Programmes for Key Stage 1The Abbey grounds are a safe and inviting place for younger aged children.
We offer three programmes geared specifically to the KS1 age group and some of our KS2 activities can also be adapted for younger
classes.
 Brother Bear's Nature Trails
Encourage your class to develop their awareness of the world around them. Brother Bear's scrap book gives clues for each child
to find for a trail through the grounds of the Abbey, using the fish pond, the duck pond and the wildlife walk, as well as the
orchard and herb garden as stopping off points looking for clues about the time of year. Each child collects something to take
back to school to show where they went. We can provide collecting equipment and simple plant and mini beast keys to classify
finds.
Groups of up to 15 children work on the trail with a leader, looking for leaves and plants, minibeasts and signs of larger
animals and birds.
 Very Special Places
Ourselves and Our World Key Stage 1 topic: this is a topic explaining that the town grew up around the Abbey. This also meets some
of the RE requirements about looking at special places where people come to worship. Our Living History actors meet the children in role and talk about the life and times of the Abbey in the Abbot's kitchen, and our museum provides
a first hand look at the things that have survived across the years.
Whole class groups can be accommodated, and there are linked activities such as dressing in the habit of a monk and taking a
(short) vow of silence!
The Legends of King Arthur
If your class is studying the Saxons, the Abbey is a good place to bring your class. Our Living History team can dress as Saxons and talk about the lifestyle of that period. Our tour can show the legendary burial places of King Arthur
and his queen in the Abbey ruins. Ask for a storytelling session so that we can bring the tales of the past to life for the current
generation.
| 
