Corinium Museum

What We Offer Visiting Schools:

The Corinium Museum offer a range of Sandford Award-winning and LOTC-approved workshops covering Stone Age to Iron Age, Romans, Anglo-Saxons and Tudors. These are designed for different age groups from KS1 up to KS3. We have free, downloadable gallery worksheets to accompany school visits. We have a cloakroom for coats and bags, plentiful toilets and a lunchroom space.

Why Choose Us for an Educational Visit:

Our workshops are informed by the incredible archaeology of the Cotswolds including the significant Roman and Anglo-Saxon finds. All workshops meet areas outlined in the KS1, 2 and 3 National Curriculum requirements. Observations of the objects in the galleries are put into a human context in the workshops through age-appropriate, interactive activities. The workshops are a great opportunity for pupils to get hands-on with history and archaeology and to make connections to the lives of people in the past, explore chronological timelines, increasing understanding, empathy, social interaction and learning.

Subjects and Topics Covered:

Roman life and culture

Roman civilisation

Roman army

Roman people

Roman religion, gods, goddesses and myths

Prehistory from hunter gatherers to early farmers

Anglo-Saxon life

Anglo-Saxon burial customs

Accreditation and Awards:

Our educational provision has achieved Sandford Award accreditation from the Heritage Education Trust for more than 15 years. The Sandford Award is the leading quality mark for education at heritage sites across the country and serves and the only form of accreditation in existence in the UK to provide independent quality assurance through on-site assessment. The museum has also been awarded the Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge for more than 15 years. We are signatories to the Kids in Museums Manifesto and committed to ensuring museum collections are accessible for learning and development.

Group Sizes Catered For:

We take school bookings and run school workshops for classes (up to 32 in each class.) The museum can take school groups of up to 96 children in any one day,

Itineraries, Resources, and Workshops:

Sample timetable for schools

Stone Age to Iron Age (KS2)

Pupils will explore the changes from the Stone Age to the Iron Age through a series of hands-on activities. Rotating around 4 tables, they will explore prehistoric settlements, material technologies handling replicas of ancient tools and food from hunter-gatherers to farming communities. The children also have a chance to dress up in costume ranging from Stone Age mock furs to the woven, patterned tunics found in the Iron Age. The workshop is reinforced with a chronological timeline. Suitable for children in years 3 and 4.

Everyday Life of the Romans (KS2)

Pupils will explore Roman life through a series of activities. Rotating around 4 tables, they will get hands-on with mosaic making, Roman games, food and pottery and Roman clothing. This session brings Roman Britain to life in a practical way for the children. Suitable for children in years 3 and 4.

Investigate the Anglo-Saxons (Upper KS2/3)

Using local evidence from Butler’s Field, children will examine archaeological evidence from burial goods left behind by the Anglo-Saxons. Pupils also find out what we learn from human remains bringing scientific enquiry into play. Using primary evidence and high quality replicas, this session reinforces archaeological enquiry. Some dressing up also takes place. Suitable for children in years 4 – 6.

Roman Identity (Upper KS2)

Sponsored by the Roman Society, this session explore Roman identity in Britain. Using 4 different areas of evidence; costume, human remains, tombstones and trade, pupils will uncover who the people were and where they came from. This session is a hands-on and fun opportunity for pupils to become historical detectives. Suitable for children in years 5 and 6.

Roman Houses (Upper KS2/3)

Using local archaeology, pupils will handle real Roman building materials and examine plans of houses from Roman Corinium (Cirencester.) They will develop their analytical skills and explore objects to determine who might have lived in the houses, bringing building and object evidence together in their conclusion. Some dressing up also takes place. Suitable for children in years 6-8.

Investigate the People from Roman Corinium (KS3)

A hands-on session that encourages analytical thinking and perfect for complementing the study of Latin and Classical Civilisations. Pupils will begin by examining artefacts from Roman graves and then translate original Roman tombstone inscriptions to discover who lived, and died, in Roman Corinium. Some dressing up also takes place. Suitable for children in years 7 -9.

Investigate the Tudors (KS3)

Students will develop an understanding of sources of evidence from this hands-on session looking at Tudor objects in conjunction with historical documents. Some dressing up also takes place. Suitable for children in years 7 -9.

Gladiator School

Working with a Roman re-enactor, the museum’s lecture theatre becomes an Amphitheatre for Gladiatorial combat. Children handle armor, shout at the ‘fighters’ and go back in time to experience Roman entertainment at its finest.

The museum offers a loans box service for use in class rooms. Each box has a variety of resources to help bring the topic to life for children.

Risk Assessment:

Risk assessments are updated annually and available online. Teachers are encouraged to conduct a free preliminary visit to conduct a risk assessment specific to their class and client group.

Education Department Information:

For details on any of our workshops or school activities, contact Rebecca Shellenberger or Caroline Morris at corinium@freedom.co.uk or call the museum on 01285 655611

Pricing Information:

Pupil – £3.60
SEN Staff- Free
Active Learning Session (1 hour) £66
Lunchroom (half hour) – £12.00

Facilities:

• Cloakroom for coats and bags outside Lifelong Learning Centre
• Plentiful toilets, including accessible toilets
• A lunchroom on the first floor for up to 35 pupils (lifts are available)
• Accessible galleries
• Handling objects throughout the galleries

Accessibility and Disabled Facilities:

Accessible toilets

Large-print sheets

Guide Dogs Welcome

On-site Parking for Disabled Visitors

Accessible classrooms

Opening Hours:

We are open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 4pm and Sunday from 2pm to 4pm.

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