Year 6 visited Styal Mill in Cheshire to learn about the lives of children working in a cotton mill during the Victorian period. This was to consolidate their learning in Humanities and to help prepare them for writing a diary entry in English of a child mill worker.
The pupils were shown how the cotton industry developed from the humble spinning wheel to the (extremely noisy) machinery that followed it in the mill. There were numerous demonstrations and opportunities for hands-on experience.
A highlight was a visit to the Apprentice House, where our pupils saw first-hand the cold, unheated dormitories in which the children lived, complete with chamber pots! Victorian remedies for minor ailments were also discussed along with viewing a collection of live leeches!
There is no doubt that this trip really brought the Victorians to life for our pupils and has certainly helped with their studies. This was a first visit to Styal but no doubt, given its success, it will be repeated.