Self directed visits
KS3, KS4 & post-16 AS/A2
© Museum of London Docklands 2015
Contents
Curriculum links
Gallery time
Practical guidelines
Pre-visit and suggested gallery activities
Using technology during your visit
Ideas for post-visit activities
Planning your journey
8
© Museum of London Docklands 2015
Curriculum links
Design and technology
The galleries and location of the
Museum of London Docklands can be
used to support a range of subjects
including history, geography, and
citizenship. Specific learning
opportunities from the 2014 National
Curriculum are suggested below.
KS3
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Art & Design
KS3
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Geography
use a range of techniques to
record observations in
sketchbooks and journals
explore the history of craft, design
and architecture.
Citizenship
KS3
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KS3
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think critically and debate political
questions
explore the precious liberties
enjoyed by the citizen of the
United Kingdom.
KS4
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analyse the work of past and
present professionals and others
to broaden their understanding
understand developments in
design and technology, its impact
on individuals, society and the
environment, and the
responsibilities of designers,
engineers and technologists.
KS4 and post-16
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explore the diverse national,
regional, religious and ethnic
identities in the United Kingdom
and the need for mutual respect
and understanding.
develop contextual knowledge of
the location of globally significant
places
understand key processes in
human geography relating to:
population and urbanisation;
international development;
economic activity in the primary,
secondary, tertiary and
quaternary sectors; and the use of
natural resources.
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understanding the modern urban
environment
managing change in the urban
environment
urban rebranding
managing urban areas
planning and managing change
urban development
changing the urban environment
© Museum of London Docklands 2015
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challenge and change in the
human environment
urban change in the UK and the
wider world in the last 30 years
urban physical environments
managing change in human
environments.
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History
KS3
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know and understand the history
of these islands as a coherent,
chronological narrative, from the
earliest times to the present day:
how people’s lives have shaped
this nation and how Britain has
influenced and been influenced by
the wider world
know and understand significant
aspects of the history of the wider
world: the expansion and
dissolution of empires;
characteristic features of past
non-European societies;
achievements and follies of
mankind
understand the methods of
historical enquiry, including how
evidence is used rigorously to
make historical claims, and
discern how and why contrasting
arguments and interpretations of
the past have been constructed
understanding the connections
between local, regional, national
and international history; between
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cultural, economic, and social
history
ideas, political power, industry
and empire: Britain 1745 – 1901,
including:
o Britain’s transatlantic slave
trade: its effects and its
eventual abolition
o Britain as the first industrial
nation – the impact on
society
o the development of the
British Empire
challenges for Britain, Europe and
the wider world 1901 to the
present day, including:
o Britain’s place in the world
since 1945
o social, cultural and
technological change in
post-war British society
a local history study
a study of an aspect of social
history, such as the impact
through time of the migration of
people to, from and within the
British Isles.
KS4 and post-16
The museum supports the study of
transatlantic slavery, the British Empire,
post-war Britain, Victorian London and
the industrial revolution.
© Museum of London Docklands 2015
Gallery time
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A general visit begins on the 3rd floor of the museum. You are advised to split your
class into small groups and to stagger your start times by about 5 minutes, to avoid
congestion in the galleries
if you are making a visit to support a particular topic, please indicate on the online
booking form which galleries you would like to visit
please be aware that although schools booking particular galleries are given priority
use of the area during their allotted time, other schools and members of the public
may pass through the galleries as part of their visit. We ask that you make your
students aware of this, and that they show consideration for other museum users
teachers and other adults are required to remain with their groups for health and
safety reasons. Teachers are responsible for the behaviour of their students at all
times
the ratio of teachers to students for secondary groups is 1:10 at key stages 3 and 4,
and 1:15 for post-16 AS/A2 groups
downloadable resources for a number of topics are available at
www.museumoflondon.org.uk/schools/self-directed-visits/self-directed-visitresources-museum-london-docklands/. Many of these are in Microsoft Word format
so can be adapted to suit your pupils’ abilities. These should be photocopied prior
to your arrival. You will need to provide pencils and clipboards for your group. The
museum cannot be responsible for edited content
further activities designed to help you enrich and extend your museum experience
can be found in this pack
your booking will be confirmed via email. This confirmation is your admission to the
museum and must be brought with you on the day of your visit.
© Museum of London Docklands 2015
Practical guidelines
Arrival, cloakroom and toilets
When you arrive at the welcome desk you will be met by a member of the Visitor Services team, who will
brief your group and direct you to the learning centre where you will be able to leave your coats and bags
and go to the toilet before entering the galleries. Please do not leave valuables in the cloakroom area.
Lunch
There is no eating or drinking in the galleries, so please ensure that all foodstuffs are left in the cloakroom.
Please ensure your students leave the area clean and tidy for the next school. On busy days, please adhere
to your allocated slot in the lunch room.
Special educational needs provision
The museum is fully accessible. Parking is available for SEN groups. Please contact our SEN Programme
Manager to discuss any specific needs on 020 7814 5549 / SEN@museumoflondon.org.uk.
Shop
The museum shop sells a variety of books and products to support learning, as well as pocket money items.
Please request a time slot in the shop or, if you would prefer, the shop offer a timesaving goody bag service.
For further details contact the shop by email: shop@museumoflondon.org.uk or call 020 7001 9803.
