Key Stage 3

A live interpreter (with a beard) dressed in the armour and heraldry of a 13th century knight, Gilbert de Clare, holding a banner and shouting.

The Norman Tower: 1066 And all that

Explore the magnificent White Tower and the challenges facing the still-precarious Norman court. Through examination of the White Tower exterior and its defences students will discover the symbolic power of the great 'Norman fist on Anglo-Saxon soil'.

Key stage 3
Subject: History
Topics: Normans
Session Type: Route-based

Protest and rebellion at the tower of london

This session investigates the Tower of London as a hotbed of protest and rebellion. Students will discover the power and courage of ordinary, often underrepresented people against the strength of this mighty fortress.

Key stage 3
Subject: History
Topics: Tudors, Elizabethans, 20th and 21st Century, Crime and Punishment
Session Type: Route-based

School students visiting the Tower of London for a school session.

Elizabethan prisoners

Is it treason to believe the 'wrong' thing? In this session students will explore some of the consequences of religious turmoil during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Key stage 3
Subject: History
Topics: Tudors, Elizabethans, Crime and Punishment
Session Type: Route-based

Sir Thomas More (1478-1535) bids a final farewell to his daughter, Margaret Roper. William Frederick Yeames.

Who Matters? People and Persecution at the tower of London

Why do we remember particular stories over others? This session explores the stories of some of the religious prisoners held at the Tower, including the Jewish female prisoner Licoricia of Winchester, Sir Thomas More and the Protestant Anne Askew.

Formerly known as 'What Makes a Martyr?'

Key stage 3
Subject: History, Religious Education
Topics: Religion, Tudors, Medieval, Crime and Punishment
Session Type: Route-based

The White Tower detail, looking south. The focus of this image is on the first floor arches.

The White Tower was begun in the reign of William the Conqueror (1066-87) and completed by 1100. The fortress was originally faced with huge blocks of pale marble-like Caen stone imported from Normandy. In 1636-8 the external appearance of the White Tower was significantly altered with the replacement of much of its cut-stone work and window surrounds with Portland stone.

The primary role of the White Tower was as a fortress and stronghold but it also served as a royal residence and as the setting for major governmental and ceremonial functions.

The White Tower and the Normans (MLD session)

Explore the events leading up to the Conquest, its effects, and what the construction of the Tower of London can tell us about the way William I was able to keep control throughout the country.

Key stage 3, Moderate learning difficulties (MLD)
Subject: History
Topics: Normans
Session Type: Route-based

Image of school children interacting with costumed presenter at the tower of london

Stories from the Tower (Summer Term Only)

Developed especially for the summer season, this lively and interactive session will engage your students with some of the very best stories which have made the Tower of London such an important site in British history.

Key Stage 3
Subject: History and General interest
Topics: Normans, Medieval, Tudors, Stuarts 
Session Type: Route-based 

Key stage 3 sessions