Victorian teacher leading a traditional school lesson

Educational Trips

 

Ironbridge: Inspiring Learning beyond the classroom

We have created an excellent learning experience that extends beyond classrooms and helps teachers deliver many different aspects of the National Curriculum in a creative and inspiring way.

Students have the opportunity to expand their understanding of many different subjects whilst visiting our museums as we cover;

  • History
  • Art
  • STEAM
  • English 
  • Geography

There are learning opportunities for all key stages and all sessions can be adapted for pupils with additional needs.

The Great British School Trip

We are part of The Great British School Trip powered by Hyundai!

Does your school need financial support or education resources for a school trip?

Click here for more details and how to apply.

School visit enquiries

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Booking a Visit

Booking a visit is easy:

2023/24 prices

 Prices valid until 31 August 2024

Museum (Single Visit)

Visit Cost

Workshop Cost

Blists Hill Victorian Town £9 £3
Enginuity £4.50 £4
Jackfield Tile Museum £4.50 £10
Coalport China Museum £4.50 £7.50
Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron £4.50  -
Darby Houses  £2.75  - 
Broseley Pipeworks  £2.75   - 
Tar Tunnel (Tour)  £1.25   - 
The Iron Bridge Tollhouse  FREE   - 
Museum of Iron & Darby Houses  £6   

MUSEUM (Multi-site)

VISIT COST

 
Multi-site ticket, 7-day access £13   -

1 free adult place for every 6 children, rounded up so a group of 10 children would have two free adults. Any additional adults pay the standard entry rate. These charges apply to all students, regardless of age.

If you require additional adults for 1-to-1 support, please let us know at the time of booking.

Museum admission tickets are exempt from VAT. Workshop prices shown here are ex VAT.

Shropshire Education Discounts

SSMS – Shropshire Schools Membership Scheme

SSMS gives discounted admission to all of the Museum sites. Membership is free to all schools in Telford & Wrekin and Shropshire. Once membership is confirmed, the following discounts are available:

  • 30% off admission
  • 10% off workshops (excl Tile Decorating at Jackfield Tile Museum)

Membership runs annually from 1 September to 31 August.

All visits must be booked in advance to qualify for the discounts.  Please quote your membership order number when you book.

For more information, to make a booking or to join the Scheme contact us at education@ironbridge.org.uk or 01952 433 970.

FAQs

Do I need to book my visit in advance?

Yes, all educational groups need to be booked in advance. This is to ensure that we have staffing in place to deliver your visit effectively.

Do I need to book a lunch space?

Indoor lunch spaces are limited, but we do our best to accommodate groups.  We give priority to Key Stage One and Two groups, and those who are taking part in our workshops.  There are outdoor picnic spaces at or close to all sites.

You can pre-book take-away fish & chips from the Fried Fish Dealers at  Blists Hill Victorian Town.  Please let us know if you would like this at the time of booking. 

How do we pay for the visit?

We will invoice after the visit or you can pay by cash, school cheque or credit/debit card on the day.

Can I visit before the trip to prepare?

We strongly recommend that you carry out a preliminary visit before you come with your group.  You should use this visit to plan your own risk assessments, based on our guidelines for the site you are visiting.  We can arrange for you to meet with a member of the Learning Team to discuss your visit  - this is available Monday – Friday during normal opening times.  Preliminary visits are free and can be arranged once your booking is confirmed.

Do you provide risk assessments?

Specific Risk Assessments will be provided as part of your booking confirmation.  We recommend you carry out your own site Risk Assessment as part of your preliminary visit.

Is there parking available?

Free parking is available for coaches and minibuses as part of your booking.  Please tell your driver/s to come to the entrance to the museum and give their vehicle registration to our staff there.  Coach drivers will also be issued with a free ticket to enter the museum.

Can I cancel the booking?

You may cancel your booking up until one month before your visit date without incurring a cancellation charge.  After that the charge is as follows:

Between 2 and four weeks: 50% of the total cost

Less than two weeks before your visit: 100% of the cost.

The cancellation fee will be waived if you re-book your visit within the same academic year (allowed once, and any cancellation of the second date will result in the cancellation fee being applied, regardless of the time frame).

Terms and Conditions for education bookings

Education groups must consist of at least 6 students. To qualify for discount you must purchase a single group ticket; this is valid on the day of issue and for six days following the day of issue.

Education groups get one free teacher’s ticket for every 6 students. Any additional accompanying adults pay the standard museum admission rates.

