Key Stage 1 (4-7)

Key Stage 1 (4-7)

In the first two years of compulsory education (Key Stage 1/5-7 years), pupils begin to explore their local environment. If the school is lucky enough to have a museum nearby, it will be an important starting point in their development. Further afield, there are activity-based museums such as the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre in Great Missenden, the Science Museum and the Wellcome Foundation museums in London, or the various museums of childhood in Derbyshire, Edinburgh and the Victoria and Albert in Bethnal Green; all of which are popular venues for Key Stage 1 students.

Many providers cater for both day and short-term residential adventure activities, and both the National Trust and Forestry Commission run activities specifically tailored for the KS1 age-group.

Children are often interested in the theatre and music, and usually begin with trips to pantomimes and musicals in Key Stage 1. You can find guidance on ‘kids’ theatre in London here, and over in East Anglia there is the Norwich Puppet Theatre with Bristol Old Vic in the West Country; there’s bound to be a good venue near you!

Suitable Venues

Oystermouth Castle sits majestically on the hill in Mumbles with stunning views overlooking Swansea Bay.

Come and explore parts of the castle that have been hidden away for centuries, and learn about the castle's exciting history.

Beauty and genius in the Surrey Hills

An atmospheric house set within Leith Hill with panoramic views across the Surrey countryside, Leith Hill Place was the childhood home of one of England's greatest composers, Ralph Vaughan Williams, who gave it to the National Trust in 1944. 

Step back to the early 1900s and enjoy a grand day out, Edwardian-style! Play our hickory lawn game and a spot of croquet, try your hand at billiards, outwit your chums in fun parlour games and more.

Well preserved small church with wonderful medieval wall paintings

Witness two opposing kings - Robert the Bruce and Edward II - whose tactics in 1314 changed the path of Scotland's history, forever.

Windsor Castle, an official residence of The Queen and one of her favourite homes, is the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world. Since the building of a wooden fortress here at the time of William the Conqueror, the Castle has been transformed over the centuries into a splendid palace, while still retaining much evidence of its turbulent past.

Stunning views from the top of the barrow

Coldrum Longbarrow is the least-damaged megalithic longbarrow in Kent and takes its name from the now demolished Coldrum Lodge Farm.

The Tenement House provides a rare glimpse into life in Glasgow in the early 20th century, in the faithfully restored four-room house lived in by Miss Agnes Toward for over half a century.

School visits must be booked in advance by telephoning the property. Weekday mornings (March to October) are available for visits by school groups and other large parties.

Located at the western tip of the Ardmeanach peninsula on the island of Mull, this nature reserce is recognised as a National Scenic Area and a Special Area of Conservation, but is probably best known for being home to MacCulloch's fossil tree. Ranger-led activities to meet curriculum requirements can be organised by arrangement.

The site provides Insight into rural Scottish life 200 years ago. Housing one of Scotland's finest folk collections, this museum shows exactly how the country's rural workforce used to live. Children can experience a Victorian classroom, see how people lived and worked, and dress up in traditional costumes. Groups will be split into small groups of no more than 10 pupils.

Shirehall Museum is in a 16th century building that was built as a hostel for important visitors to the Augustinian priory next door. In the 1770s it became Walsingham’s court house and the court room, which was in use until 1971, is still intact. 

Guarding Dartmouth for over 600 years!

One of the most beautifully located fortresses in England. For over 600 years Dartmouth Castle has guarded the narrow entrance to the Dart Estuary and the busy, vibrant port of Dartmouth. It offers stunning views of the estuary and out to sea and offers a great family day out, whatever the weather.   

It was in this house that Thomas Carlyle, the great Scottish social historian and one of Britain's most influential writers and thinkers, was born in 1795.

Many of Carlyle's belongings are still in situ, along with domestic items of the time, providing an authentic glimpse into Victorian life and a fascinating insight into Thomas Carlyle's early years.

Explore 'the last castle to be built in England' as the project to save it from certain ruin continues

The 'last castle to be built in England', set above the Teign Gorge with dramatic views over Dartmoor.

Commissioned by retail tycoon Julius Drewe, and designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, the castle harks back to a romantic past, while its brilliant design heralds the modern era.

Powderham Castle is located in a unique, picturesque setting just outside Exeter, beside the Exe estuary. Six hundred years of history are contained within the walls of one of England's oldest family homes. Sir Philip Courtenay began building it in 1391 and it has remained in the same family to this day, currently home to the 18th Earl & Countess of Devon. 

High sandstone ridge and hill fort overlooking dramatic red sandstone rock houses

Kinver's woodland sandstone ridge offers dramatic views across surrounding counties and miles of heathland walking country. The famous Holy Austin Rock Houses, which were inhabited until the 1950s, are open to visitors at selected times.

Learning

Rainton Meadows is a nature reserve just to the east of East Rainton, Sunderland.

Stuffed to the turrets with antique furniture, paintings and ceramics, the legacy of generations of Clan Brodie, this 16th-century castle is a slice of Scottish history not to be missed.

Llanmelin is an Iron Age hillfort located just over a mile (2km) north-west of Caerwent Roman Town, between Newport and Chepstow. Traditionally, Llanmelin was thought to be the tribal centre of the Silures before the Romans arrived, but there is no strong evidence to support this idea.

One of the most beautiful and oldest villages in Kent

One of the prettiest villages in Kent, and perhaps England, Chiddingstone is a beautiful example of a Tudor one-street village.

This fairytale castle, a fine example of Scottish Baronial architecture, seems to have grown naturally out of the rolling hills. The great tower stands just as it did when completed in 1626. The castle is home to a fine collection of family portraits and original plaster ceilings.

Stone-built house of Elizabethan origin

Originally an Elizabethan house, Morville Hall was extensively enlarged and expanded around 1750, giving it the appearance of a Georgian home.

Look out for interesting and quirky Elizabethan features of the original house. Wander through to the back of the house where a flight of elegant stone steps lead down to a beautiful garden.

Raglan, with its great multi-angular towers, handsome majesty and Tudor-styling, is unlike any other castle in Wales. 

Picturesque Yorkshire manor house with organic garden and exciting exhibitions

Enjoy the atmosphere of this beautiful Yorkshire manor house, nestled on the quiet banks of the River Rye.

Explore the period rooms whilst hearing the Hall's many tales and discover one of the world's finest collections of miniature rooms in the attic.

Hidden away in the rural idyll of East Linton resides an architectural oddity beloved by artists and photographers.

Preston Mill, with its distinctive Dutch style conical-roof, was East Lothian's last working water mill.

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