Often recognised as one of the world’s best cities to visit, the English capital is bursting with history, culture and iconic landmarks. However, despite this bustling city residing in our own backyard, it can sometimes be overlooked as a fantastic school trip destination.
With London being home to some of the most visited museums, art galleries and theatres in the world, there are numerous educational and enrichment opportunities to be gained from taking a trip to the capital. So, whether you’re thinking about organising an educational day trip or few days in the city, here are our top places for school tours to visit in London.
In a city with so much history to discover, history school trips to London can offer students a great opportunity to visit a variety of historical sites, covering a range of events over the past few centuries.
Covering modern wars involving Britain from the First World War to the present day, the Imperial War Museum shares the experiences of individuals caught up in the conflicts. Their exhibitions include everything from First World War Galleries and the Holocaust Exhibition to Families in Wartime and Secret War, divulging a whole range of contrasting wartime experiences. Groups and schools can even take part in one of their learning sessions which use original artefacts, films, photographs and documents to tell the stories of war.
One of London’s most famous tourist spots, the Tower of London holds over a 1000 years of history within its walls. Students can learn about the events that lead to the destruction of the original Crown Jewels in 1649, view the exhibition about prisoners and torture at the bottom of Wakefield Tower and discover the history of the Mint when it resided at the Tower.
Combining history with humour, the London Dungeon brings to life some of the most gruesome events in London over the past millennium. Drawing upon some of the most spine-tingling individuals throughout history, the Dungeon covers the stories of Jack the Ripper, Sweeny Todd, Guy Fawkes, and many more macabre characters.
There’s a wide range of art school tours to London on offer, covering a number of exciting workshops and world-famous art galleries.
There are a range of brilliant City Academy Workshops to get involved in and one of our favourites is the Fashion and Stage Make-up Workshop. The workshop can be tailored to suit the needs of your students, whether that’s fashion or theatre, and demonstrates techniques for creating flawless stage make-up.
The Tate Modern is the most visited art gallery in the world and offers a range of unique exhibitions featuring incredible pieces by Picasso, Warhol and Cézanne to name but a few! School visits to the Tate Modern are free; there is a charge for special exhibitions, although you can receive a special school group price if you book in advance.
Founded nearly 200 years ago, the Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum hosts some of the finest examples of art in the entire world, making it a must-see for those on school trips to the capital. Its exhibitions feature interactive audio-visuals, games and hands-on activities.
The V&A complements its wealth of exhibitions with a variety of online learning resources and articles, which can be used both in the classroom and for homework projects. In conjunction with nine other partner museums, the V&A provides a plethora of student resources and offers web-quests that facilitate student research online and make for a fantastic post-visit homework or classroom project.
If you’re looking to arrange a school trip to the capital or beyond in the near future, check out the wide range of options on offer from WST.