Additional adult free places for accompanying children requiring 1:1 support should be discussed at the time of booking.

Children must be accompanied by adults at all times.

Annual Passport Tickets are not valid for group education visits.

Find out more about the tours, activities and workshops you can pre-book at the Museums.

BLISTS HILL VICTORIAN TOWN

Step back in time and let your pupils experience life in 1900

WORKSHOPS  
All £3 (ex VAT) per person

BRICK MAKING

Duration: 30 minutes
Capacity: 15 pupils per session (maximum of 5 sessions per day)

Visit the the original Madeley Wood Brick and Tile works and learn about the real history of the Blists Hill site and the life of a child labourer before making their own brick to take away. 

Curriculum links: KS2 & 3 History

THE VICTORIAN SCHOOLROOM

Duration: 90 minutes
Capacity: 90 per day

Pupils experience what it would have been like for them to go to school in the Victorian period.  Taking place in an original schoolhouse, the lesson is led by Miss McCallum, who will instruct your class in the Three Rs and strict discipline! We provide authentic costume for this session.

Curriculum links: KS2 & 3 History

VICTORIAN SCHOOROOM EXPERIENCE FOR KEY STAGE 1

Duration: 60 minutes
Capacity: 90 per day

An introduction to what school was like for children in 1900.  In this session, especially for KS1, pupils will look at the differences between school in the Victorian period and their own experiences in school.  The session includes a short lesson in role with Miss McCallum, our Victorian headmistress, appropriate for younger pupils.  We provide costume for this session.

Curriculum links: KS1 History 

Candle Dipping

Duration: 30 minutes
Capacity: 90 per day

Pupils will create their own colourful candle using the traditional wax dipping technique, following a visit to our Victorian candle factory to provide the historical context for this workshop.

Curriculum links: KS1 Art & Design, Science and History. KS2 History and Science. KS3 History

LAUNDRY

Duration: 30 minutes
Capacity: 60 per day

A hands-on session to see how clothes were washed in the days before washing machines.  Held in the atmospheric Canal Street wash house, pupils draw water from a traditional pump, mash the laundry with a posser before wringing it out with a mangle.

Curriculum links: KS1, 2 & 3 History 

INTAGLIO PRINTING

Duration: 90 minutes
Capacity: 60 per day

Intaglio printing has been used to mass-produce artworks and decorative ceramics for hundreds of years. In this workshop, pupils etch their design into a plate then apply ink before creating a unique print.  

Curriculum links: KS2 & 3 Art & Design and History 

DELIVERY DAY

Duration: 90 minutes
Capacity: 60 per day

In this story-based tour of Blists Hil Victorian Town, children help deliver letters to the fairy-tale characters who live there.  Visit Goldilocks in her house, hunt for Jack’s golden eggs and visit the bakery where the Gingerbread man is baked.  This session includes a candle dipping activity and a visit to the Laundry.

Curriculum links: EYFS Communication & Language and Understanding the World. KS1 History, English, Art & Design and Science

Enginuity Workshops

ALL £4 (EX VAT) PER PERSON

Power Buggies

Suitable for KS2 (Yrs 5/6)
Full Day Workshop: 10am-2.30pm
Capacity: 35 per session

Build and race a mini electric car inspired by the Coalbrookdale-born inventor Thomas Parker who made the world’s first working electric car. Build the car in stages starting with a series circuit, make an aerodynamic frame using a variety of materials. The cars are tested in a drag race against each other to find out who made the fastest car!

Curriculum Links: KS2 Science, Design and Technology, History

Downhill Buggies

Suitable for KS1 (Yrs 1/2/3)
Half Day Workshop: 10am-12pm/12.30pm-2.30pm
Capacity: 35 per session

Design, make and test a gravity-powered car! Learn about forces and mechanisms using fun and practical demonstrations. In teams, students assemble components to make a free-wheeling car, decorate it using a variety of materials and test the cars against each other.

Curriculum Links: KS1 Design and Technology, Science

Bridging the Gap

Suitable for Upper KS2 (Yrs 6/7)
Full Day Workshop: 10am-2.30pm
Capacity: 35 per session
Please ask about availability for this session

Learn all about bridges in the home of the world’s first Ironbridge. Learn about different types of bridges and the forces that affect them through discussion and practical demonstrations. Students will then put this knowledge into practice by designing, building, and testing to destruction their very own truss bridge.