Photography and image use
Photography during schools session is welcomed. You are also welcome to take general photographs (ie
not close-ups of individual objects) within the museum galleries without flash or tripod use. These images
may only be reproduced for personal or educational purposes, which include reproducing the image as a
classroom teaching aid or as part of a school project. Any publication of the image for any other purpose is
forbidden, which includes publication on any website. As an alternative, pictures of many of our key objects
are available to download from the Picturebank on our website, www.museumoflondon.org.uk/picturebank.
Postcards and posters can be purchased from the shop and prints may be purchased from our on-demand
print website: www.museumoflondonprints.com.
Risk assessments
It is the responsibility of the group leader to carry out a risk assessment and teachers are encouraged to
make a planning visit and to carry out their own assessment. The museum makes assessments of our
public spaces and activities and this document is available on request, but this is for teachers’ information
only and does not constitute an official risk assessment.
Pre-visits are free of charge and do not need to be booked. Please inform the welcome desk of the nature
of your visit so they can help you make the most of your time in the galleries.
Organising your group
Split your class into small groups for working in the galleries and visiting the shop. Please ensure the
children know the following information:
work quietly – other groups and members of the public will be using the museum
please do not lean on the glass cases
only use pencils in the galleries.
Teachers should provide clipboards and pencils and photocopy gallery activity sheets prior to their visit so
that each pupil/group has a copy for use in the museum.
© Museum of London Docklands 2015
Visit preparation and pre-visit activities
To maximise the enjoyment and value of the visit please consider the following:
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introduce the group to some background information about the Museum of London
Docklands. This can be found at www.museumoflondon.org.uk/docklands. This could
form one of your pre-visit activities
ask pupils to research the museum and its collections on the internet and to formulate a
question to answer during their visit. Pupils could use these questions to design their
own activity sheets for use in the galleries.
Suggested activities for your visit
Key stage 3
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Look at No.1 Warehouse where the museum collection is housed. What different uses
has the building had over time?
visit the 1889 Dock Strike area on the 2nd floor. Working in pairs, take different sides of
the strike debate and work out a role-play. Share this with the class when you return to
school
in the New Port, New City gallery, look at the estate agents’ adverts and write one for a
flat near the museum.
Key stage 4 and post-16 AS/A2
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After exploring the galleries, look at the way land use on the Isle of Dogs has changed
in recent years. Work in pairs or groups to develop a regeneration timeline
look at the 1889 Dock Strike exhibition. What other strikes are mentioned in this area?
How did the dockers’ strike affect living conditions and workers’ rights in East London?
Work in pairs to make a bulleted list of effects that the strike had
investigate the changes in the docklands area since World War II, described in the New
Port, New City gallery. How have these affected the local population demographic?
Predict what changes might happen in the future as a result of new developments in the
area such as Westfield Stratford City and the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. the
recession and new building.
© Museum of London Docklands 2015
Using technology during your visit
Why not suggest that students use their phones during their time in the museum? You
could also use school tablets as part of your visit.
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Ask the students to formulate a question they would like to answer during their visit
and to download free apps like PicCollage to record their answers. Apps like these
will enable them to create posters or mind maps using images they have taken in
the museum which can be annotated and shared. Remind students of the
photography policy which can be found in the Practical Guidelines section
create news reports about events described in the gallery
art students can download sketch and paint apps to record their experiences
create a Tumblr or Instagram feed to blog about the visit.
We’d love to hear your ideas or experiences of how to incorporate technology into selfdirected visits, so please share them with us by emailing:
schools@museumoflondon.org.uk.
© Museum of London Docklands 2015
Ideas for post-visit activities
Key stage 3
 Write a review of the Museum of London Docklands as if you were a newspaper
journalist or for a travel website like TripAdvisor
 use the internet to investigate slavery further. Try looking at www.nmm.ac.uk or
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk
 compare and contrast the buildings round your school with those near the museum.
Can you suggest reasons for similarities and differences?
Key stage 4 and post-16 AS/A2
 Think about the 1889 Dock Strike. Investigate industrial action in the 20th and 21st
centuries – eg the miners’ strike in the 1980s, the recent tube strikes, the
newspaper strikes in Wapping, or the General Strike. Were the workers striking for
the same reasons? Were they all as successful as the 1889 action?
 use the internet to find out more about the regeneration of the Docklands area.
Compare the regeneration of this area to the development of Stratford for the
Olympic Games in 2012. What similarities or differences are there?
 think about the proximity of the museum and Canary Wharf to the river Thames and
the increased incidence of extreme weather events in recent years. What impact
would a flood have on the area?
 one long-term impact of the docks is the diverse population of the East End. Use
the results of the 2011 census online to compare the docklands area to your
school’s local area. Can you suggest reasons for the differences or similarities in
population? London’s census results can be found at
http://data.london.gov.uk/census/.
© Museum of London Docklands 2015
Planning your journey
Admission to the museum is free
Museum of London Docklands
West India Quay
Hertsmere Road
London E14 4AL
020 7001 9844
www.museumoflondon.org.uk/docklands
schools@museumoflondon.org.uk
Open
Mon to Sun 10am - 6pm
Last admission 5.30pm
Travel
By tube: Canary Wharf
By DLR: West India Quay
By bus: D3, D7, D8, 277, 135
By river: Canary Wharf Pier is a few minutes’ walk from the museum
By coach: The museum does not have a coach park. Coaches may drop off at the
designated area on Hertsmere Road.
Free travel: All schools within the Greater London area can take advantage of Transport
for London’s School Party Travel Scheme. See https://tfl.gov.uk/fares-andpayments/travel-for-under-18s/school-parties or call London Underground Customer
Services on 0343 222 1234 for details.
© Museum of London Docklands 2015