Heritage Quay Teaching Resources

Heritage Quay has developed six educational films for teachers of KS1-3 students. They are based on our amazing collections and provide opportunities to explore history, the arts and music in inspiring ways. You can access the films on youtube, and download the free teachers packs using the links below. To find out more about what else we offer for schools please visit our Learn page

SPORT
This film serves as an introduction to the sport collections at Heritage Quay and highlights the history of Rugby League and the sport’s close links with the town of Huddersfield. The film and the accompanying education pack provide a focus for a local history study as set out in the KS2 national curriculum.

Education Pack 1 SportFINAL

THE ARTS
The Arts scene in Huddersfield is a major area of strength in the archives. This film gives an introduction to the development of British theatre and highlights items from the Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield Operatic and Dramatic Society, and Mikron Theatre collections.

Education Pack 2 The Arts FINAL

EDUCATION
This film gives an introduction to the history of the University of Huddersfield, highlighting the role of Frederick Schwann and the Ramsden family in its history. It provides a focus for KS2 local history study. Items shown in the film include commemorative china which marked the opening of the Ramsden building, and the bell which called students to their classes.

Education Pack 3.EducationFINAL

MUSIC
This film highlights the rich variety contained within the music collections at Heritage Quay. From brass bands to dance bands, contemporary music to classical, this is an accessible introduction to a range of musical genres for those studying music at primary level.

Education Pack Music 4FINAL

INDUSTRY
The film gives an overview of Huddersfield’s development as a textile town, highlighting the links between textiles and manufacturing, and focusing on local engineers Hopkinsons, whose archive is one of the largest and most complete at Heritage Quay. The film is a valuable starting point for a KS2 local history study, as well as supporting the KS3 themes of industry, empire and technological change. The Fabrics of India sample books shown in the film may inspire and interest textile students.

Education Pack 5. Industry FINAL

POLITICS
This film introduces the collections of three significant figures which are prominent in the archives – Robert Blatchford, Victor Grayson and John Henry Whitley. The film gives a brief outline of their achievements in bringing about social and industrial improvements for working people and invites the viewer to consider their legacies. The film is intended for a primary audience, however it provides a good starting point for KS3 students studying British politics between 1860 and 1939.

Education Pack Politics 6 FINAL

Archives hold the key for teachers: Discuss!

Remember the debate surrounding the new history curriculum when it was unveiled back in 2014? Some of the more exciting elements got a bit lost in the furore about pre-history and the chronological approach to teaching. I’m thinking about the renewed focus on historical skills and the introduction of local history studies at KS1 and 2. Funnily enough, both elements which archives are very well placed to help with!

If you’re a teacher who’s slightly flummoxed by the local history study requirement, why not get along to your local archive where you will not only find a wealth of well organised information about the local area, but also a resident expert to guide you through. Collections are often surprisingly eclectic, which is great for cross curricular links and increasingly, archives offer school workshops, online resources or teaching packs to support curriculum requirements.

Taking a class of KS2 pupils on an archive visit offers a unique opportunity to handle original artefacts and documents, and to encounter a piece of history which has resonance within their immediate experience. The history curriculum requirement to learn about significant local events, places and people is an ideal opportunity to deliver genuine child centred teaching – teaching which begins with what they already know. When children become engaged in the stories behind familiar buildings, local characters and street names, they develop a sense of immediacy and a thirst to find out more – what happened next? why?

As they progress, pupils realise that the answers to these questions are not always straightforward. Archives offer a fantastic opportunity for pupils to examine and compare resources side by side. By developing skills of historical enquiry – learning how to source, analyse, appraise and interpret the narratives which so engaged them at KS1- pupils start to develop an understanding of the connections between local, regional, national and international history. Further on in their school career, they can begin to extract wider historical themes from local history – the role of women, the development of empire, or technological change.

Here at Heritage Quay we’ve been busy developing and piloting school workshops with links to the curriculum from KS1 – 3 – and they’re all free! If you would like to know more, come along to our Teatime Taster on June 9th. You can grab yourself a goody bag, take a tour behind the scenes, and find out what other schools thought of our workshops! Places are limited, so please contact Trizia Wells at T.Wells@hud.ac.uk or ring 01484 473168 to register your interest.

Autumn term at Heritage Quay

With the new school term well under way, here at Heritage Quay we’re looking forward to welcoming lots of new faces onto our schools programme for years 4 to 8, with workshops such as Find It! Draw It! Play It! and Build It! All our workshops are linked to the History, Geography, Technology, English and Drama curriculae for key stages 2 and 3, are great fun and completely free!

The Archives at Heritage Quay will be celebrating The Big Draw during October with the launch of an arts based workshop, Draw It! which draws inspiration from two local historical figures, Victor Grayson, M.P. for Colne Valley in the early 20th century, and Susannah Sunderland, “Yorkshire Queen of Song”, the founder of the choral competition which will be familiar to many Huddersfield schools.

In November, Heritage Quay will be handing over control to students from Netherhall High School’s history club as they take over the archives on Friday 20 November, as part of the national Kids in Museums campaign. They’ll be undertaking some research of their own as well as taking on the roles and tasks of Archivists.

We’ve already got some role play experience under our belt through our theatre workshop Play It! which took place back in June. This drama workshop takes the Rugby League collection at Heritage Quay as its starting point. Supporting History and English curriculum objectives, Y6 children from Lindley Junior School re-told the story of the birth of Rugby League and its impact on local communities. They were led through a range of dramatic techniques by professional actors from Chol Theatre along with Huddersfield University drama students. The pupils and their teachers learned a lot about acting and rugby – they thoroughly enjoyed dressing up, handling artefacts from the collection – and wearing false moustaches! Here they are posing at the end of their performance with the 1892 Yorkshire Senior Competition Shield.

Our schools workshops support National Curriculum objectives, last around 3 hours, can include a campus tour, and best of all, are completely FREE!

So if you would like your class to discover their inner thespian, architect, researcher or artist, drop an email to T.Wells@hud.ac.uk or give her a ring on 01484 473 168.

We look forward to seeing you this term at Heritage Quay!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

The Big Draw

We’re celebrating the national Big Draw campaign this month at Heritage Quay with a brand new schools workshop!  This year’s campaign theme is Every Drawing Tells A Story and we’ll be investigating the life stories of two well known local figures – Victor Grayson (the Disappearing M.P.) and Susannah Sunderland (Yorkshire Queen of Song).  You don’t have to be able to draw to join in the artistic fun and there’ll be a chance to practice your research skills too!  The workshop is free, lasts around 3 hours, and can include a campus tour.  To find out more or book your place,  please drop an email to T.Wells@hud.ac.uk or ring 01484 473168.