History Archives Trip

On Tuesday, 4th March, 39 keen historians were invited to take part in two workshops at the National Archives in Kew.

Pupils were allowed to look at and investigate some very special artefacts, some of which were over 1,000 years old. They learnt about the importance of the building, how the artefacts are stored, and the myth that white gloves should always be worn! Pupils used their inference skills to explore a variety of historical topics, including a suffragette in 1914, how propaganda was made during World War Two, what life was like in medieval England, and the importance of rats in creating the National Archives themselves.

It was an amazing day and an incredible experience – it’s not every day you get to see an Elizabethan seal used by Queen Elizabeth I and read from a medieval cartulary showing one of the first-ever maps! The pupils were fantastic—keen, eager, and impressive in both their questions and knowledge. A huge well done to them, and also to Mrs. Johnstone for organising everything.

“I really liked how there were so many cool artefacts in one place. It was like an Oscar’s ceremony for the best artefacts! Two football pitches of artefacts per room was mind-blowing!” – William

“We liked the detective workshop and finding out about the suffragette. A real mystery which we had to uncover – good fun, interesting, and with so much history!” – Georgie and Lottie