Pendennis Castle

Schools

Help your class explore the history of Pendennis, from Tudor times to today, with one of our many ways to learn.

"Thank you for a stimulating and brilliant workshop and visit. Will come back again!"

KS1 Teacher
on our Now and Then Discovery Visit

Information about your visit

A visit to one of our sites will inspire your students and bring your teaching to life. We'd like to reassure you that we're following Government guidance to make your trip as safe and enjoyable as possible. 

Important information to consider before you book:

  • To keep everyone safe we’ve introduced limits on visitor numbers and school groups, so please bear this in mind when booking your trip.
  • Find out more about what to expect on your school visit, which also includes our Covid 19 Risk Assessment.
  • To make the planning process as easy as possible, make sure you check our Plan Your School Trip section at the bottom of this page, for updated information on the facilities at the site as well as our free resources.
  • As usual, you’ll need to book your visit at least 14 days in advance. Please check our Terms and Conditions for full details.
  • English Heritage are legally required to request and record the contact details of customers and visitors aged 16 years and over. The information that you provide will only be shared with NHS Test and Trace, if requested. For more information and for details of our safety measures, please see our what to expect page.

We’re continually updating our education offer in line with government guidance.  At some sites you might not be able to use our handling collections or costumes as part of a free self-led visit, but where we can provide hands-on items in a safe way we will. We’ve adapted our Discovery Visit workshops to follow government guidelines, but for certain sessions this hasn’t been possible – please check our schools webpages for further information.

There may be areas of our sites which are closed, so please check what’s available for your school group on our property webpages and with our booking team.  They can put you in touch with our Education Visits Officers who can offer help and guidance, so you can make the most of your school trip.

Curriculum links

  • KS1-3 History: Local History Study
  • KS1 History: Significant historical events, people and places in their own locality
  • KS2 History: Study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066
  • KS3 History: Development of Church, state and society in Britain 1066-1509 and  1509-1745, ideas, political power, industry and empire in Britain 1745-1901, and challenges for Britain, Europe and the wider world 1901 to the present day
  • GCSE History: Study of the historic environment

Free Self-led Visits

One of the finest of the mighty fortresses built by Henry VIII to defend the country against invasion, Pendennis Castle remains one of Cornwall's greatest fortresses. With over 400 years of defending Britain's coasts, and a range of ways to learn on-site, we've got everything you need to help you cover a wide range of cross-curricular topics.

The Cornwall Heritage Trust offer funding for school transport to eligible schools. Find out more and fill out an application form to see if you can cover the costs of transport on your trip to Pendennis.

Enquire now

Expert-led Discovery Visits

Bring Pendennis Castle to life and let us lead a Discovery Visit for you. Our Enemies on the Horizon (KS2-KS3) session has been adapted to follow health and safety guidelines and will still offer your students a quality and fun learning experience.

We can’t run our Now and Then Discovery Visit at the moment as we’re unable to adapt the session in a way that would still provide a quality, immersive education experience. We can get in touch with you once it’s running again – just sign up to get notified when bookings are back open.

 

FIND OUT MORE about Enemies on the Horizon

Plan Your Visit

We have a wide range of materials to support your visit and make school trip planning easy. Download our free resources to help you make the most out of your visit and create unique learning experiences before, during and after your trip.

We also offer free planning visits for group leaders once you have made a booking. Our Education Booking Team is on hand to advise and help you create the best possible school trip to suit your needs and area of study.

  • Facilities
    • PENDENNIS CASTLE: The castle keep will be open with a one-way system in place. Our extensive grounds and viewpoints are open for you to enjoy. The gun shed and battery observation post will be open to view, with tours available to book to the Half Moon Battery. The Barrack Block exhibition will remain closed and gun firing will not be happening at the moment.
    • PARKING: Coach parking is a short 5 minute walk from the castle. Instead of disabled parking there will be a drop-off point for visitors to use.
    • EDUCATION ROOM: The bookable education room is available.
    • TOILETS: There are limited toilet facilities available and there is a queuing system in place. Additional hand sanitising stations will be available across the site.
    • LUNCH: There are picnic areas outdoors and plenty of undercover space. Group leaders are welcome to use the café, which will be open for light refreshments with a one-way system in place.
    • SHOP: The shop is currently closed.
    • FACE COVERINGS: Face coverings must be worn in Pendennis Castle's indoor shop, café and all other indoor spaces. We won’t be able to give you a face covering, so please come prepared so you don’t miss out.
  • Learning Resources

    A Teachers' Kit is a free educational tool packed with everything you need to give your group a deep insight into the place you are visiting. Featuring historical information, suggestions for activities, and high-quality images, this resource is a comprehensive toolkit for group leaders of various subjects and key stages. Teachers’ Kits also include key site information, facilities and plans.

  • Enquire now

  • School visits academic year 2020-21

    In line with government guidance, we’re pleased to confirm that over 60 of our English Heritage sites are open for education visits from 12 April, and we’re now taking bookings online up to 16 May.

    Our COVID-secure measures will remain in place until all restrictions are lifted. Visitor numbers are limited, and all bookings must be made at least 14 days in advance.

    English Heritage are legally required to request and record the contact details of customers and visitors aged 16 years and over. The information that you provide will only be shared with NHS Test and Trace, if requested. For more information and for details of our safety measures, please see our what to expect page.

    Due to the current situation we can’t answer calls as quickly as we’d like to. If you’d like more information about a site, email us and we’ll put you in touch with an Education Visits Officer.

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