and where the conflict took place, and about the leaders and key events and dates of the war (QCA Unit 9).

The activities for the Victorian period will enable pupils to learn to identify Queen Victoria and place the Victorian period in relation to other periods of British history (QCA Unit 11).

During the sessions students will communicate their findings through speaking, writing and drawing.
The activity sheets are clear and easy to use, and also include some suggestions for follow up work in school.

There are four rooms in the museum, which is situated on the first floor of St John’s House.* The class should be divided into four groups to complete the activity sheets for each room.

There should be a minimum of one adult for every 6 students.

Teachers retain responsibility for the group at all times.

Pre-visits to the museum by teachers are strongly recommended.

Comprehensive information about your visit will be sent to schools on booking a day. This will include teacher’s notes to accompany the visit and a museum plan (supports Art general QCA Unit 9). In addition we will provide you with a copy of our risk assessment for school groups and Health and Safety Guidelines for children visiting the museum.

As we are a small independent charitable museum any donation would be appreciated (we are not funded by Warwickshire County Council).

*Please note that the museum is only accessible by stairs. We apologise that there is no lift, as the building is Grade I listed.

Facilities
The toilets are located downstairs. There is a garden for lunch (grass area with some picnic tables). The museum shop offers a wide range of goods that appeal to children at reasonable prices.

Further information: handling boxes
The boxes contain different objects and ephemera. There are many real objects, but particularly the ephemera may be facsimile copies. Includes guidance notes on how to handle the objects, brief descriptions of each object and possible ideas for activities.

The Remembrance Sunday box may include sweetheart brooch, photos, next of kin plaques, medals, documents and letters.
The Home Front box may include games, toys, books, comics, magazines, box camera, coins, ARP buttons or badge, ration books, postcards, photos and cigarette cards.

The objects can be used to help student’s chronological understanding, to enable them to put major events into a sequence and to gather information from different sources of evidence. Through the handling sessions students will communicate their findings through speaking, writing and drawing.

They will meet many of the learning objectives of QCA Unit 9:

Learning about the impact of rationing on the way of life of people living in England during WWII
An overview of how the war affected people’s everyday lives
Learning about the restrictions on people, how they suffered during the war, their courage and resilience
That the war affected children in different ways
To make connections between the Second World War and today.

The school must collect and return the boxes to the museum. The boxes are loaned on a weekly basis (Monday to Friday) for which there is a £5.00 charge.

For further details contact Stephanie Bennett Tel: 01926 491653 rrfmuseum@hotmail.co.uk