In this full day session, A-level students will firstly have a talk by Sean Cunnigham, Head of Collections (Medieval, Early Modern, Legal, Maps and Plans) at The National Archives, and author of a new biography: Henry VII: Treason and Trust.
Next, they will take part in a source-based workshop where they will analyse printed and digital copies of early Tudor documents from the National Archives.
Students will finish the day with a visit to Newcastle University’s School of History, Classics and Archaeology where they will take part in a further session on the early Tudors.
Connections to the Curriculum:
KS5
- AQA: The Tudors: England, 1485-1603
- OCR: Lancastrians, Yorkists and Henry VII
- Edexcel: Rebellion and Disorder under the Tudors, 1485-1603
- Edexcel: Lancastrians, Yorkists and Henry VII, 1399–1509
Contact Us
All activities must be booked in advance.
What to expect in the on-site workshop:
In this on-site workshop, students will examine the consequences for Britain, both at home and globally, in the aftermath of the Suez Crisis of 1956.
Regarded as one of the most pivotal episodes in Britain’s postwar history, we will explore how Britain’s position in the world changed, how other countries responded, and what lessons were learned from the crisis.
Students will handle and analyse range of original documents, including Foreign Office files and the Prime Minister’s and the cabinet’s papers and telegrams. Each of these offer a dramatic insight into British concerns at the heart of government at the time and in the years beyond.
The two-hour workshop is led by an experienced history educator and is taught in a unique learning space at The National Archives in Kew.
Curriculum links:
A-level AQA:
2S: The Making of Modern Britain, 1951–2007
1J: The British Empire, c1857–1967
GSCE:
Edexcel-Options 28/29: Conflict in the Middle East, 1945–95
How did the Suez Crisis of 1956 impact Britain’s position in the world?All activities must be booked in advance.
Tel: +44 (0)20 3908 9162
Find out about the men and women of the General Post Office (GPO) who experienced the First World War, as their stories are brought into schools and classrooms across the country.
During a free session delivered onsite in your school, students will spend time with a soldier from the Post Office Rifles (played by an historical actor) as he talks about his involvement in the conflict, his experience of injury and medical treatment and the impact on his loved ones back at home.
Online resources about the GPO and the role of its employees during the conflict, will also be made freely available to schools. These are designed to support the GCSE curriculum, covering the First World War and the inter-war period.
The new sessions and resources are supported by the National Archives Trust and are made possible through the generosity of the Post Office Remembrance Fellowship.
Bookings for school sessions are now available in the autumn term. Session dates have been organised by region, so please select your area for available dates.
Online resources will be published during the autumn term. Please keep your eye on this page for further information.
This session supports schools studying Challenges to Britain and the wider world, 1901 to the present day.
Connections to the curriculum:
- Edexcel GCSE History: Medicine in Britain, c1250 present and The British sector of the Western Front, 1914-18.
Available as: Workshop delivered in your school.
Request a booking in the South East
Request a booking in the South West
Request a booking in the Midlands
Request a booking in the North East
What can we find out about the role of the Post Office Rifles during the First World War?
What to expect in the onsite workshop:
Exploring a range of original Foreign Office files produced by the British Government, students will investigate different forms of resistance against the system of apartheid. By using original documents, such as telegrams, diplomatic correspondence and newspaper cuttings, students will undertake their own historical enquiry into the anti-apartheid struggle.
How did the response to apartheid change over time? How did resistance take on different forms? How did the South African government respond to growing protest movements? How useful are British Foreign Office documents for this enquiry?
The two-hour workshop is led by an experienced history educator in an inspiring learning space at The National Archives in Kew. It will develop skills in evidential understanding and historical interpretations.
This session is not designed to be an introduction to the topic and students should have knowledge of the topic in advance of attending the workshop.
Links to the curriculum:
A-Level:
AQA GCE History
‘The winds of change’, 1947–1967 the growth of nationalist movements and reactions to them.
OCR GCE History
Apartheid and Reconciliation: South African Politics 1948–1999
Edexcel GCE History
South Africa, 1948–94: from apartheid state to ‘rainbow nation’
What can British Government documents tell us about resistance against apartheid in South Africa?
Suitable for: KS4 and KS5
Dates: 2nd – 6th February 2026
Duration: The session lasts for 60 minutes and is bookable in the morning.
The National Archives do not have a charge for their part of the session.
Westminster Abbey cost: £24 per class for UK schools
Please visit to book: Secondary | Westminster Abbey
Join us for this exciting online workshop using historical evidence to explore how Henry VII established his legacy. Suitable for GCSE and A-level students.
