As part of our Castles and Knights topic, Year One braved the elements to visit Newcastle Castle. Each class had a chance to take part in a workshop and a tour of the castle. In the workshop, we learnt about the Normans, the rebellious northerners and the history of the castle. We really enjoyed handling various items such as chain mail, helmets and shields. Everyone got a part to play in re-enacting the battle of Hastings (using child appropriate weapons!) During the tour, we learned about various features of the castle including its defences, dungeons, bedrooms and we even braved a visit to the roof to admire the view of the city. The highlight of the tour was of course the old toilets! We had a fantastic trip, the volunteers commented on the children’s excellent prior knowledge and their curiosity. We were impressed with their resilience to getting very wet. Well done Year One!
