Our Schools Programme

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Our Schools Programme has been developed to provide children with an exciting way of engaging their young minds with history, and of encouraging them to use their imaginations and powers of creative thinking.

Through roleplay and object handling sessions, our young visitors are given the opportunity to explore and discover what life would have been like for children their age in the Victorian Era.

Our Schools Programme consists of three elements, each based on the National Curriculum and specifically tailored for Key Stage 1, Key Stage 2 and Special Educational Needs pupils.

The activities all take place in the building which served as the largest free school for poor or 'ragged' children from 1877 to 1908. The children are encouraged to come �in character�, dressed as Victorian children.

For Key Stage 1, their visit is centred on our recreated Victorian East End kitchen, where objects and costume are used to tell the story of Polly, a girl who lived 100 years ago. It is based around rhymes that the children can learn in advance of their visit. There is also an opportunity for the children to visit the Victorian Classroom during their visit. The session is both engaging and fun.

For Key Stage 2, we offer a visit that has two components, both lasting approximately an hour. The first part is a Victorian Lesson, with 'Miss Perkins' played by an actor, in our recreated Victorian Classroom. Through roleplay the children are given an opportunity to experience what school was like for poor Victorian children. The other part takes place in the Victorian East End Kitchen, a recreated kitchen belonging to an East End family in about 1900. The session, presented by volunteers and staff, concentrates on the domestic life of poor Victorians. Roleplay is used to demonstrate Victorian 'chores' (for example, clothes washing in a tin bath and ironing with flat irons).

Our programme for pupils with Special Educational Needs consists of specifically designed sessions led by trained staff. The sessions are flexible to meet the specific needs of the group, but all centre around roleplay and/or object handling in the Victorian Classroom.

To book a school visit, please contact the museum by calling us on 020 8980 6405, or by emailing us at schoolsraggedschoolmuseum.org.uk . Before you call or email, we recommend that you download our Frequently Asked Questions for Planning School Visits, which contains detailed information about our offerings, facilities, and booking procedures.