A new programme for schools has been launched at Bath Abbey, which brings to life over 1,000 years of the building’s history delivered in a purpose-built learning room.
Students from Three Ways School visiting Bath Abbey | Photo courtesy of Bath Abbey
Students of all ages will be able to discover more about Bath Abbey and its stories of Benedictine Monks, King Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth I, Saxons, Normans, Georgians and more.
Teachers will have the choice of a wide range of interactive curriculum-based workshops and guided tours led by Bath Abbey’s Learning Officer.
The offer for Key Stages 1 – 4 ranges from A Monk’s Life, finding out how Benedictine monks lived during Saxon and Medieval times, to The Georgian Abbey, when it was at the heart of a rich, fashionable city.
The topic of Bath Abbey and the transatlantic slave trade is also available. Other workshops include a STEM focus (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), looking at how the Abbey was designed and constructed, or Art and Architecture, which explores the Abbey’s features, including its famous windows and fan-vaulted ceilings.
For school groups unable to visit in person, there is the option of a 30-45 minute Zoom lesson led by the Abbey’s Learning Officer as well as an accompanying Loans Box to hire for some workshops, plus supporting videos that bring to life the Abbey’s highlights.
Polly Andrews, Bath Abbey’s Learning Officer, said: “Bath Abbey is a fantastic resource for schools.
“There’s so much to discover in our Living Church with its exciting stories of the people who have built and re-built it and visited and worshipped for over 1000 years.
“Using a fun and engaging interactive approach, History is brought to life for students. Schools can explore the beautiful interior in depth while the new purpose-built Learning Room is the ideal base for a memorable visit.
“Thanks to the Abbey’s Footprint project, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, we are now able to make the most of the Abbey as an amazing learning resource to deliver a range of curriculum-based workshops, tours and virtual learning for Key Stages 1-4.”
Pippa Harding, a teacher at Three Ways School, which was one of the first schools to try out the new Schools Learning Programme, said: “The students really engaged with the workshop as it was active, hands on and inclusive. They thoroughly enjoyed the visit.”
