A DAY IN A VICTORIAN SCHOOL ROOM
31 Mar 2014
On Monday 3rd March girls in Prep 6 at Farlington School travelled back in time to 1898 to experience a day in a typical Victorian schoolroom.
The girls, aged ten and eleven, spent the day in Victorian dress and discovered what it was like to be a Victorian school child. The inclement weather did not stop them from enjoying the day.
Mrs Strivens ruled the class with a rod of iron or should we say bamboo! The girls were expected to sit through lessons in silence and only speak when spoken to. They covered subjects such as the British Empire, Queen Victoria’s family and how to write perfect copperplate handwriting. They read lessons from a Victorian reading book and they learnt how to sew different stitches for their sampler.
Lunch consisted of pasties, sandwiches, fruit and biscuits and, though exercise for the day was sadly curtailed by the rain, they did learn some traditional country dances and were able to roll hoops, skip together and play a game of marbles.
This hands-on historical experience fits into the girls’ history curriculum which is currently focusing on the Victorian era. They are learning about Victorian domestic life, the contrasting lifestyles of the rich and poor, the growth of urbanisation and the achievements of the era. This will be further explored when Prep 6 goes on their residential trip to the Isle of Wight at the end of the summer term and visit Osborne House and HMS Warrior.