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heritage and learning centre:
an educational resource for primary and secondary schools
We believe that the restoration of Broomfield House and the subsequent development of an on-
Although consultation would focus on local schools there would also be the option for schools further afield to use the facilities. To this end we would try to reserve a parking location for a coach either on-
primary schools
There are 15 primary schools with over 5400 school students between the ages of 4 and 11 within walking distance of the House. Experience shows that there is a low return rate when questionnaires are sent to busy teachers. In the first instance and in order to raise maximum awareness, we would write to Head Teachers and invite them to nominate a representative (potentially the Deputy Head) to attend a brainstorming session.
Educational activities would be carefully developed in consultation with local schools to link with the UK National Curriculum including History, English, Design & Technology, Citizenship, and Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE). They would also be designed to tie in with National Government Learning Initiatives such as ‘Learning Outside of the Classroom’ and ‘Engaging Places’.
In addition to the statutory and non‐statutory subjects within the Primary Curriculum (Key Stages 1 and 2) there would also be potential to develop opportunities in support of Learning Across the Curriculum, for instance under the themes of: creativity, thinking skills, and education for sustainable development.
The intention would be to make learning as interactive as possible and to encourage pupils to observe, think, and draw their own conclusions, whilst offering new perspectives.
key stage 1
Learning activities would be designed to enable children enjoy a hands-
A common tool used to make school visits interesting and interactive is the use of a Learning or Discovery box. The box contains a series of items for the children to investigate and explore. The activities would be self-
key stage 2
One potential activity could be to provide two Discovery boxes for the class to investigate and compare. One could contain items from the late nineteenth century, and one from the mid twentieth century. The class could identify the items and make assumptions on what the area was like at the time, what sort of jobs people had, the transport they used etc.
Primary Schools want fairly simple but engaging, exciting interactive exercises that link to the National Curriculum as well as to other initiatives such as ‘Learning outside the Classroom’. Tasks need to be interactive and fun at Key Stage 1 and slightly more involved for Key Stage 2. In order to accommodate the students, we would make provision for coat pegs or racks for 35 people, and an area for eating packed lunches. We would also prepare Discovery boxes and contents, dressing-
secondary schools
There are five secondary schools and one college within walking distance of Broomfield House, with 4488 students between the ages of 11 and 18.
Educational activities at Broomfield House would need to be devised in conjunction with local schools and support the National Curriculum, as well as showing how they could potentially support the curriculum requirements of
GCSE and A‐Level
Diplomas
Apprenticeships
Foundation Learning Tier Progression Pathways
In addition to the statutory and non‐statutory subjects within the Secondary Curriculum (Key Stages 3 and 4) there is also scope for developing activities to support Cross‐curriculum Dimensions in the following areas:
Identity and cultural diversity
Community participation
Global dimensions and sustainable development
Creativity and critical thinking
Healthy lifestyles
heritage and learning centre
We propose developing Broomfield House as a Heritage and Learning Centre to help local people and visitors from all walks of life to celebrate the history of the House and gardens; the local community, and the natural environment of the Park.
It is envisaged that the Learning Centre and its associated activities would not be located on one site but would include rooms and displays in the main body of the House, as well as in the Stable Block. Learning activities would also take place in the gardens, weather permitting. To ensure that the House can be used for many purposes, the space would be designed to be flexible so that rooms could be used collectively for one exhibition or event, or separately for different purposes.
In addition to exhibition space in the House, one building would be reserved for educational purposes in the Stable Yard. The demonstration or learning room would be designed to accommodate over 30 children or adults and have sufficient space for storage for coats and lunch boxes in order to meet requirements for school visits, or other community groups.
The House and the Stable Yard would provide interpretative panels, information, and learning opportunities focused broadly on the following areas:
The history and heritage of the House itself
The history and geography of the local area through time (including social, economic and cultural changes, and incorporating influences by Greek, Turkish and most recently Eastern European communities)
Natural history, ecology and the environment.
A high level of consultation would take place with local groups at every stage of the project’s development to ensure that learning projects and exhibitions are targeted to meet the needs of potential local users.
We also intend to offer extensive volunteer opportunities for students and adults alike in Broomfield House, the Stable Yard and the gardens. We have allocated approximately £5k per year for training of our volunteers, so that participation and support of the educational programme at Broomfield House is a positive experience for all involved.