What a wonderful visit! The children had a fantastic time learning all about what school was like over 100 years ago. The children quickly got into character once flat caps, waistcoats, aprons and mop caps were in place and their Victorian names were attached.
Miss Sharp, who was quite strict but only as a Victorian teacher should be, was a wealth of information and the children learnt how Victorian children paid for their school lessons, that children should be ‘seen and not heard’ and that ‘cleanliness is next to godliness’. Well done to Bridget (Rose) for your very clean hands and India (Helena) for your wonderful comportment. Billy (William) played the role of the Dunce very well, Lucas (Henry) and Bella (Lizzie) were excellent monitors.
The class learnt all about Victorian children’s games such as hoopla and skittles, how they used a slate and chalk to write their lessons and practised their handwriting using a quill and ink. Well done Liam (George) for being picked for the neatest letters! Also thank you to Jamie (Charles) for braving the cane! (Or at least for doing a great impression and shouting out for us – I don’t think the cushion felt the same way.)
All the children had a go at beating the dirty clothes in the washroom and using a mangle to ring them out….and all decided that this was not how they would want to wash their clothes every day!
We are all looking forward to using what we have seen and learnt at the Victorian Classroom in our Topic work over the next few weeks!
