By Matt Scorer
A group of Year 7 students recently visited two local castles to supplement their History studies.
The students visited Bolsover castle in Derbyshire and Conisborough in South Yorkshire in order explore the castles themselves and gain a greater understanding of concepts, such as the importance of location and strategic positioning to bring alive what they have been studying in class.Head of History Joel Thorpe said: "It is all very well sitting in a classroom looking at pictures and diagrams of castle but you can't get a real grasp of the scale, structure and location of a castle without going and seeing one for yourself. By bringing the students to see the castles for themselves they can investigate in more depth the history of these magnificent artefacts of time."
The two castles at Bolsover and Conisborough are deliberately selected as extreme examples of how castles have been maintained over time. Whilst Bolsover has been maintained, and could still be lived in today, Conisborough is mostly in ruins despite now being well looked after.
Mr. Thorpe added: "When you talk to students about castles for the first time many of them have little more than an image of the castle in the King Arthur movies so taking these kind of visits exposes them to reality and give them a fantastic opportunity to gain a real understanding of castles in the landscape in which they were built. All of the students were impeccably behaved and took a lot of enjoyment out of the day."
The trip will aid students with their forthcoming studies into what it was like to live in a castle. Principal Bernie Hunter said: "Trips such as these add an applied aspect to a very academically driven subject which will suit the learning style of many of the students involved. It is important that as a College we try and open up more academic courses to students of all strengths and talents to give them a diversified, well rounded and successful education. I'd like to thank Mr. Thorpe for taking the trip."
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