In partnership with Westminster Abbey.
This special event is brought to you in partnership with Westminster Abbey. The Abbey is a place that’s touched the lives of kings, queens, statesmen and soldiers, poets, priests, heroes and villains since 960 AD. Westminster Abbey has been the coronation church since 1066 and is the resting place of more than 3,000 great Britons. Find out more about their Learning programme here: Learning | Westminster Abbey
In this special joint session between The National Archives and Westminster Abbey, explore how Henry VII consolidated his power at the end of his reign. A-level History students will have the chance to use archival documents and the Abbey building (including Henry VII’s tomb) as historical evidence to learn how he set out to protect his dynasty, and his soul.
Curriculum links
AQA: 1C The Tudors: England, 1485–1603
Edexcel: Lancastrians, Yorkists and Henry VII, 1399–1509
OCR: Unit Y105 England 1445–1509: Lancastrians, Yorkists and Henry VI
WJEC: Government, Rebellion and Society in Wales and England c.1485-1600
How did Henry VII establish and protect his legacy?
Students spend some time with Lady Jane Grey (played by a professional actor) as she talks about her experiences during her life growing up in the Tudor Court before the struggle for succession in the Mid-Tudor Crisis and her death in 1554. Students are invited to chat with Jane during the session. How did she come to be Queen for only nine days and what did she think about the fight for the throne?
Dates: 29 June – 3 July 2026
Suitability: Key stages 3-5
This can be held as an assembly for multiple concurrent classes as long as students with preprepared questions are seated near a microphone.
We are pleased to announce we will also hold a session for home school students on the Thursday afternoon – this session can be booked by individual or multiple students sharing one screen, joining other homeschoolers to chat with our Queen.
Book a session for homeschool students
This session supports schools studying the Mid-Tudor Crisis at KS3 – KS5 specifically:
- KS3 National Curriculum: the development of Church, state and society in Britain 1509-1745 (the English Reformation and Counter Reformation (Henry VIII to Mary I))
- KS5 A Level:
- OCR History A
- Period Study: England 1547 – 1603: the Later Tudors
- Thematic Study: Rebellion and disorder under the Tudors 1485—1603
- AQA History 1C The Tudors: England, 1485 – 1603.
- Part two: England: turmoil and triumph, 1547 – 1603. Instability and consolidation: ‘the Mid-Tudor Crisis’, 1547 – 1563.
- Edexcel A Level History:
- Paper 1, Option 1B: England, 1509–1603: authority, nation and religion
- Paper 3, Option 31: Rebellion and disorder under the Tudors, 1485–1603. Aspects in breadth: controlling a fractious nation – changes in Tudor government, 1485–1603
- OCR History A
Available as: Online Workshop. Find out more about the types of session we offer.
Would you like to meet Lady Jane Grey?
‘Sensing the Archives’ is our education workshop programme for students who are blind or visually impaired, or who for any other reasons would prefer to explore documents using senses other than sight. The sessions take place at The National Archives in Kew.
Read about one school’s experience with the workshop – New College Worcester
The workshops make use of specially designed 3D-printed tactile versions of documents from our collection, for example, a medieval map or a wage slip for Tudor courtier John Blanke. Students will also use tactile props and audio to explore the mysteries behind their documents. Finally, students will get to touch special original documents from our collection that have also been touched by important figures from the past.
All worksheets will be provided as large print and/or Braille (grade 1 or 2) according to student needs.
Key Stage 1-2
Choose between a session focusing on Significant Women or a session focusing on the Great Fire of London. Both sessions include dynamic group work and storytelling. Students get to explore original documents through very simplified touch-based formats.
Key Stage 2-3
Students are introduced to a range of documents from our collection. They will be supported in developing skills of source analysis and how to examine evidence for the past. Students will be divided into groups and become experts on a document throughout the workshop. They will explore their documents through 3D-printed tactile images as well as sensory and audio props, as well as touch original documents. They will also learn about the purpose of an archive and the work of the archivist.
Key Stage 4-5
Students are similarly introduced to a range of documents from our collection, developing deeper skills in source analysis and understanding the nature of evidence. They will also learn about the purpose of an archive and the work of the archivist. A themed session looking at Elizabeth I can also be arranged.
Timings
The workshop can be booked as a 2-hour session or as a full day. The full day includes a touch tour where students get to go behind the scenes of our repositories and explore how we store our archives. The workshop will then take place in the afternoon after a lunch break. Timings can be adjusted according to your needs. A full schedule will be provided before the day so that teachers and students will feel prepared.
