A school topic based around a visit to EDEN CAMP can cover a whole terms work. Properly used and interpreted it can : " have an enormous potential for bringing history to life and creates a lasting impression on the pupils." To ensure that a visit promotes an active exploration, appreciation and understanding of a certain historical period, based upon first hand experience and problem solving. Through active employment of their senses, children will be encouraged to explore a series of open-ended questions and thus examine their own thoughts, feelings, beliefs and attitudes about the period of the Second World War. It will help them with observation, analysis, interpretation, hypotheses, reflections and evaluations. In this way it is hoped that the children will increase their knowledge, (where knowledge is defined as a relationship between information, understanding and content) of this important period of history in the most enjoyable way possible.
 

* To emphasize strong and varied links with all areas of the curriculum.

* To explore the potential of making a classroom topic, on the 1930's period onward, an exciting and lively project.

"The study of history, by virtue of its scope and perspectives, offers many opportunities for relating to other subjects within the school curriculum" .

* To provide guidelines as to how a visit can meet the requirements of the Study Units and their Key Elements.

* To provide some suggestions to guide planning in the classroom, based around the theme of EDEN CAMP.

* To make the trip as educationally valuable, interesting, thoroughly enjoyable and as exciting as possible for all children and staff alike.
 

Whilst being stimulating, exciting, challenging and relevant to the needs and interests of the children, it will also ensure that you meet the requirements of the National Curriculum in all subjects making strong cross-curricular links.  We feel sure that schools visiting Eden Camp will feel satisfied that the trip will be of strong educational value and will meet a wide range of National Curriculum requirements. We have tried to make the workload of the teacher much lighter, having already completed the planning for the trip in our Teachers' Resource Pack and make suggestions for some follow up work back in the classroom. Above all, we hope that, through the Exploration and Activity Pack, the children will have a great deal of fun and enjoyment.
 

In the Teachers' Notes, you will find several headings, covering various areas of the primary school curriculum. These are Mathematics, Science, English, Technology, History, Geography, Art and Craft. R.E., Drama, Music, P.E. and Movement. Under each heading there is a brief outline of some of the major themes explored in the classroom (Content), together with the activities at Eden Camp which cover the content, and the corresponding hut in which these are encountered as the children work their way through the activity sheets.
The Teachers' Notes are not meant to be seen as a rigid structure, rather as a guide to the great potential for valuable learning experiences which the children can take with them from Eden Camp. The children will discover much for themselves, all of which cannot possibly be recorded during their visit.

The Childrens’ Exploration and Activity Pack is designed with a certain degree of flexibility, covering a wide range of inquiry skills, as outlined in the introduction, and later in these Teachers' Notes.  In completing the pack, the children will need to take time to stop and look at the exhibits, think about them, read the information and make some sketches.  In this way, it is hoped that the children will soak up the atmosphere and enjoy the experience, in order to provide a firm foundation for future work back in the classroom.  It may be that, for some children, some of the activities may be too easy, only reinforcing certain skills. Extension initiated in conversation with the accompanying adults is hoped for. Further challenging work may be followed up back at school.

On the other hand, some of the activities may prove to be a real challenge, or may be too difficult for certain children. The individual teacher will allocate activities according to his/her knowledge of the childrens' major capabilities and interests.

We are open from the second Monday in January daily, up to and including, the 23rd December from 10 am until 5 pm with last admissions at 4 pm. Mess huts are available to visiting school parties who bring along their packed lunches. There is no real limit to numbers but if other schools are visiting on the same day we do restrict to 550 children on any one day. The museum is suitable for children aged 5 years and over.

The Camp was originally a Prisoner of War Camp and the buildings have been kept in their original state with our Museum constructed inside them. It is a live Museum, mainly in tableau form, and we advise a minimum of 3-4 hours to look round but a much longer time is usually spent by visitors.

We have a Puppet Theatre on site giving several 20 minute shows each day and this adds to the entertainment we offer.

Education - Risk Assessment