A Character in the Classroom

Bring history to life with our innovative ‘living history’ programme, a brilliant resource for Key Stages 1 & 2. 

A Redbridge Drama Officer, in costume and in-role as an historical character, will spend an hour with your children in the classroom, school hall or at the Drama Centre.

We have four characters to offer:

The Local History Man
KS1 History Area of Study 1
KS2 History Study Unit 3

Discover how Redbridge used to be from someone who has lived in the area all his life. Meet ‘Old’ William Newton with his anecdotes, slides and artifacts, who has experienced the many changes since the 1890’s

Victorian School Inspector – Rev. Thorogood
KS2 History Study Unit 3A

Turn your room into a Victorian classroom on the day the Inspector visits. Both pupils and teacher are ‘put through their paces’ by the school inspector, the Reverend Thorogood.

Letitia Dickens
KS2 History Study Unit 3 and Literacy

Letitia Dickens will be pleased to visit your school dressed in authentic mid-Victorian costume to talk about the life and times of her famous brother Charles Dickens.  Letitia’s many stories include the childhood experiences of the Dickens family, her brother’s early career as a reporter, his first published articles and stories and his eventual rise to fame as the greatest writer of the age.

After a short talk about the life of Charles Dickens and the times in which they lived, Letitia will provide a drama session chosen from the following:

Session 1 – The Workhouse:  daily life in the Victorian workhouse (1840’s) - in your school hall
Session 2 – The Victorian schoolroom and education (1830’s to 1890’s) - in your classroom
Session 3 – Street life/child labour in Victorian London (1830’s to 1870’s) -  in the your school hall

Arthur 'Pecky' Callender - assistant to Howard Carter

'Pecky' Callender, with a full slide show, will reveal the true story of the discovery of tomb of Tutankhamun