Integrating outcomes from History, PDHPE and Creative Arts, this program gives students the opportunity to learn firsthand about what school life was like in the late 19th century.
Students dress in period costume – straw hats, plus cotton pinafores for the girls and sailor collars or coats for the boys – and then meet their schoolmistress or master to begin the school day. After saluting the British flag, the class is marched into the 1880s schoolroom, where they will sing the national anthem God Save the Queen and prepare to start the first lesson.
Throughout this immersive and engaging program, students take part in a re-creation of late-19th-century classroom activities, led by highly trained staff, who are also in costume and in character as 1880s school teachers. Hands-on activities include practising writing on slates, completing a science lesson, a sewing lesson and a drawing lesson as well as an outdoor physical education drill and (weather permitting) maypole dancing in the yard, enabling students to make vivid comparisons between schooling, then and now.
Prepare your group for a visit with an 'Excursion Introduction' listed under Resources. These introductions are suitable for teachers of children with ASD in integrated classrooms.
Stage 1 History
Present and Past Family Life
Key inquiry questions:
How has family life changed or remained the same over time?
How can we show that the present is different from or similar to the past?
HT1-1 Communicates an understanding of change and continuity in family life using appropriate historical terms
HT1-4 Demonstrates skills of historical inquiry and communication
The Past in the Present
Key inquiry questions:
What aspects of the past can you see today?
How have changes in technology shaped our daily life?
HT1-3 Describes the effects of changing technology on people’s lives over time
HT1-4 Demonstrates skills of historical inquiry and communication
Stage 1 Creative Arts
VAS1.1 Makes artworks in a particular way about experiences of real and imaginary things
DRAS 1.1 Takes on roles in drama to explore familiar and imagined situations
Stage 1 Personal Development, Health and Physical Education
DAS1.7 Performs simple dance sequences incorporating basic movement skills and patterns
GSS1.8 Performs fundamental movement skills with equipment in minor games
Complementary programs: Early to Rise
Can be booked as standalone full-day program or in combination with Early to Rise.
Full-day program (10am-2pm): $28.20 per student.
You can alter your booking numbers up until 7 days prior to your visit.We will call you a week before your booking to confirm final numbers and requirements.You will be invoiced for the full cost of your program a week prior to your booking.Payment can be made by Credit Card, EFTPOS or cheque (payable to Historic Houses Trust of NSW).Cancellations made within 7 days of a booking will incur the full cost for the program.Cancellations made within 2 weeks of your visit will be invoiced for 50% of the total booking.Cancellations must be made in writing.
Please plan to arrive before the start time of your booked program to allow for cloaking, toilet visits and/or a refreshment break for the students. If you arrive late, some elements and activities may need to be cut from the program to keep to the scheduled finish time.
Large groups will be divided up into smaller groups for activities in the museums.
Bags, food and drinks are not permitted in the museums and cloaking facilities are provided.
Photography policies vary between the museums so please ask a member of staff for details.
Teachers and carers are required to remain with their groups at all times.
Disciplining students remains the responsibility of teachers and carers accompanying the group.
Please let us know before your visit if any of your students have special needs or learning difficulties so we can plan to accommodate their needs during the visit.
Conservation works are currently underway on the property and are scheduled for completion in May 2025. Some parts of the main house and stables will be publicly inaccessible during this time however the learning programs are not impacted as we have adjusted the program to move impacted program sections to other areas. . If you are interested to know more about the conservation works, please read Conservation works at Rouse Hill Estate.
The supervision ratio is 1:10 for primary groups and 1:15 for secondary groups. Teachers and parents attend free of charge at these ratios. One carer per student with special needs will be admitted free of charge
Additional visitor costs
Each additional visitor will be charged at the concession rate of $12
This Stage 1 History program gives students the opportunity to explore the working areas of the former farm, and investigate what life would have been like for children living there 120 years ago