Core Curriculum
We offer a full day here for schools.
The Abbot's Kitchen Experience
The children will go into the Abbot's Kitchen and learn about why it is so important and how medieval cooking took place inside it. We now offer a Teacher's Guide to the Abbot's Kitchen so this session can be a self-guided activity.
The Abbey Experience
Our costumed guides can take children on tours of the abbey grounds aimed at their level of understanding. In order that your pupils gain the most from their visit it is useful to know if any of your group are Gifted and Talented or have any learning difficulties prior to your visit, so we can try to ensure that the visit meets their needs.
The Church Tour
Learning about the history of the abbey, the Dissolution, and the abbey building itself. Learn where pilgrims are thought to have entered the Great Church, and follow in their footsteps; discover the difference between where pilgrims were permitted to go within the precinct and you are able to walk today.
The Monastic Tour
Learning about the life of a monk, where they lived within the site and their place in society at that time. Find out why people thought becoming a monk was a good idea during the abbey's history and what happened to some of the monks when King Henry VIII's men closed the abbey. Is your class a supporter of the King or do they empathise with the monks?
The Myths & Legends Tour
Learning about the founding legends of the abbey including Joseph of Arimathea and King Arthur. Why are these stories important to the abbey, the town and the surrounding area?
King Arthur Day
Listen to a tale of King Arthur and discover his connection to Glastonbury Abbey. Why did people believe in King Arthur, including King Edward I and his wife, Queen Eleanor? Do you think King Arthur is fact or fiction? Why do we think of knights in armour when we think of King Arthur?
Saxon Day
Meet a Saxon and learn about what life may have been like at that time.
We are also able to dress a small group of children in Saxon costume.
King Arthur at Glastonbury
What is the connection between Glastonbury Abbey and King Arthur? Learn about the historical sources and archaeological evidence.
Specialist Zone Tour
We are able to show, through the history of the abbey, the struggle between Church and Crown and illustrate the effects on the church and the secular population. Our history also shows the effect the abbey had on the surrounding locality and how it managed the local environment and economy.
Sociology of Religion
The story of pilgrimage past and present allows pupils to explore their responses today and compare them with those beliefs held in the past. Why was the Church so important and what was the effect of the Dissolution on society?
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