Bursary
A limited amount of funding will be available to schools booking this workshop on a first-come first-serve basis to cover travel and teacher cover, subject to availability. Please enquire when booking. The workshop and visit are free to all UK schools.
Bursaries are available for sessions booked from now until 31 July 2027. If a bursary is awarded funds will be transferred a maximum of three months before your visit.
‘Sensing the Archives’ is supported by the Friends of The National Archives and The National Archives Trust, with the Trust’s support made possible through the generosity of the Powell Family Foundation, the Edith Murphy Foundation and the Spectacle Makers’ Charity.
All activities must be booked in advance.
Tel: +44 (0)20 3908 9162
What to expect in the onsite workshop:
In the onsite workshop, students will explore the lives of several Indian seafarers, known as lascars, through investigating a variety of documents. They will uncover details of worldwide travel, the range of jobs undertaken and the impact of legislation such as the 1920 Alien’s Order. They will gather evidence about themes such as migration, identity, challenges and agency.
The two-hour workshop is led by an experienced history educator in an inspiring learning space at The National Archives in Kew. Students develop skills in working with a range of original documents including passport applications, letters, and photographs. They will consider the provenance and usefulness of these sources when looking for evidence of the experience of six different Indian seafarers.
What to expect in the online workshop:
In the online workshop in your classroom students will investigate the lives of three Indian seafarers, known as lascars, by exploring a series of documents. This session develops skills in working with original documents, such as passport applications, letters, and photographs.
The one-hour online session in your classroom is led by an experienced history educator, you only need a microphone, large screen and webcam to take part. Interactive activities encourage students to discuss their ideas and work in groups using high-quality materials provided in advance by the Education team.
*Note we will adapt the timing of the workshop to fit with your lesson times.
This session is not designed to be an introduction to the topic and students should have knowledge of the topic in advance of attending the workshop.
What can government documents reveal about the experience of Indian seafarers?
What to expect in the onsite workshop:
In this dynamic onsite workshop children discover the lives of women, through exploring original documents. Children will investigate clues about three women’s achievements: a 20th century nurse, a pioneering pilot and a defender of a medieval castle. Learners consider questions like ‘why is it difficult to find out about a woman who lived a long time ago?’ Learners engage with different types of evidence, including medieval wax seals, passenger lists, newspapers and census records.
The two-hour workshop is led by an experienced history educator in an inspiring learning space at The National Archives in Kew. The session uses a combination of dynamic group work and storytelling. Children get to view a range of original historical documents.
What to expect in the online workshop:
In the online workshop in your classroom students will discover the lives of women, through exploring documents. Children will investigate clues about three women’s achievements: a 20th century nurse, a pioneering pilot and a defender of a medieval castle. Learners engage with different types of documents and will develop skills in evidential understanding.
The one-hour online session in your classroom is led by an experienced history educator, you only need a microphone, large screen and webcam to take part. This session is highly interactive with frequent discussions, group activities and storytelling.
*Note we will adapt the timing of the workshop to fit with your lesson times.
What can documents tell us about significant women’s lives?
What to expect in the onsite workshop:
In the onsite workshop students will explore what makes a document from the past special, or a ‘treasure.’ Is it just about being gold and shiny? Could the only surviving document about a Victorian child be more valuable than one of hundreds of images of Elizabeth I? This session develops skills of observation and enquiry though careful investigation of historical sources, identifying key features such as date, and considering their value.
The two-hour workshop is led by an experienced history educator in an inspiring learning space at The National Archives in Kew. Students get to view a range of original documents including a Tudor wax seal, a telegram sent to mark the Moon Landing and a Victorian child’s prison record. The workshop is highly interactive, incorporating storytelling and group discussion.
What to expect in the online workshop:
In this online workshop your students will investigate what makes a document from the past special or a ‘treasure’. Is it just about being gold and shiny? Could the only surviving document about a Victorian child be more valuable than one of hundreds of images of Elizabeth I? This session develops skills of observation and enquiry though careful investigation of historical sources, identifying key features such as date, and considering their value.
The one-hour online session in your classroom is led by an experienced history educator. You only need a microphone, large screen and webcam to take part. It is very interactive with activities that encourage students to discuss their ideas, working in pairs and table groups. We will provide high-quality materials in advance to be used during the session to support your students’ learning and engagement.
*Note we will adapt the timing of the workshop to fit with your lesson times.
What 'treasures' are there at The National Archives?