St Oswald’s pupils get hands on at Great North Museum

There were creatures great and small, when children from St Oswald's Catholic Primary in Gosforth enjoyed a trip to the Great North Museum.

The Reception Class took part in an interactive workshop which linked to their classroom studies, while there was also the opportunity to explore the museum’s galleries, and learn about endangered species threatened by climate change.

The 29 pupils were accompanied by Rebecca Wills, who is Reception Class Teacher at the school.

“The workshop itself at the Museum was titled ‘Animals and Me’,” she said. “We linked this back to our learning on life cycles. The children were able to use their scientific knowledge of animals to identify and classify them. They played an animal guessing game to uncover what part of the animal was under the sheet, and sang a song about each one that was revealed.

“We gave each group a museum scavenger hunt to do around the galleries – this developed their listening and collaborative learning skills.”

She continued: “We also had a story bag with some props inside. The children listened to the story ‘The Journey Home’ by Frann Preston-Gannon. It told the story of a polar bear embarking on a journey across the oceans to find a safe place to live.

“He meets lots of other animals on his way, who are all currently facing their own challenges due to environmental changes of their own. We had a long discussion about the dodo bird at the end!”

The trip takes place annually, with pupils at St Oswald’s enjoying a minimum of two outings during their time in Reception, which this year also included a theatre production of Roald Dahl’s The Enormous Crocodile.

Mrs Wills added: “ Trips like this are essential when enhancing children’s learning and experiences. It is a chance for them to contextually apply taught concepts and vocabulary from the classroom, and immerse themselves in their local community.

“Some of our children hadn’t been on a metro before or had the chance to enjoy watching a show in a theatre until earlier this year. We have been able to offer this to them, and have been able to create a shared experience for them to enjoy with their peers.

“It is also important to highlight to families where they can access free experiences, and a place like the Great North Museum is full of engaging, interactive activities, as well as local history. This makes it an extremely worthwhile place to know about.”