Curriculum Links: KS2 History, Design and Technology 

Jitterbugs

Suitable for Lower KS2 (Yrs 3/4)
Half Day Workshop: 10am-11.30am/12.30pm-2pm
Capacity: 45 per session

Explore the science and basic principles of electricity with an exciting introduction that incorporates fun and practical demonstrations. In small groups, students build a base, add a simple series circuit with an eccentric cam to make a jumpy jitterbug.

Curriculum Links: KS1 Design and Technology, Science. KS2 Design and Technology, Science

Sphero

Suitable for KS2 (Yrs 5/6)
Half Day Workshop: 10am-12pm/12.30pm-2.30pm
Capacity: 30 per session

Discover the exciting world of coding with robot ball. Using scratch-based block coding, program Sphero to follow your commands and meet challenges.

Curriculum Links: KS2 & 3 Computing

Enginuity Explorers

Suitable for EYFS and Lower KS1 (Yr 1)
90 minute session: 10am-11.30am/12.30pm-2pm
Capacity: 30 per session

Open Mr Darby’s Box of Magical Science Secrets and discover the world of science and engineering in this imaginative play session designed for the under-fives.  We use stories, songs, rhymes and lots of play resources, that link with objects in the museum to help children to understand how things work.

Curriculum Links: EYFS All areas. KS1 Science, English, History

Marvellous Metals

Suitable for Lower KS2 (Yr 3)
2 hour session: 10am-12pm
Capacity: 45 per session
Please ask about availability for this session

Come to the Birthplace of Industry to discover the amazing properties of iron and other metals. In a series of incredible activities students make iron, discover unusual uses for magnetic metals and watch the state of a metal change from liquid to solid before their very eyes! Finish your visit at the Museum of Iron!

Curriculum links: KS2 Science & History

 

Learning Sessions at Jackfield Tile Museum

A Treasury of Tiles

Suitable for Key Stage 2 and Lower Key Stage 3

Half Day Workshop (can be combined with a Tile Workshop to make a full day)

Capacity: 60 per session

An interactive tour which looks at the history of tile making in Ironbridge Gorge and explores the rich collection of tiles on display and the artists behind them. 

Curriculum Links:

  • Key Stage 2 – History, Art & Design
  • Key Stage 3 - History, Art & Design

£3 (ex VAT)

TILE decorating

Duration: 90 minutes

Capacity: 32 pupils per session (maximum of 4 sessions per day)

A hands-on tile decorating session using the traditional Victorian process of tubelining.  Groups can work together to create panels of tiles or on their own individual designs. This session can be linked to your subject topic.

Curriculum Links:

  • Key Stage 1 - History, Art & Design, Science
  • Key Stage 2 – History, Art & Design, Science
  • Key Stage 3 - History, Art & Design, Science

£10 (incl VAT) per person. (Delivered by Craven Dunnill Jackfield)

Click here to enquire

slip castING

Duration: 90 minutes

Capacity: 15 pupils per session (maximum of 2 sessions per day)

Using a replica mould, from an original vessel from the museum collections, students get to cast their own piece using liquid clay slip and have time to learn about the science behind the technique.

Curriculum Links:

  • Key Stage 2 – History, Art & Design, Science
  • Key Stage 3 - History, Art & Design, Science

£10 (incl VAT) per person. (Delivered by Craven Dunnill Jackfield)

Click here to enquire

Tile Tales

Suitable for EYFS and Key Stage 1

Half Day Workshop (can be combined with a Tile Workshop to make a full day)

Capacity: 60 per session

Discover different types of tiles and how they can be used, in this story-based tour of Jackfield Tile Museum.  An Encaustic Tile Workshop can be added.

Curriculum Links:

  • EYFS – Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the World, Expressive Arts and Design
  • Key Stage 1 – Art & Design, History, English

£3 (ex VAT)

ENCAUSTIC TILE MAKING

Duration: 60 minutes

Capacity: 15 pupils per session (maximum of 4 sessions per day)

In these unique sessions students get to create an encaustic tile from clay using a pre-carved plaster mould, as well as learning about the history behind the medieval and Victorian tile making process.

Curriculum Links:

  • Key Stage 2 – History, Art & Design, Science
  • Key Stage 3 - History, Art & Design, Science

£10 (incl VAT) per person. (Delivered by Craven Dunnill Jackfield)

Click here to enquire

Have a question?

If you've got any questions about school visits, workshops or our outreach programme then drop us a line. 

  • 01952 433 970
  • Use the enquiry form and someone will contact you
  • Education Department, The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, Coalbrookdale, Telford TF8 7DQ