History workshops for schools

Learning opportunities for children at The Oxfordshire Museum - or in your school.

Booking a workshop

Schools can book a workshop at The Oxfordshire Museum or in school. All workshops feature a range of practical, hands-on activities using a wide variety of artefacts and photographs.

Your workshop leader will run the session and provide all necessary materials. A teacher’s pack is available for all sessions.

We can also offer virtual sessions for in-school learning, theses can be pre-recorded videos or live Q&A sessions.  Pleases contact us to discuss your requirements.

To find out more about the workshops and box loans that we offer, download the Schools Catalogue (pdf format, 2.2 MB)

To book a visit, or discuss your options, complete our online booking form.

We can only provide in-school workshops for schools in Oxfordshire.

Cost

Schools will be invoiced. For maintained schools, fees will be recharged.

Workshops at The Oxfordshire Museum (available Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday) cost £93 per class.

Workshops in school - the museum comes to you

  • FS and KS1 - 1 hour minimum - £115 per class, per workshop
  • KS2 - 1.5-hours minimum - £140 per class, per workshop 
  • Virtual workshops for schools - £35 per session
  • Virtual workshop with loan box for schools - £56 per session

Charges are reviewed annually.

Workshops at the museum

All workshops feature a range of practical, hands-on activities using a wide variety of artefacts and photographs.

Victorians - Spit and Polish (KS1 Houses): Put on your aprons and experience what it was like to maintain a home without the benefit of modern electrical appliances.

Victorians - Time to Play (FS/KS1 Toys and Games): Explore/investigate and play with a variety of indoor and outdoor toys and games from the past. Discover similarities and differences between past and present. Children have the opportunity to design and make their own peg doll.

Victorians - Sit Up Straight (KS1): Looking at how schooling has changed since the introduction of the 1870 Education Act. Once dressed, our schoolteacher will drill your pupils in school rules and regulations in a traditional schoolroom.

Dinosaur workshop (FS,KS1): Children will discover and learn about what Oxfordshire was like in Jurassic times through role play and handling some amazing fossils. They will explore the museum’s unique dinosaur garden and interactive dinosaur gallery.

Romans (KS2): Find out about Oxfordshire’s oldest veteran and experience life as a Roman soldier in Britain. Handle a wide range of objects found in Oxfordshire and discover our fascinating Roman Gallery.

The Anglo-Saxons In Oxfordshire (KS2): The formation and development of the Anglo Saxon kingdoms are complicated and confusing. Armed with helmets, swords and a good dose of role play, we will help to make sense of it all. Marvel at amazing discoveries such as the Hanney Brooch, enamelled spear and pattern welded sword; then make your own treasured version.

Workshops in school

Key stage 1 workshops - 1-hour minimum

Castles: How and why were motte and bailey castles built and what was it like to live inside them? Handle real objects found by archaeologists, feel the weight of a knight’s helmet, and discover the story of a famous siege at Oxford Castle. (FS/KS1).

Transport: This hands-on, drama-based workshop is an ideal introduction to history and object handling for the youngest members of the school. (FS).

Oxford's Motoring Legend, William Morris: Follow the amazing story of William Morris, Lord Nuffield, from a lad mending bicycles to the creator of one of the longest-established car plants in the world. A flurry of activities and artefacts show how Britain’s greatest benefactor changed the face of Oxford. (KS1).

Wash Day: Experience all the different stages of great grandma’s washday using authentic washday items.

Seaside Holidays: Climb aboard the charabanc to travel back in time and compare how seaside holidays have changed in the past 100 years. Photographs, objects and costumes bring this topic to life.

Toys and Games: Have toys changed? Play, learn, create, explore and discover.

School Days: How has schooling changed since the introduction of the 1870 Education Act? Slates, dip pens, free milk, the abacus, and the cane! Photographs, objects and lots of practical activities help bring the past to life.

Key Stage 2 workshops - 1.5 hours minimum

Rocks and Fossils: This practical, hands-on session covers many elements of the Science curriculum, including rocks and fossils and evolution. It will also introduce you to the ‘Father of Geology’ an Oxfordshire man.

Stone Age to Iron Age: Discover how people's lives changed over 1000s of years as we look at the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age. Take part in a timeline drama, handle flint tools, and have a go at ‘soap’ knapping.

Romans: Our extensive handling collection of genuine artefacts, found in Oxfordshire, will stimulate your children and enrich their learning about the Romans.

Anglo-Saxon Art and Culture: Learn about the styles and patterns used on Anglo-Saxon jewellery and use this knowledge to design and make your own copper brooch.

Anglo-Saxon Village Life: Discover how the Anglo-Saxons made and decorated their clothes. Each child will make their own pot and weave their own braid during this workshop.

Anglo-Saxons and Vikings: The formation and development of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms is complicated and can be confusing. Armed with helmets, swords and a good dose of role play, we will help to make sense of it all. Find out more about the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings in Oxfordshire

Tudors: Be amazed with what lies beneath the frills of Tudor fashion. Stimulate ideas and discussion while handling our intriguing artefacts.

Victorian Classroom: Looking at how schooling has changed since the introduction of the 1870 Education Act. Once dressed, our school teacher will drill your pupils in school rules and regulations in a traditional old-fashioned schoolroom experience.

WW2: Oxfordshire at War Handling and studying our wide collection of local wartime objects and documents makes history more real and tangible.

Life in Britain 1950s-1970s: From Elvis to Abba, pupils are encouraged to engage with the spirit of the 50s, 60s and 70s using a range of authentic artefacts, focusing on major historical events, technological change and everyday life.

Life in Britain 1900 - 1970: A fun and absorbing way to develop investigation skills through the use of primary evidence. Children will mount and present their own exhibitions and findings. Objects, documents and photographs show the changing face of Oxfordshire life from the late 1800s to the 1970s. This engaging workshop encourages higher-order reading skills.

Museum loan boxes

Unlock the past with our exciting range of boxes you can borrow for your classroom. Download our Schools Catalogue (pdf format, 2.2 MB) or complete our online booking form.

If you would like to discuss anything regarding the services offered by Learning and Access in more detail please contact us.