Year 1 transported to the Victorian seaside

What’s your favourite seaside town? Brighton? Bournemouth? Scarborough? Well, now it’s time to add Berkhamsted-On-Sea to that list!

Last week, Year 1 Pupils were treated to a trip back in time to the Victorian seaside during their History Off the Page workshop. With pupils dressed in their best Victorian beach attire, the hall was a sea of straw hats and stripey tops, while generous parent volunteers also joined in with the costume fun. The day was an opportunity for pupils to immerse themselves in history and tied in with this term’s focus on the seaside.

Pupils were encouraged to imagine the hall around them transformed into a Victorian pier, complete with the sounds of seagulls and waves. They then spent the morning setting up the pier, putting their creative skills to the test as they crafted beautiful seaside souvenirs and artefacts. Each table had a different task: pupils moved from painting mugs to creating postcards, sticking shells on trinket boxes or making a hook-a-duck game. There was even a chance to learn some hospitality skills in the local café, where pupils served each other tea and cake.

While pupils enjoyed getting stuck in creatively, the imaginative play also facilitated learning more about the Victorian era. As pupils participated in coin-rubbing, they noticed the different sizes and shapes of Victorian currency. The train tickets that they expertly completed offered a very different travel experience to what they are used to today. They were even given the chance to see a Victorian camera and try their hand at staying still to avoid ruining the photo… for a whole minute! This gave them a flavour of what it must have been like to pose for half an hour in the Victorian era.

After a morning of creative fun, the afternoon saw the pier at Berkhamsted-On-Sea truly come to life. Pupils partook in role-play, acting as fortune tellers or working in the fish and chip shop. With a limited number of coins to spend, pupils could choose how to spend their day: would they treat themselves to a first-class ride on the Southern Belle? Or take the third class, roofless train in return for a go on the hook-a-duck?

With a bag full of treasured souvenirs, pupils felt they had truly spent a day at the seaside. One pupil was particularly pleased with their home-made game, exclaiming ‘now I can play with it at home’! What a fantastic day of learning through an immersive, hands-on experience. A huge thank you to our parent volunteers and History Off the Page for helping Berkhamsted-On-Sea come to life.

If you are interested in learning more about Berkhamsted Pre-Prep, please come along to our Open Events on Friday 4 and Saturday 5 October – call admissions at 01442 358001 to book your place.