Teach Secondary 13.5

WHYNOTVISIT… Three reward destinations your studentswill enjoy,while learning something in the process... HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES Give your students unique educational experiences at some of the country’s most iconic palaces. Historic Royal Palaces’ schools programmes are designed tomake historymore real and immersive in the very places where numerous events of historical significance actually happened.As well as subsidised entry for schools, HRP can provide on-site programmes that include a range of curriculum-aligned learning sessions for KS3 pupils, and KS4/5 sessions that complement exam board specifications. hrp.org.uk JANE AUSTEN’S HOUSE Transport students of all ages with a visit to Jane Austen’s House – the inspiring Hampshire cottage where Jane Austen lived and wrote her groundbreaking novels. Engaging house tours help to bring Jane Austen’s novels to life, while emphasising their relevance and accessibility, and there is also a series of fun, interactive workshops that further explore the period’s wider historical context. Activities ranging from traditional garden games to Regency letter writing and Regency dress-up are all included. janeaustens.house AN INSPECTOR CALLS Winner of 19major awards and hailed as the theatrical event of its generation, Stephen Daldry’s multi-award-winning National Theatre production of JB Priestley’s classic thriller has thrilled more than 5million theatregoers worldwide.When Inspector Goole arrives unexpectedly at the home of the prosperous Birling family, their peaceful dinner party is shattered by his investigations into the death of a young woman... Suitable for ages 12+ andmore relevant now than ever, this is an unmissable play. aninspectorcalls.com/education WE WENT TO... ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS KEW “The trip is usually a joint endeavour between our art, science and geography departments. I led the trip this year, and tried to incorporate elements of the science and geography curriculum that the pupils would have been covering at school. We chose to do different sessions each day – KS3 ‘Plant Reproduction Investigation’ on the first day, and KS3 ‘geography’ and ‘Rainforests’ the next. In Kew’s Princess ofWales Conservatory, for example, students looked at the desert and rainforest zones, and froma geography perspective, considered what it would be like to inhabit those different environments. In terms of their science studies, the focus was more on the anatomy of the plants, while for art, we always try to take in Kew’s art galleries and explore its various collections. The pupils tell me that they now have a good understanding of the rainforest, in that they’re able to explain the different layers within the rainforest, and howwhat they observed reinforced what they’d previously learnt in Geography. This year I sat in on the plant reproduction session, where I could witness the pupils improving their knowledge in real time. One activity saw themmove between plants, counting the different types of pollinators on each. This way, they get to see science in action through active learning in outside spaces. A separate activity sawY7 pupils labelling the different parts of a plant’s reproductive system, as part of an exercise that will have helped themdevelop knowledge relating to topics they’ll encounter in Y8. Our students get really excited about being at Kew and having the chance to experience its different environments. They’re always eager to look at things and explore its rooms – and you can tell that many of themwill be looking at their houseplants in a whole newway once they’ve returned home. Being there creates in thema real sense of enthusiasmand enjoyment of the natural world.” – Tim, secondary art teacher, Sutton For more information about the school services provided by Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, visit kew.org/kew-gardens/school-visits 69 teachwire.net/secondary S UMM E R S E N D - O F F