Teachers Guide to Museum Visits A Teachers Guide to Museum Visits 1 Teachers Guide to Museum Visits In this guide Make sure you refer to this important publication from the dfee: http://publications.teachernet.gov.uk/eorderingdownload/hspv2.pdf Planning the topic Page 4 Aim of the visit Using an historic site or museum as a resource Follow up work at school Planning the visit Page 5 Practical planning Numbers in party Age of pupils Behaviour Length of visit What we offer Page 6 Our sites Elizabeth castle transport Archive visits Other Assistance with risk assessment Page 7 Guidance Notes Page 8 Pupil/teacher ratio Safety Activities Children Cost Parking Lunch How to make a booking Page 9 We need to know the following information How to get the information to us What happens after you contact us? Contact details Page 10 2 Teachers Guide to Museum Visits Our strategy for schools/students Our aim is to foster a sense of Island Identity. We tell the stories of Jersey and its People, and give meaning to the Past through the media of the collections, the sites and the historic environment of the Island. We support students’ learning, research and coursework by providing beneficial environments to study. Our target outcomes for schools/students Promote active learning Present information in a fresh and interesting way Give students a new experience Help teachers to prepare and deliver more interesting lessons Encourage teachers to come to the sites Improve the quality of the visit for the students Enable teachers to undertake any unaccompanied visits to a higher standard Enhance learning opportunity to ensure students will feel more engaged Generate new ideas 3 Teachers Guide to Museum Visits Planning the topic Aim of the visit Using an Historic site or Your visit should have a well-defined aim, museum as a resource integrated into your current classroom work, We are not a school and it is often this break and this should be made clear to both from a regular learning pattern that enables accompanying staff, adults and pupils. students to take away more from a visit than they would from a normal classroom session. Please do not treat a museum visit as an ‘outing’; it should be an educational Visits should be planned and executed experience. differently to classroom sessions, giving the students more scope for independent learning It is important to understand what you want and creative understanding with a little more from your visit and how best the site can cater freedom in a thought-provoking environment. for that need. Follow up work at school Aims - Objectives - Outcomes This is vital to reinforce the direct experience These are still important so do not be tempted and stimulus gained by the visit, and to help to use a site, or part of what has to offer, if it the students develop that experience. The does not fit in with your lesson plan. visit is a form of visual education, so drawings, as well as written work, are Advance visit by the teacher important. These should be carefully saved You are strongly advised to visit the museum and used as a starting point for work in the or monument in advance. You might find it classroom; the more imaginative the follow- useful to contact Jersey Heritage to discuss up scheme, the longer the experience will stay your proposed visit. Check that the part of the in the memory of the pupil. collection that you plan to study is on view at the time of your visit. Time and plan the journey, and check all other practical details. Jersey Heritage makes no charge for planning visits. 4 Teachers Guide to Museum Visits Planning the visit Practical Planning Behaviour Once you have discussed the visit with your Historic sites or museums have lots to distract colleagues and Head, you will find that a written students, it is therefore important that they do plan which can be circulated to all involved in the not lose focus on their learning intentions. It is visit, both staff and pupils, will save much time important that the majority of students benefit and energy. from the visit and so if you think that one or two students are likely to be disruptive then please This plan should include: have strategies in place to avoid the problem. Date and time of visit Our experience has shown that a different Address and telephone number of site environment is often very beneficial to the small to be visited numbers that cause disruption in a class. Name of Jersey Heritage contact Transport arrangements As visit leader, you should always know exactly Parking arrangements or drop off/pick where every member of the class is and you up points & times should, of course, stay with them at all times. Location of toilets Lunchtime/snack arrangements Please note Details of visit programme etc. While Jersey Heritage staff may be available to Risk Assessment help with the group, ultimately discipline is the responsibility of the teacher Numbers in party It has to be appreciated that because of the Length of visit nature of our historic sites, the consideration