SCHOOLS PROGRAMME SPRING TERM 2013
Westminster Abbey is a tremendous teaching resource, but it can be a little overwhelming. The Education Department tries to make visits manageable by selecting themes for study each term. This term our tours enhance the curriculum areas of Science, Art, Religious Education, English, Citizenship and History. Journey of Life KS 1-3 Religious Education Symbols of Worship* KS 1-4 Religious Education & Art Remembering WWI KS 2-4 History & English Conservation in Action KS 2-3 Citizenship, Science & History What the Dickens! KS 2-3 English Coronation Chronicles* KS 2-3 History & Religious Education Tudor Reformations KS 2-3 History & Religious Education Women at Westminster* KS 2-4 History Super Scientists KS 2 Science & History Easter KS 2-3 Religious Education & Art * Discounts available for secondary schools in the Borough of Westminster
8-10 January I 10:00-12:00 or 12:45-14:45 Journey of Life This guided tour of the Abbey highlights some of the key milestones in a Christian s life: baptism, marriage and funeral. The symbols associated with each ceremony (the font, the ring, the cross) will be discussed in an imaginative and fun way. Students can think about significant dates in their lives and then create a St. Christopher badge to take through their own life journey. 4 per pupil Max 30 children per session KS 1-3 15-17 January I 10:30-12:00 or 13:00-14:30 Symbols of Worship Westminster Abbey is first and foremost a place of worship which uses the rich tradition of Christian symbolism developed over many centuries. Students will explore the Abbey considering some of the key symbolic objects, actions, words and images used here. The sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion will be considered in depth, and pupils will have the opportunity to visit the Shrine of Edward the Confessor, not normally open to the public. Westminster secondary schools 3.50 3.50 KS 1-2 6.50 KS 3-4 Max 30 pupils per session KS 1-4
22-24 January I 10:00-12:00 or 12:45-14:45 Remembering WWI The Grave of the Unknown Warrior is a poignant reminder of the Great War. Pupils will meet a WW1 Soldier and pay their respects at the grave. They will be introduced to the poets of the First World War before recycling a war poem using their senses and our poetry kitbag. For secondary pupils our unpick a sonnet activities demystify form and structure and engage pupils in the actual language choices made by soldier-poet, Wilfred Owen. 4 per pupil Max 30 pupils per session KS 2-4 29-31 January I 10:00-12:00 or 12:45-14:45 Conservation in Action Become a trainee conservator for the day to find out how the conservation team look after Westminster Abbey: a historic monument housing many national treasures and, first and foremost, a place of worship built by a king to the glory of God. By trying out conservation techniques and exploring the way visitors use the church, pupils will learn about how the building is being preserved for future generations of worshippers and tourists alike. 4 per pupil Max 30 pupils per session KS 2-4
5-7 February I 10:00-12:00 or 12:45-14:45 What the Dickens! Charles Dickens is often considered the greatest of Victorian novelists. Join us for a birthday celebration of his unique style of writing and find out, from the man himself, about the inspiration for his work and the times in which he lived. Pupils will visit the grave where Dickens was buried in a small, private ceremony in Poets Corner. You may combine this session with a selfguided walking tour of the areas around the Abbey associated with Dickens and the Victorian era. 4 per pupil Max 30 pupils per session KS 2-3 12-14 February I 10:30-12:00 or 13:00-14:30 Coronation Chronicles The Queen celebrates the 60th anniversary of her coronation this year. Take a tour of Westminster Abbey and become a monarch for the morning! We shall stand on the spot where kings and queens have been crowned since 1066 to find out what happens at the coronation and discover the meaning behind the Crown Jewels. See the tombs of medieval kings and queens and the beautiful Tudor Lady Chapel, burial place of a brother and two sisters: Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I. Westminster secondary schools 3.50 3.50 KS 2 6.50 KS 3 Max 30 pupils per session KS 2-3
26-27 February I 10:00-12:00 or 12:45-14:45 Tudor Reformations In January 1540, Westminster Abbey was dissolved and the Benedictine monks left. Pupils will find out what it was like in the Abbey at this time, and why Henry VIII dissolved the religious houses of England. They consider the impact that closing the Abbey would have had on Westminster, and beyond, and meet Brother William, one of monks, to find out how he felt about the Reformation. They will also tour the Abbey to consider the impact that it had on the building and its worship. 4 per pupil Max 30 pupils per session KS 2-3 5-7 March I 10:00-12:00 or 12:45-14:45 Women at Westminster Westminster Abbey is the resting place of some of the most significant women in the history of the nation. During Women s History Month students will learn about the lives of medieval queens, and how they had far more power and influence than most people assume. They will visit some of the key sites of the Abbey to see how the tombs of these women reflect their position and consider the role of women at Westminster in the present day. Westminster secondary schools 3.50 3.50 KS 2 6.50 KS 3-4 Max 30 pupils per session KS 2-4
12-14 March I 10:00-12:00 or 12:45-14:45 Super Scientists Charles Darwin, Alfred Russel Wallace, Sir Isaac Newton, Michael Faraday, Alexander Fleming, Edmond Halley and Lord Joseph Lister just some of the great scientists who are buried or remembered at Westminster Abbey. This session looks at the contributions of some of these great thinkers. Pupils will meet Charles Darwin and join him on a nature trail in the Abbey gardens. 4 per pupil Max 30 pupils per session KS 2 19-21 & 25-27 March I 10:00-12:00 or 12:45-14:45 Easter Come and join us for the most important of all Christian festivals! Pupils will learn about the death and resurrection of Jesus and, in their visit to the Abbey, find out about the services celebrated here to mark these events. They will explore the important symbols associated with this festival and make a memento to remind them of the events which took place nearly 2,000 years ago. 4 per pupil Max 30 pupils per session KS 2-3
Westminster Abbey is a living Church, where God is worshipped daily. There are thirteen services every week, which school groups are welcome to attend by prior arrangement. Westminster Abbey is also one of the world s greatest churches, a designated World Heritage Site and Royal Peculiar, which means the Dean is directly answerable to the monarch. The coronation of Kings and Queens has taken place here since 1066, and 30 Kings and Queens are buried here. Principal among them is St Edward the Confessor, King of England from 1042 to 1066, whose shrine is at the heart of the Abbey. Also buried or memorialised here are over 3,000 great men and women from history: statesmen and politicians, lawyers, warriors, clerics, writers, artists and musicians.