Learning Section - School Service

We are passionate about learning which is at the forefront of the Royal Engineers Museum's (REM) mandate. Our Schools Programme is specifically designed to support the teaching of the national curriculum and to guarantee a fun and fascinating day out for your pupils. We strive to meet the needs of teachers, pupils and schools, therefore many of our sessions can be adjusted to specific requirements. There is also FREE pre-visits for teachers, and FREE coach parking.

There are many ways to use the Schools Programme:

• Visit the Museum on a self-lead visit, and enjoy the wonderful galleries and historic artefacts at your own pace.
• Book a guided tour, and find out a bit more about the nooks and crannies of the Museum's Designated collection.
• Schedule a workshop with one of our Education Staff, and let them show off the extensive Handling Collection
• Have us come to you! Some of our sessions can be brought to you by one of our Education Staff.
• Take out a Tactile Box of History (Loan Box), and put the artefacts of the collection into the hands of your pupils in your very own classroom.

Workshops

Workshops are conducted jointly by Museum staff and Teachers and are linked to both national curriculum targets and the QCA schemes of work. The sessions currently available for Primary and Secondary education include:

• Science
  • Early Engineers - All Key Stages (5-16 yrs)
  • Brilliant Bridges - All Key Stages (5-16 yrs)


• History
  • Florence Nightingale - Key Stage 1 (5-7 yrs)
  • World War Two - Home Front - Key Stage 2 (7-11 yrs)
  • World War One- Life in the Tenches - Key Stage 3 (11-14 yrs)
  • World War Two - Two for the price of one - Key Stage 3 (11-14 yrs)
  • Engineers of the Empire - Key Stages 3 & 4 (11-14 yrs and 14-16 yrs)


• Miscellaneous
  • Objection! - Key Stages 3 & 4 (11-14 yrs and 14-16 yrs)
  • Curious Curators - All Key Stages (5-16 yrs)
  • See also our Remembrance and Christmas sessions

Sessions with the Education Officer are only available between 10.00 am and 3.00 pm.

Our Learning Service is under constant development and as such we are able to cater for most interests including the teaching of military and social history outside our currently listed programme.

Tactile Boxes (Loan Boxes)

Tactile Boxes - more commonly known as 'loan boxes', our tactile boxes of history can help you set the stage of history within your own classroom.

Each tactile box is filled with carefully selected objects from our Handling Collection, along with interesting archive resources, worksheets, lesson plans, and loads of background information to help you bring history to life.

Our tactile boxes are ideal for Special Needs students.

How does it work?

Simple:

• All you have to do is pick a topic and give us a call 01634 822312 or email: education@re-museum.co.uk us with your details.
• If your tactile box is available, all you have to do is come and pick it up.
• Thats it!

The box is designed to be easy to use and effective as possible.

Current Tactile Boxes

• Florence Nightingale
• World War Two: Home Front

If there is a subject you would like to see covered by our Tactile Boxes of History, please let us know. Also keep an eye on our Schools Bulletin to see what new boxes are being developed.

Download Tactile Box Teacher's Pack (pdf 179kb)

Download Booking Form (pdf 44kb)

Download Terms and Conditions (pdf 36kb)

Download free Adobe® Reader® software to read pdf (portable document format) files.

Outreach Service

Through our Outreach Service we come to your school with some of our Handling Collection and deliver a similiar session to those offered at the Museum. Its a cost effective way to include the Museum in your student's educational experience.

The service is only available to schools that fall within the area outlined in yellow on the map below (i.e. Faversham-Maidstone-Sevenoaks-Northfleet).

Sessions available are:

• History
  • Florence Nightingale - Key Stage 1 (5-7 yrs)
  • World War Two - Home Front - Key Stage 2 (7-11 yrs)
  • World War One- Life in the Tenches - Key Stage 3 (11-14 yrs)

• Miscellaneous
  • Curious Curators - All Key Stages (5-16 yrs)

Download Outreach Teacher's Pack (pdf 179kb)

Download Outreach Booking Form (pdf 45kb)

Download free Adobe® Reader® software to read pdf (portable document format) files.

