National Maritime Museum and Queen's House primary school sessions

Explore the building and key artworks of the Queen’s House and join an educational, fun and immersive journey.

Pupils will:  

• learn new vocabulary through song, rhyme, roleplay and repetition
• explore and respond creatively to artworks 
• spot shapes and patterns in architecture and paintings.

What is an explorer? What do they need to take with them, and what are they hoping to find? Use handling objects and a gallery visit to find out about two explorers. Compare their journeys and decide if you’d like to have joined them. Choose to investigate either Polar Explorers (Ernest Shackleton and modern polar scientist Prem Gill) or journeys around the world (Francis Drake and astronaut Helen Sharman).

Pupils will:

• identify some of the key things an explorer needs
• explore our galleries to find objects for their expeditions
• handle replica objects to compare two explorers over different time periods
• develop historical skills of enquiry, communication and comparison.

Ahoy, me hearties! Meet female pirate Alice Leghorn and hear tales of her adventures on the high seas. For the full pirate experience, we encourage all children and teachers to come dressed in appropriate swashbuckling attire. 

Pupils will:  

• meet a female pirate who will teach them everything they need to know to succeed on the high seas  
• develop enquiry skills as they go on a treasure hunt around the Museum 
• collect ideas and inspiration for writing their own pirate stories. 

Immerse yourself in the Queen’s House galleries and learn how the sea has inspired spectacular artworks, past and present. Work alongside an artist educator and learn how to use experimental mark-making, texture and colour to create captivating impressions of the sea. 

Pupils will:  

• develop their observational drawing skills 
• experiment with mark making to build light, shadow and texture 
• create their own art inspired by a spectacular collection.

Explore how pose, costume and background combine in portraits to send messages of power and privilege. Who had access to these avenues of expression and what does it mean to portray power?

Pupils will: 

• develop their observational and investigational skills
• analyse famous and lesser-known artworks
• discuss what power means and how it is explored in art.

Set sail on an adventure to uncover the stories of Arctic explorers such as Matthew Henson, Robert Peary and Ann Bancroft. Investigate objects, diaries and artworks to unlock clues about the past. What can these sources tell us? What don’t they tell us? Navigate through the Polar Worlds Gallery and discover how Inuit knowledge was essential for explorers to survive in extreme polar regions.  

Pupils will: 

• carry out hands-on investigations in the gallery 
• learn about significant polar explorers 
• understand the geography and challenges of polar environments
• discover the tools and equipment needed for a polar expedition.

N.B. Key Stage 1 teachers wishing to do a session on polar exploration please see Explorers Through Time above.

Discover how art and identity intersect by looking at historic symbols of citizenship and community and contemporary artworks by Kehinde Wiley and Yinka Shonibare CBE. 

 Pupils will: 

• develop their observational drawing skills 
• analyse famous artworks 
• discuss topical issues linked to diversity and citizenship  
• broaden their understanding of Black British History

Please also see our post-visit resource.

Work together to consider the role and importance of our Ocean, not only to our lives today, but also in the past and the future.

What is the connection between our ocean, life and human culture? What conditions are important for life here on Earth and what advancements have we made in considering our future on planet Earth?

 Pupils will: 

• explore objects that show the significance of our Ocean and sea life
• consider the conditions required for life in an ocean world
• develop skills and understanding in relation to ocean and climate science.

N.B This session is available once a month.

Become history detectives and explore replica Viking items, before setting sail to see if you can be successful Viking traders.

Pupils will:  

• select replica Viking items and see if they can sell them to become successful traders
• handle replica artefacts to understand how we learn about the Vikings  
• develop enquiry, reasoning and communication skills.