Key Stage 3

Great Gatehouse looking West showing Secondary Students entering Base Court.

Henry to Mary: A religious rollercoaster

Explore primary evidence from the buildings of Hampton Court Palace and analyse the impact of changes in religion in one of the key locations where religious and political decisions were made.

Key stage 3
Subject: History
Topic: Tudors
Session type: Route-based

The Great Watching Chamber showing live interpreter (in costume) running
a session for secondary school students.

Elizabeth I: Politics and Power

The Court faces a terrible dilemma – deciding who will carry on the Tudor line. Students will take on the role of Queen Elizabeth I's counsellors and examine the evidence to make the ultimate decision on the future of England.

Key stage 3
Subject: History
Topics: Elizabethans, Tudors
Session type: Classroom-based

Henry VIII's kitchen showing secondary students taking part in cooking learing session.

Tudor kitchens revealed (Autumn term only)

In the heart of the Tudor kitchens, students will explore behind-the-scenes stories of how the Tudor court was run, the realities of a Tudor diet, and the real cost of Henry’s extravagant entertaining.

Key stage 3
Subject: History
Topic: Tudors
Session type: Route-based

Henry to Mary: A Religious Rollercoaster MLD

Students will explore the reign and personality of King Henry VIII, using replica objects, and contemporary sources to construct a balanced opinion of the King and his reign.

Moderate learning difficulties (MLD), Key stage 3
Subject: History
Topic: Tudors
Session type: Route-based

KS3 group engaged in a school session at Hillsborough Castle.

Global influences: Elizabethan links to the wider world

Exploring Queen Elizabeth I's growing isolation from Catholic Europe, students will investigate the legacy and impact of global cultural influences on Hampton Court and the Elizabethan world.

Key stage 3
Subject: History
Topics: Elizabethans, Tudors
Session type: Route-based

The Kitchen Garden looking south east

Established in the late 17th century, the Kitchen Garden at Hampton Court produced vast amounts of fruit and vegetables for the royal table. Today, the garden has been re-created to its 18th century heyday, using the planting pattern laid down by the palace’s Georgian gardeners.

Wellbeing: Exploring Historic gardens (Summer term)

This sensory session takes advantage of the beauty and tranquillity of the palace gardens, giving students the opportunity to take time out of ordinary curriculum-based learning.

Key stage 3
Subject: Wellbeing
Topics: Keeping well in the past and now
Session type: Route-based (gardens), seasonal

Key stage 3 sessions