Education Committee Report
Canterbury Archaeological Trust
The KAS grant for 2016 has contributed principally to funding our activities for Kent teachers and pupils but also the wider public at home and abroad.
Marion Green partnered Andy Harmsworth for the Historical Association Primary History conference and delivered workshops to meet Early Learning Goals for very young children (using toys, artefacts and stories) and contribute to Local Studies at Key Stage 2 (Dover's Bronze Age Boat, Roman Folkestone, Anglo-Saxon Lyminge). Teachers came from schools in Broadstairs, Whitstable, Ramsgate, Canterbury, Sittingbourne, Herne and Dover.
Our handling collections have supported schools’ History teaching across the country. Most of these go to primaries but there are a couple of enlightened secondary schools who regularly use the CAT KITs and ARKSs to introduce Year 7s to the nature of archaeological evidence. Three new Anglo-Saxon bones include materials on Buckland Dover and Sarre. Schools in Ashford, Sturry, Whitstable, Hythe, Canterbury, Deal, Dover, Strood...
Maidstone, Barming, Chatham, Broadstairs, Pluckley, New Romney, Ramsgate, Bodsham, Sandown, Stelling Minnis, Rainham and Sittingbourne have all benefitted so far this year. Teachers collect the loans from CAT giving opportunity for feedback and offering any additional guidance.
In addition to the Archaeology and Artefacts workshop for Year 2 undergraduate teachers at Canterbury Christ Church University, PGCE students had a new ‘developing historical skills’ session. This input helps teachers in training prepare for their school placements and gives them plenty of content to later draw on as working teachers.
CAT is a partner of the Canterbury City Council's five-year Parks for People project and has this year contributed to the production of heritage interpretation panels and on-site workshops promoting the history of Canterbury's Westgate Parks.
As part of the seasonal training excavation programme at Folkstone’s East Cliff, several 16-25 year olds took up the offer of free training placements, funded by the Roger de Hann Charitable Trust. Four of these were recruited through schools in Tonbridge, Ashford, Canterbury and Folkestone.
‘Little Dig’ for families supported our “40years’ exhibition at the Beaney which then went on to Dover Museum and will be at Kent History and Library Centre, Maidstone early 2017.
During the CBA Festival of Archaeology, we partnered Canterbury Cathedral for two family days in the Precincts in association with a test pitting programme.
Trust for Thanet Archaeology
Since our last report in 2015, it has been another busy twelve months for education projects. In October 2015 the Trust hosted a conference updating the local community on the progress of a British Museum project to write up the important Anglo-Saxon cemetery at St. Peters, Broadstairs. The audience included academics, professional archaeologists, local society members and the general public. The talks introduced some cutting-edge research themes in a lively and accessible way, which engaged and enthused the mixed audience.
2016 kicked off with a round of school visits focussing on the archaeology of the Prehistoric period, now part of the primary curriculum. Children were able to get a hands-on experience of prehistoric technology with our excellent collection of original and replica artefacts, engaging with enthusiasm in discussion on the ways that archaeologists can extract knowledge from the objects.
Over the summer of 2016 we presented our Pop Up Museum of Thanet’s Archaeology at several events in Ramsgate and Broadstairs during Folk week. The development of the Pop Up Museum, with its representative collection of artefacts and a handling collection, was assisted by a grant from the Coastal Communities Project and Thanet District Council, as well as the core funding from the Education Grant given by the Kent Archaeological Society. The Pop Up Museum resources are now a key part of the Trust’s offering to schools and other public events.
With the support of the KAS Education Committee grant and other sources of funding, the Trust is developing a new education programme for 2017, using the advantages of our location at Quex Park, close to the Powell-Cotton Museum, one of Kent’s fastest growing tourist destinations. A series of workshops, practical sessions and research opportunities will be offered to the public from our centre.
Canterbury Young Archaeologists' Club
The club has had a good year with membership doubling and we now routinely have over a dozen under 17’s at meetings.
We have been strengthened by Isobel and Martha, two recent Archaeology graduates at Canterbury Archaeology Trust who became Assistant Leaders. They have proved invaluable, especially in running practical sessions.
In December we were invited by Canterbury Cathedral to help design and road test their prototype Community Outreach boxes. Members were also given a guided tour as to how the Cathedral was built.
In March, the Friends of Oare Gunpowder Works led a tour of the site and explained how gunpowder was made.
April saw a walk around Canterbury discussing the effects of the Norman Conquest, including trying to calculate what was needed to build over 250 castles during the following 25 years.
May saw us as Dover Western Heights volunteers for hands-on conservation work. The members enjoyed de-weeding and clearing out a temporary magazine to make it accessible for visitors.
In June, Wessex Archaeology provided a practical session at Great Mongeham church on the basics of preparing scale drawings and taking photographic records.
In July, members had a chance to use the trowels and other equipment bought with the KAS grant to do some work at Folkestone East Cliff with Canterbury Archaeological Trust.
In August we visited the Kent Archaeological Field School Roman villa excavation at Faversham. After an informative tour, members were shown the scale drawing of the site which linked nicely back to the recording techniques they saw at their June session.
A big thank you to the staff at Canterbury Archaeology Trust, Wessex Archaeology and the volunteers at other organisations who have given up their time to host sessions this year and for their continued support. Whilst we are already planning a varied programme for next year we welcome offers from organisations able to run activities.
Finally, thank you to the KAS for its continued support and the grant this year which enabled the purchase of necessary equipment, helped meet general running costs and fund courses for volunteers to ensure both the safety of the children and enhance their experience.