School visits

Special Needs

CLASSROOM Curriculum links: History

A trip back in time not to be missed! We love our visitors to get interactive and immerse themselves in the life of Tudor Seamen whatever their needs. Artefact handling and dressing up activities can be adapted to suit your group’s needs and learning level.

Portsmouth’s Tudor Past KS1/2

CLASSROOM Curriculum links: History, Geography

Investigate life ashore in the homeport of the Mary Rose. Pupils look at maps, handle replica artefacts and play games to build up a picture of life in Portsmouth 500 years ago. Discover what life was like for the men, women and children of our City’s past.

Henry’s Heroes

CLASSROOM Curriculum Links: History - Rich and poor, Tudor exploration

Step back in time! Experience life on Henry VIII’s favourite warship. Just how different was life for the officers and the men? Handle a wide range of replica artefacts to discover how the crew lived, worked and played at sea. Dress to impress with our replica Tudor clothing – don’t forget the camera!

Fighting Fit

SCIENCE LAB Curriculum Links: Science – KS2 Nutrition in humans, skeletal system, muscular system

Dive back in time and dispel some of those myths about Tudor life. How scary was it to see the Surgeon? Was everyone short? Did they really eat nothing but maggoty biscuits? What does your skeleton say about you? Decide for yourself - Are we fitter and healthier than our Tudor ancestors? The clues are in the bones.

Tudor Gun Drill

UPPER DECK GALLERY Curriculum Links: History

Join the crew of the Mary Rose and receive basic training in working on a Tudor warship. Work as a team to load and fire our full-size replica gun. Find out about the difficulties and dangers of life on the gun deck.

A Matter of Materials

SCIENCE LAB Curriculum Links: Science – KS2 Properties of everyday materials (215-218).

Get interactive with our collection and discover what the Tudor world was made of and why. Put your scientific skills to the test and investigate the secrets of the deep. How can objects survive 437 years at the bottom of the sea? Identify materials and see how they have changed thanks to their time underwater. Play the ‘Degeneration Game’!

The Navigator’s Apprentice

CLASSROOM Curriculum Links: History - Tudor exploration

Do you have the skills to become the Navigator’s next apprentice? Use replica artefacts from the Mary Rose to find out how the navigator plotted the course. Find out how our unique collection of navigational equipment transformed our knowledge of Tudor seamanship.

Tudor History Mystery                      

CLASSROOM Curriculum Links: History

Put students’ detective skills to the test! Guess the use of a wide variety of replica Tudor objects. Discover the amazing breadth of the Mary Rose collection and how one moment, frozen in time, illuminates the period.

Seeing the Light       

SCIENCE LAB Curriculum Links: Using microscopes; the function of the eye; electrons 

Discover the microscopic world and uncover the secrets of resolution. How do your eyes see? Why do we need to look deeper at archaeological materials? Let your students uncover a world beyond the visible with our light and electron microscopes and find out how they help archaeologists and conservators save the Mary Rose.

Test Your Metal       

SCIENCE LAB Curriculum Links: Science KS2 - Changes that form new materials, KS3 - Key Concepts, Key Processes, Chemical behaviour

Step outside the classroom, develop new archaeological skills and be electrified by the reactivity series. Find out firsthand which metals objects made it through 437 years underwater and get hypothesising about why. Try your hand at an investigation to discover the science behind survival.

Strictly Tudor Surgery                    

CLASSROOM            Curriculum Links: History

Just how bad was Tudor medicine? Using costumes and replica artefacts as props, pupils role play the surgeon, his assistant and a range of patients. They must diagnose and treat sick and injured officers and crew of the Mary Rose. Medical practise must be strictly Tudor!

The Tudor School of Navigation   

SCIENCE LAB Curriculum Links: History, Science - forces and motion, observations of the Moon, Sun and Earth [Also suitable for KS2 Science – How a compass is made and used (magnetism)]

Could you make it in a world without SatNav, telephones and sonar? The Tudors explored the world, sometimes with only a compass and the heavens to guide them. Let the Sun, moon and stars guide you as you enter the Tudor School of Navigation. Build your own navigators tools and use them to explore the High Seas, Tudor style.

FOR LANGUAGE SCHOOLS          £12 a head

The King’s English  

CLASSROOM Curriculum Links: English as an Additional Language

Fun, hands-on activities including dressing up encourage students to practice their English. Suitable for language students of all abilities. Ideal for exchange students.

Experience Days – Self-guided Museum visit plus workshops (2 x 1 hour approx.) £8 per head   

KS3 What sank the Mary Rose?

CLASSROOM AND SCIENCE LAB Curriculum Links: History and Science

So why did the Mary Rose really sink? In this cross-curricular workshop you will explore this continuing mystery.  Scrutinise the conflicting historical evidence and use scientific investigation to test the competing theories.  Let the evidence be your guide as you come to your own conclusion. Who was really telling the truth?

KS3 STEM Experience Days

SCIENCE LAB Curriculum Links: Science

Choose from a range of options including:

Shippe Ahoy - Design and race your own mini sailboat. The Mary Rose was Henry’s fastest warship so how will your boat compare? Can you apply the principles of Physics to create the number one ship in the fleet?

Wooden You Know it!  - For Tudor craftsmen, wood was one of the most readily available construction materials. Stretch the boundaries of your skills and knowledge as you investigate the material properties of wood and assess its suitability for the seemingly endless uses it was employed for by the Tudors.

Mechanics of Tudor War - A look at the science behind the technology of Tudor war. How strong was a Tudor archer? How deadly was a Tudor Musket? How dangerous is gunpowder? What on earth is Saltpetre? Take a look at the science behind the weapons of the Mary Rose.

GCSE schools History Project: The History of Medicine, 1545 – 1871

In conjunction with HMS Warrior

THE MARY ROSE CLASSROOM AND HMS WARRIOR

An active study day designed to enable students to work out the degree and nature of change in surgery from Pare to Lister. The role of war and individuals are the focus of this two centre day.  Students learn or revise topics through role play, hot-seating, and team competitions.  Suitable for any stage of the examination course.

Leisure and Tourism - Customer Care and Accessibility 

MARY ROSE MUSEUM AND LEARNING CENTRE

Discover everything you need to know about providing outstanding customer service through a mixture of practical activities and talks within the setting of a state-of-the-art tourist attraction. Shed new light on accessibility issues by using a range of equipment, such as wheelchairs and visual-impairment simulation glasses, in the context of the new Mary Rose Museum.

A Level Experience Days

MARY ROSE LEARNING CENTRE

Bespoke visits for Tudor History, Archaeology, Chemistry, Biology and Physics students. A rare opportunity to see behind the scenes at the Mary Rose. Find out about the range of jobs in museums, from curatorship to conservation. Great personal statement material!

Leisure and Tourism - Customer Care and Accessibility 

MARY ROSE LEARNING CENTRE

Discover everything you need to know about providing outstanding customer service through a mixture of practical activities and talks within the setting of a state-of-the-art tourist attraction. Shed new light on accessibility issues by using a range of equipment, such as wheelchairs and visual-impairment simulation glasses, in the context of the new Mary Rose Museum.