Special Sessions

We hold additional special sessions to mark annual events. They are conducted in a similar manner to our Workshops the sessions available include:

• Know the Soldiers: Past, Present & Future - Armed Forces Day Special - Key Stage 1 and 2 (6-11 yrs)
       Only available in June.
  
  
• Why do we remember? Remembrance Day Special Session - Key Stage 1 and 2 (5-11 yrs)
       Only available all October and the first two weeks of November.



• 'Christmas on the Home Front' (Second World War) - Key Stage 2 (7-11 yrs)
       Only available in December.



• 'A Christmas Truce' (First World War) - Key Stage 3 (11-14 yrs)
       Only available in December.

Sessions with the Education Officer are only available between 10.00 am and 3.00 pm.

School Competitions

• Bridge Building competition held in the Spring/Summer.
• War Poetry competition held in the Autumn.
• War Artist competition held in the Autumn.

Further details can be found on the Events and Competitions page.

Royal Engineers Museum Schools Bulletin

This newsletter is designed to keep teachers informed about the goings on at the Museum, and new developments happening in the Schools Service. It also provides a means for them to tell us what they would like out of their time here, or any services they would like to see offered.

Download your copies of the REM School Bulletin:

• Autumn/Winter 2009/10 - Issue 4 (pdf 602kb) - posted 27 November 2009
• Spring/Summer 2009 - Issue 4 (pdf 618kb) - posted 19 March 2009
• Autumn/Winter 2008 - Issue 3 (pdf 660kb) - posted 3 December 2008
• Spring/Summer 2008 - Issue 2 (pdf 663kb) - posted 4 April 2008
• Autumn 2007 - Issue 1 (pdf 1MB) - posted 2 November 2007

If you're interested in subscribing to this FREE service please send your name, school, and email address to: education@re-museum.co.uk

Web Resources

The Life of Major General Charles Gordon - Key Stage 1 & 2 (5-11 yrs) (pdf 1.7MB)

Major General Charles Gordon (1833-1885), a Royal Engineer, was one of the most famous men in Victorian Britain. His exploits both at home and around the world captivated the minds of the public and even Queen Victoria herself. This presentation, aimed at Primary School children, explains the life and death of 'Chinese Gordon' (or 'Gordon of Khartoum') and offers a unique alternative to studies of Florence Nightingale.

More information about General Gordon can be found on the Biography page

The life of a soldier can become quite complicated. This is rarely more true than when one is taken as a Prisoner of War (POW). The conditions which must be faced, and the potential for death can easily overwhelm even the strongest of us. This resource provides activities based on the writings of POWs, for the use of creative inspiration.

Additional facilities

• FREE admission for teachers and group leaders
• FREE preliminary visits for teachers
• FREE coach parking
• Teaching space in the Schools Room
• Storage space for bags and coats
• Space for lunch in the Schools Room
• Access ramps for wheelchairs
• Wheelchair
• Toilet facilities
• Museum Shop selling souvenirs, gifts, postcards and books - many items cost less than £ 2.00.
• Refreshment area with vending machines selling crisps, sweets, hot and cold drinks

Charges

Charges are to be found on the Learning Services Charges page

Booking a Workshop, Session and Tactile Box

The Museum is open 9 am - 5 pm Tuesday to Friday - see Visitors' Information page for full and up-to-date details.

Teaching sessions can be booked in advance by contacting:

   Deputy Curator (Education & Events)
   Royal Engineers Museum
   Prince Arthur Road
   Gillingham
   Kent
   ME4 4UG

   Tel: 01634 822312
   Fax: 01634 822371

   Email: education@re-museum.co.uk

Please download Booking Form (pdf 44kb) and return to the above address.

Download free Adobe® Reader® software to read pdf (portable document format) files.

Sessions involving an Education Officer or the Medway Evacuee Reunion Group (MERG) are only available between 1030 am and 3 pm. Groups wishing to arrive earlier than 1030 am may take a self-led tour of the Museum prior to their session with Museum staff.