Virtual classrooms
Our video-conferences are live, interactive sessions led by our team of experienced Learning Officers. We can tailor them to the needs, interests and age of your class. We offer a range of formats: an interactive session with activities to complete in the classroom; meeting a costumed character from the Abbey’s past; or a guided virtual tour of the whole Abbey.
Interactive sessions
Our Learning Officers will guide your students through an engaging, interactive session, to learn more about the Abbey as a place where faith lives and history happens. All from the comfort of your classroom.
The coronation of kings and queens has taken place at Westminster Abbey since 1066. What lies at the heart of this ancient ceremony and its rituals? Have coronations always gone to plan? What does it feel like to witness this historic event? Pull up a chair and hear tales of sleepy kings, stealthy picnics and one naughty cat in this behind the scenes guide to the Coronation.
Links: History, British Values.
Suitable for: KS1,2,3
Duration: Flexible but typically 60 minutes
Cost: £48 per class for UK schools
Edward the Confessor’s death sparked one of the most momentous episodes in British History; the Norman Conquest. Edward’s reign is seen as the end of Anglo-Saxon rule in England but was it in fact the beginning of Norman rule? Weigh up the evidence for yourself, examine Edward’s shrine and see if you can discover more about the man behind the myth.
Links: History, RE
Suitable for: KS2, 3
Duration: Flexible but typically 60 minutes
Cost: £48 per class for UK schools
Life at Westminster Abbey changed forever on the 16th January 1540. Find out about the community of monks who lived here until early Tudor times and discover the impact of Henry VIII’s Reformation on this great church using rarely seen objects from our museum.
Links: History
Suitable for: KS2, 3
Duration: Flexible but typically 60 minutes
Cost: £48 per class for UK schools
Elizabeth’s reign began and ended at Westminster Abbey where she was crowned and buried. Amidst the pomp and ceremony of her coronation tensions ran high. Some watching would prove disloyal whilst others would stand by her throughout her long reign. How did Elizabeth wield her power, patronage and propaganda? Find out through an examination of the objects, monuments and portraiture in our collection.
Links: History
Suitable for: KS4
Duration: Flexible but typically 60 minutes
Cost: £48 per class for UK schools
Visiting a church can be overwhelming - there is so much to look at, listen to and try to understand. What are the key Christian beliefs and how are they represented in churches like Westminster Abbey? Learn about Christian faith and worship through the sights, sounds and symbols in the Abbey.
Links: RE
Suitable for: KS1, 2
Duration: Flexible but typically 60 minutes
Cost: £48 per class for UK schools
Twice a term we offer the opportunity to find out more about key Christian beliefs and practices by joining a live event with one of our team of priests. Submit your questions in advance and then tune in to watch the live event or watch the recording. Contact us to find out the next available dates.
Links: GCSE RE
Suitable for: Upper KS3, KS4
Duration: 30-60 minutes
Cost: £48
Costumed video conferences
Portrayed by a skilled storyteller, meet characters from Westminster Abbey’s past. Your students will be able to travel back in time and explore key elements of 1,000 years of British history from the people who were there.
2020 marks the 100th anniversary of one creation of the Grave of the Unknown Warrior. This grave holds the body of an ordinary soldier from the First World War; a soldier whose story is shrouded in mystery. Was he a conscript? A volunteer? How did he die? What of his family back home? And how did he come to be at the Abbey, buried amongst the kings?
One man who can shed light on this is Padre Railton, the First World War priest who was struck by the idea of bringing a fallen soldier to be buried at the Abbey. Meet him as he talks about his experience in World War I, and how his idea came into reality.
Links: History, RE
Suitable for: KS2,3
Duration: Flexible but typically 60 minutes
Cost: £48 per class for UK schools
For much of its 1,000-year history, Westminster Abbey has been a place of pilgrimage. As part of the Benedictine tradition of hospitality, the Abbey’s monks welcomed pilgrims, many of whom had travelled hundreds of miles to worship at the Shrine of St Edward.
Make your own pilgrimage to Westminster Abbey, to meet Brother Ralph, one of those monks. With his guidance your pupils will explore medieval life and discover why pilgrimage is so important to so many people.
Links: History, RE
Suitable for: KS2,3
Duration: Flexible but typically 60 minutes
Cost: £48 per class for UK schools
It is 1st January 1066 and King Edward the Confessor lies upon his deathbed. Harold Godwinson, perhaps the most powerful man in the kingdom, ponders the fate of Anglo-Saxon England as no one knows who will next take the throne.
But one thing is certain; there is a long list of claimants. Can your pupils help Harold choose the next ruler of England? And could their choice signal the end of an era – the time of the Anglo-Saxons?
Links: History, RE
Suitable for: KS2,3
Duration: Flexible but typically 60 minutes
Cost: £48 per class for UK schools
Life is dangerous as a Tudor Queen. Meet the woman who promised Henry VIII his heart’s desire….a son. Anne Boleyn captured the heart of the King although he was already married. Discover the huge religious changes that Henry made to divorce and marry Anne, breaking with hundreds of years of tradition and forming a new Church of England.
Link: History, RE
Suitable for: KS2,3
Duration: Flexible but typically 60 minutes
Cost: £48 per class for UK schools
Travel back in time to learn about health and medicine during the Victorian era and listen to Florence’s story of how she tended to wounded soldiers during the Crimean War. Discover the changes that Florence and her nurses made to improve conditions and prevent infections, saving the lives of many. Ask Florence what life was like living during the reign of Queen Victoria and discover more about how “The Lady with the Lamp” is remembered at the Abbey.
Link: History, Science
Suitable for: KS2,3
Duration: Flexible but typically 60 minutes
Cost: £48 per class for UK schools
Guided virtual tours
A selection of our themed tours are available – virtually! Select the theme from our Primary or Secondary programme and we can guide your class round using our virtual tour.
Our KS1-2 virtual guided tours bring the Abbey straight to your classroom. With stories and humour, to capture their imagination, our Learning Officers guide you round the Abbey. A selection of our themed tours are available – virtually! See the unique sights such as the Coronation Chair and the Grave of the Unknown Warrior, and also learn about Christian beliefs and key features of a church in the place where faith lives and history happens.
Available tours:
- Abbey Highlights
- Christian Life and Worship
- The Tudors
Suitable for: KS1, 2
Duration: Flexible but typically 60 minutes
Cost: £48 per class for UK schools
Our range of KS3, GCSE and A-Level virtual guided tours led by our expert Learning Officers will complement and enrich your teaching. A selection of our themed tours are available – virtually! See the unique sights such as the Coronation Chair and the Grave of the Unknown Warrior, and also learn about Christian beliefs and key features of a church in the place where faith lives and history happens.
Available tours:
- Abbey Highlights
- Christian Life and Worship
Suitable for: KS3, 4 and 5
Duration: Flexible but typically 60 minutes
Cost: £48 per class for UK schools
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