The Mary Rose museum team firmly believe that Learning outside the Classroom has enormous benefits for pupils of all ages and abilities.
Thanks to generous support from the Band Trust, the museum is running a pilot project supporting schools in Portsmouth, Havant and Gosport who may not otherwise be able to visit. The Mary Rose Trust have worked with local authorities to identify eligible schools who would particularly benefit from this opportunity to enrich curriculum teaching and motivate students in an immersive environment. The scheme will also benefit community groups working with young people. We hope this pilot scheme will lay the foundations for future programmes.
Dominic Jones, Mary Rose Trust Chief Executive, said:
“Learning and inclusion are central to our mission at the Mary Rose and we are really looking forward to welcoming many more Portsmouth children to the Museum to see an amazing part of their City’s heritage.”
Flying Bull Academy, Portsmouth were the first school to visit. Mrs Viv Kies, Acting Headteacher, said:
“Our Year 6 pupils will be learning to investigate and interpret the past and develop their understanding of chronology through studying the Tudor period. I can’t think of a better way for the children to develop their understanding of the past and the enormity of chronology than by visiting the living exhibition: The Mary Rose! A funded visit would mean that our children can learn from first hand experiences without undue financial pressure on their families. For the last two years these pupils have missed out on many school visits… It would be so lovely to begin the Spring term with a high-quality visit to consolidate and revisit their learning from the Autumn term.”
Charley Chamberlain, Learning Officer, said:
“The pupils and staff from Flying Bull Academy were a credit to the school; the pupils were exceptionally knowledgeable about the Tudors, the Mary Rose and Tudor Portsmouth. They asked excellent questions and were enthusiastic and impeccably behaved.”
Children from Flying Bull Academy Year 6 wrote the visit up for their school website:
“They had activities that we thoroughly enjoyed, for example, we tried to shoot a replica bow to recreate the experience of what it would feel like to shoot one, multiple interactive screens with games and information about the ship. We are grateful for this amazing experience that was given to us.”
We look forward to welcoming more young people on this programme to discover what the Mary Rose Museum has to offer over the next six months.