we A short interesting visit, or a series of short visits, have towards our other visitors and the safe is preferable to one that is too long or running of the sites, we can only support a exhausting. If a long visit is unavoidable, it maximum of 30 children plus accompanying should be structured to allow working in small adults on a site at any one time. (This may be groups with varied activities, both practical and extended to a strict maximum of 50 children at academic, if possible. Time should be allowed for our castle sites by prior arrangement). individual exploration, for resting, and for discussion. For supporting the visit at least one accompanying adult to every 10 children is recommended. It is essential that each pupil should be able to see the objects, hear the speaker and join in the discussions without feeling ignored or distracted. Age of pupils Our sites are suitable for all age ranges. Please consider the nature of the site when planning your visit and the age of your group. Older students will need a strong structure to the visit with lots to keep them occupied during the visit. Young children will gain much from a carefully prepared, short visit. 5 Teachers Guide to Museum Visits What we offer Our sites include: Archive Visits Jersey Museum and Art Gallery Visits to the Jersey Archive can also be Maritime Museum and Occupation arranged. Teachers are advised to visit the Tapestry Gallery archives beforehand to establish what they Elizabeth Castle have to offer the students before visiting as Jersey Archive you may not find it suitable for certain ages or La Hougue Bie classes. Hamptonne (closed 2010) Mont Orgueil Castle Other As well as We can also suggest informative history walks Grosnez Castle, and for many parts of the Island including: Town, many of the Island’s dolmens St Aubin’s Fort, many of the other towers and harbours around the island etc. Just contact Elizabeth Castle transport us to discuss your needs. Access to Elizabeth Castle is possible by foot about two hours on either side of low water – Where resources allow, Jersey Heritage staff be sure to check times of tides and ensure you can also visit schools and can give talks on allow yourself about 20 minutes to cross. many historical topics from pre-history to Transport to the castle when the causeway is modern-history. Where relevant, artefacts and covered is by the Castle Ferry. This a free objects will often be an important part of service for booked school groups, so if you these talks. require the ferry make sure to mention it at the time of booking. 6 Teachers Guide to Museum Visits Assistance with Risk Assessment The following is a guide to help you write your risk assessment for a visit to any of our sites. It is not definitive and you can adapt it to create your own Risk Assessments. The information is generic for historic sites and museums; therefore, you will need to decide which element is relevant to your visit. Sample Risk Assessment forms for most Jersey Heritage sites can be downloaded from the learning section of www.jerseyheritage.org On arrival at a site, it is important that an identifiable meeting point is designated by the activity leader where students can go in the event of them being lost. The teacher must identify emergency exits and muster points where relevant. Steep steps Animals/insects Hazard: danger of tripping or falling Hazard: danger of biting, stinging, Probability of risk: possible scratching and infection Severity of risk: moderate Probability of risk: improbable Control measures: advise caution Severity of risk: minimal Control measures: do not approach, High drops touch or chase animals/insects . Hazard: danger of falling Probability of risk: improbable People Severity of risk: high Hazard: possibility of inappropriate Control measures: no climbing onto interaction, abduction elevated structures Probability of risk: improbable Severity of risk: medium/high risk Wet surfaces Control measures: supervisors to Hazard: danger of slipping or falling regularly check group numbers. Probability of risk: possible Constant supervision or group work. Severity of risk: minimal No leaving group or wandering off. Control measures: advise caution Historic Objects Low structures Hazard: may not reach modern Hazard: danger of knocking head safety standards (trapped fingers, Probability of risk: improbable sharp edges etc) Severity of risk: minimal Probability of risk: improbable Control measures: advise caution Severity of risk: minimal Control measures: good supervision Dark areas Hazard: possible unobvious hazards Water hazards Probability of risk: improbable Hazard: danger of drowning Severity of risk: minimal Probability of risk: improbable Control measures: advise caution Severity of risk: high Control measures: good supervision 7 Teachers Guide to Museum Visits Guidance notes Pupil/teacher ratio You are responsible for the children Jersey Heritage recommends a ratio you are escorting, not Jersey Heritage of 1:8 or less for KS1 & 2 and 1:10 for staff.