Kingsholm Primary School at The Archives

In the past few months the sound of lively chatter has echoed through the Archives' corridors and strongrooms.

Kingsholm Primary School, no more than 5 minutes walk from the Heritage Hub, visited us to learn more about what we do here and take part in sessions run by staff. 

In January approximately 80 year 1 pupils (all aged 5 - 6 years) visited as part of a design and technology buildings project.

Touring the Heritage Hub, pupils compared the old and new, looked for clues that told them what the building had once been used for and saw how classrooms had been converted into offices and strongrooms. Children went inside a strongroom and were able to see some of the wonderful documents and books housed there.  Finally taking a long trek up to our main storage area (particularly long when your legs are quite short!) to see how photos are stored, returning for a meander through the garden and a close inspection of the artwork.

      

February and March saw Archives staff run six sessions as part of the school's 'University' module which is aimed at junior children (ages 8 – 11 years).

The University Module introduces subjects the school can’t normally include and aims to raise children's aspirations. As well as a tour of the building (where children were particularly interested in one of the Archives' strangest artefacts – Raikes the Rat) staff ran sessions that included comparing old and new maps, drawing their own map and using street names to inspire creative writing, finding out about how people in the past made ink, using feathers to write with and having a go at calligraphy. Finally the children had a session learning about gargoyles and made their own gargoyles using modelling clay or card.