A self-led session in the Victorian school-room.	A 'Laundry and Wash Day' demonstration.

Services for Schools

Demonstrations

• Let the experts tell you how we used to live.
  Talks on a variety of relevant subjects from aspects of domestic life to the art of building a waggon wheel are available if booked in advance, subject to availability. Artefacts will be used to demonstrate these themes.
• Subjects covered include:

  The Wheelwright	The Farming Year	The Laundry
  The Blacksmith	Victorian School	Shepherding
  WWII Land Army		WWII Schoolboy

• Details
  These sessions last for about half an hour and cost £15 per session for approximately 30 children, although smaller groups are highly recommended.

Handling Collections

Handle artefacts to explore their materials, texture and balance. Then discover who used them, when and why.

• Subjects covered include:

  Farming	World War II	Life in the 1930s
  Victorian Items		Britain since 1948

• Details
  A charge of £5 per session is made. It may be possible to arrange other items - please ask at the time of booking.

Loan Boxes

These boxes can be used before or after a visit to the museum.

They cover many different themes and support demonstrations and museum exhibits. Alternatively they can be used to enhance classroom learning as a stimulating "stand alone" resource.

• Subjects covered include:

  The Wheelwright	Milking and Butter Making	Farming
  The Blacksmith	Laundry and Wash Day	World War II
  Weights and Measures	Victorian Items	Britain since 1948
  Life in the 1930s and World War II

• Details
  The loan sets may be hired for a 3 week period. The borrower is responsible for the collection and safe return of the boxes.
  It may be possible to borrow other items from the reserve colection -- please ask.
  The charge is £10 per 3 weeks with a £5 returnable deposit.
  Pre-booking is necessary with the museum on 01252 795571 or the Education Officer on 07771 526889 or email schools@rural-life.org.uk.

Worksheets

Many worksheets are available for free download from our website. Single copies can be ordered from the museum.

How to Book

1. Contact the museum by 'phone or email.
   If you want to discuss your visit please do not hesitate to contact the voluntary Education Officer - 07771 826889 or email schools@rural-life.org.uk
2. Make a provisional booking using the booking form available here or from the museum.
3. If possible take advantage of a free pre-visit to discuss the day or just see the museum.

Visit information

• Only one school will be booked at the museum on any one day.
• A museum volunteer will "meet and greet" each group and be on hand to assist but not lead the group.
• Visiting schools will have a designated indoor area to leave bags (not valuables) etc.
• Bookings taken for any day of the week by prior arrangement.
• Demonstrations or handling collections may be booked at extra charge, but until confirmed depend on the availability of volunteers.
• Charges are £3.50 for children.
• Accompanying adults and the coach driver are admitted free.

Teachers' responsibilities

• To make the appropriate "Health and Safety" assessment before their visit.
• Sufficient adults should accompany the group, as recommended by local authority guidelines.
• Teachers will be responsible for the behaviour and any special needs of their pupils.

Learning Activities

Curriculum Links

• The Rural Life Centre can support many areas of learning including history, geography, science, English, mathematics, art, technology and citizenship.
• A visit may be tailored to your specific needs.
• Please discuss possibilities with the Education Officer by contacting 07771 826889 or emailing schools@rural-life.org.uk

Popular Topics

Key Stage 1

What were homes like a long time ago?

• Visit the museum prefab
• Join in with a washing demonstration (£15 charge)
• Handle Victorian/Edwardian household artefacts (£5 charge)
• See displays of toys and home life of previous generations

Key Stage II

What was it like for children in the second world war?

• View the World War II display and answer historical questions
• Sit inside the Anderson shelter
• Listen to the Land Army talk or tales of a school boy during the war (£15 charge each)
• Handle everyday artefacts to make deductions and draw inferences (£5 charge)
• Compare shops of the pre-war period with the shops of today

What was it like living in Victorian Britain?

• Attend a Victorian school, either self-led (no charge) or with a strict school mistress (£15 charge)
• Watch the blacksmith working in his forge (£15 charge)
• Join in with the local wheelwright (£15 charge)
• Discover how everyday objects have changed since Victorian times using our handling collections (£5 charge)
• Explore the exhibits to find out about transport, farming or buildings of the period

How has life in Britain changed since 1948?

• Make observations in the prefab and other buildings. Think about the reasons for the changes
• See the shop exhibits and compare and contrast with those of today
• Study the final phase of the horse to modern traction
• Locate and collect information about the hop industry, farm machinery and office equipment of the post war period
• Handle artefacts to make deductions about the characteristic features of the period (£5 charge)

Key Stages III and IV

We will be happy to welcome you. Please discuss your particular subject or cross-curricular requirements with the Education Officer.

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Downloadable Resources

We present here our full range of worksheets for use on or off site. They are in Portable Document Format (PDF) which can be read with Adobe's free Acrobat reader available on the web. The full printed versions form part of our education pack available free to schools, please send for your copy.

• Work sheet 1: The Victorian Mousetrap (72KB)
• Work sheet 2: Weighing Machines (125KB)
• Work sheet 3: The Victorian Fire Pump (143KB)
• Work sheet 4: The Blacksmith (508KB)
• Work sheet 5: Hand Tools (141KB)
• Work sheet 6: The Dairy (157KB)
• Work sheet 7: Shepherding (136KB)
• Work sheet 8: The Wheelwright's Shop (489KB)
• Work sheet 9: All About Measuring (480KB)
• Work sheet 14: The Ferguson Tractor (42KB)
• Work sheet 15: Artefacts - keeping them safe (28KB)

Also here you will find a small selection of Rural Life Centre graphics which may be useful in class before visiting the museum. Please feel free to use them however you wish for non-commercial purposes, though we would ask that the Trust's copyright is indicated at all times.

If you would like similar artwork for other areas of the museum's collection please email us at info@rural-life.org.uk.

Below you will see thumbnail images of the resources available here. The actual files all reproduce to A5 or A4 size. Two formats are available: medium resolution GIF files or as vector drawings as Windows Metafiles (WMF). The latter can be reproduced at any size without loss of quality by inclusion in a Microsoft Word document.

	The blacksmith's forge surrounded by an assortment of his most used tools, all labelled with their names. A4 sized GIF image (30Kb). Details of the museum's blacksmith's shop can be found on this web site.
	One of the museum's early wooden Sussex turn wrest ploughs. A5 sized GIF image (13Kb) or Windows Metafile (as 39Kb ZIP file). Details of these ploughs can be found on this web site.
	The timber nib, a specialised, horse drawn vehicle which enabled foresters to pick up and move heavy tree trunks using the principle of levers. A5 sized GIF image (9Kb) or Windows Metafile (as 38Kb ZIP file).
	The museum has a large collection of hand tools. This drawing illustrates just a small selection of those used for harvesting, forestry, thatching, ditching and hedge-laying. A4 sized GIF image (20Kb).