Victorian Work, School & Play
Time: Full day (10:00 am – 2:00 pm)
Cost: £250 per class
Curriculum links:
History: Victorian Britain, Industrial life, Children’s lives in the past, Victorian factories and schooling, Significant historical periods and events
English: Speaking and listening, Role-play
Design & Technology / Art: Making simple mechanisms, making a traditional toy
Pupils step back in time to explore Victorian life at the Royal Gunpowder Mills through immersive, hands-on experiences.
The day begins with an introduction to the site and its history, before pupils take part in an interactive Victorian factory experience. Pupils meet Henry Gaunt, a Victorian factory worker from the Gunpowder Mills, and explore the industrial setting through hands-on activities that reveal what life and work were like.
In the afternoon, pupils explore Victorian school life through role-play, traditional handwriting, being tested on the three Rs, and making a simple toy, helping them understand how children lived, learned, and were taught in the past.
A memorable, curriculum-linked experience that brings Victorian history to life and is designed to inspire curiosity, engagement, and deeper understanding.
Students role-play as Victorian schoolchildren, practising the 3 Rs: reading, writing and arithmetic.