SML Tudor Key Stage 3 and 4 Workshops

We offer hands on history school workshops covering national curriculum linked subjects The Tudors, Castles, Stone Age and Local History studies. A school trip to Sheffield Manor Lodge is a fun filled day full of practical learning.

Tudor society and the threat of Mary, Queen of Scots for Key Stage 3 and 4

Delve into the daily life of a Tudor manor house and discover the story of Mary, Queen of Scots and her captors George Talbot and Bess of Hardwick. Our workshops take place in the Turret House, amongst the ruins and in our Discovery Centre.

Our activities are adapted for delivery to key stage 1 and 2 and are suitable for national curriculum links:

KS3 – the Elizabethan religious settlement and conflict with Catholics (including Scotland, Spain and Ireland).
KS3 – society, economy and culture across the period 1509-1745.
KS3 – a local history study.
KS4 – studies of the Elizabethan period, particularly linked to Mary Queen of Scots and the religious turmoil of the period.

If there is a particular aspect of the Tudor period you are studying please get in touch as we may be able to tailor activities for key stage 3 and 4 pupils.

The Tudor stone Turret House stands in grounds covered in meadows. The building is square in shape with three floors, two windows on each. it has a wooden door in the lower right corner and is topped with a rounded turret on the right side. The meadows are pink yellow and white. The sky is blue with white fluffy clouds.

Set Activities

Take a guided tour through the ruins of this once grand manor house to find out how the Tudor aristocracy and their servants led their daily lives. Based in our grade II* listed Turret House discover through video, the stories of the nobility who once lived here. Mary, Queen of Scots, George Talbot, and Bess of Hardwick tell their own story of this tumultuous time. You’ll see a Tudor banquet, how Mary spent her time in captivity and investigate Tudor clothing. You can even try a spot of dressing up!

Additional Activities

Pick your options. Choose more for a longer stay.

Inventories and Architecture

Investigate the inventories of Bess of Hardwick to compare the luxury of her households against her servants meagre homes. Discover the wealth of the Tudor aristocracy through the design of a new form of architecture, the non fortified manor house, before making your own clay creation.

Plots and Intrigue

Explore the ruins and grounds in this exciting practical team challenge. Can you get through the corridors, find the clues and ultimately decode Mary’s, Queen of Scots letter? This ‘escape room’ style session will test the students teamwork and communication skills.