Essential information

Location
Key Stage
Key Stage 1
Curriculum links
English
Geography
History
Session length 75 minutes
Session times Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, 10.15-11.30, 12:30-13:45
Capacity 30 pupils per group
Price Up to 30 pupils - £150. Limited bursaries are available

Session overview

Introduction

Learners start below the ship, sharing what they already know about Cutty Sark and observing the shape of the ship. Gaps in basic knowledge of Cutty Sark are filled in through questions and discussions. Learners are introduced to the first of a series of animals (mainly puppets) to support them in learning more about Cutty Sark.

Guided tour

Learners visit each level of the ship with the facilitator. On each deck, the animals help to tell some of Cutty Sark’s stories and give a focus to the learners’ own historical enquiry. On the main deck, learners are encouraged to role-play being a sailor. The session finishes back under the ship with a brief discussion about Cutty Sark’s place in local history and links to learners’ own lives.

Learning objectives

Learners will:

  • Have a basic understanding of the history of Cutty Sark, including its destinations
  • Understand why Cutty Sark is now in Greenwich
  • Know the jobs sailors did
  • Have a basic understanding of the chronology of Cutty Sark

Curriculum links

KS1 History

  • Develop an awareness of the past
  • Identify similarities and differences between ways of life in different periods
  • Use a wide vocabulary of everyday historical terms
  • Ask and answer questions, choosing and using parts of stories and other sources to show that they know and understand key features of events
  • Understand some of the ways in which we find out about the past and identify different ways in which it is represented

Key words

Sail, sailing, sailor, cargo, China, Australia, Greenwich, captain, River Thames

Suggested pre-visit knowledge and activities

Introduce the different roles on a historic sailing ship to spark curiosity about life at sea. (e.g. captain, sailor, cook, carpenter). Encourage them to think about what skills they would need and what challenges they might face.

Suggested post-visit knowledge and activities

Invite learners to write a letter from the perspective of a young sailor on board the Cutty Sark. What were their daily duties? How did they feel during the long voyage and what challenges did they face? What did they miss most about home and what incredible things did they see?