By Alexandra Davies from the University of the West of England
The Corinium Museum welcomes people from all over the world to discover its galleries. I too have been fortunate enough to be welcomed here on a university placement over the last few weeks. My degree at University of the West of England is studying primary education and this placement was in order to see education from a different perspective other than the school classroom. I’ve observed schools from Gloucestershire, Bristol and beyond attend a fantastic mixture of Roman Workshop sessions where children can compare childhoods of the past to their own. Here they learn about pottery, food, games and even translating Latin from real life Roman tombstones found in the Cotswold’s.
At a time where curriculums are full, budgets have been cut and time restraints are felt heavily by teachers; museum education that is engaging, interactive and informative has more of a place than ever. As a student teacher I have observed firsthand the pressure on our schools today, but museums can offer a welcome respite to teachers and important opportunities for cultural capital to our pupils. In particular children who might not otherwise have access to these facilities and opportunities.
Visits to museums spark creativity in children. Showcased in the Wild Escape poetry created by pupils at Chesterton Primary School in Cirencester. As part of a UK wide project to free (virtually) animals from museums all over the country they created poetry alongside professional poet JLM Morton about animals in the many mosaics here at Corinium museum. This project was kindly funded locally by The Steadings.
It has been an absolute pleasure to witness museum education here at Corinium museum. My time here has personally opened new doors for my own career in education but has also made evident the irreplaceable role museum education plays in promoting enthusiasm and wonder for topics, enriching children’s learning from professionals who share their knowledge so generously.
By Alexandra Davies
