Virtual classrooms
Our experienced Learning team can join you online in your classroom to bring the Abbey to life even if you cannot visit. We offer engaging and interactive sessions, tailored to the age, needs and interests of your class.
Duration: Flexible but typically 60 minutes | Cost: £48 per class for UK schools
Abbey Highlights
With over 1,000 years of history there is so much to see at Westminster Abbey. Explore some of the key highlights of this ancient royal church, including the pavement where monarchs have been crowned since 1066, the places where poets and scientists are buried, and the magnificent architecture. What will your pupils discover?
Links: RE and History
Suitable for: KS1 and KS2
Duration: Flexible but typically 60 minutes | Cost: £48 per class for UK schools
Coronations at the Abbey
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 coronations.
Links: History and British Values
Suitable for: KS1 and KS2
Duration: Flexible but typically 60 minutes | Cost: £48 per class for UK schools
Edward the Confessor
Why did Edward the Confessor dedicate his life to the building of one great church: Westminster Abbey? How can we in the 21st century get closer to one of the last of the Anglo-Saxon kings? Why do pilgrims today still pray by his tomb? Pupils will examine contemporary documents and even try out some Old English translation as we try to uncover the man behind the myth.
Links: History and RE
Suitable for: KS2
1066: Fate of the Kingdom
King Edward the Confessor lies upon his deathbed and Harold ponders the fate of Anglo-Saxon England as no one knows who will next take the throne. Can your pupils help him choose the next ruler of England? Led by a member of the Learning team in costume as Harold Godwinson.
Links: History and RE
Suitable for: KS2
Duration: Flexible but typically 60 minutes | Cost: £48 per class for UK schools
Medieval life and pilgrimage
Led by a member of our team in character as poet Geoffrey Chaucer, Clerk of the King’s Works at the Palace of Westminster, and author of ‘The Canterbury Tales’. Can your pupils help Chaucer avoid the pitfalls of court life during the reign of the Plantagenets as well as navigate the routines and rituals of the Benedictine monks as they prepare to greet weary pilgrims to the Abbey?
Links: History and RE
Suitable for: KS2
Duration: Flexible but typically 60 minutes | Cost: £48 per class for UK schools
Tudor Reformation
A mysterious object found under a floorboard provides a glimpse into the lives of the monks of Westminster Abbey, one of the wealthiest monasteries in England at the start of the 16th century. In January 1540, the Abbey was closed on the orders of King Henry VIII. What lay behind this shocking decision? What happened to the monks who once lived here? Find out about the impact of the Tudor monarchs and how Westminster Abbey weathered the turmoil of the Tudor Reformation.
Links: History
Suitable for: KS2
Duration: Flexible but typically 60 minutes | Cost: £48 per class for UK schools
Christian life and worship
How do churches like Westminster Abbey, and what happens inside them, support Christians in their faith? What might you see, hear or do inside a church? Explore what daily worship, key festivals, and Christian art and architecture looks like at Westminster Abbey.
Links: RE
Suitable for: KS2
Duration: Flexible but typically 60 minutes | Cost: £48 per class for UK schools
Remembrance at the Abbey
The Grave of the Unknown Warrior is one of the most important places in the Abbey. Why did this unidentified soldier come to be buried in one of the most famous churches in the world? What is the Field of Remembrance and how else does the Abbey mark remembrance in modern times? Pupils are encouraged to reflect on the value of remembrance and to write a message of hope and peace.
Links: RE
Suitable for: KS1 and KS2
WWI and the Story of the Unknown Warrior
This session is led by a member of our team in character as Captain David Railton, the First World War priest who had the idea of repatriating a soldier from the battlefields of Europe to serve as a reminder for all those who lost their lives. Learn what life was like for those fighting on the frontline, and what became of those who lost their lives so far away from home. Discover how Railton’s vision became the reality of the Grave of the Unknown Warrior.
Links: RE
Suitable for: KS1 and KS2
Duration: Flexible but typically 60 minutes | Cost: £25 per class (introductory offer)
Commonwealth and Westminster Abbey
What links Westminster Abbey with the Commonwealth of Nations? Explore the stories, ideals and people that these two great institutions share and discover why Westminster Abbey is often considered to be ‘The Commonwealth Church’.
Suitable for: Ages 6 to 18
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