On Tuesday, Year 2 had an exciting opportunity to visit the Tower of London as part of our History learning about the Great Fire of London. It was a fantastic day filled with discovery, drama and plenty of opportunities to bring our learning to life!
Our adventure began with something extra special: travelling on the London Underground for the very first time! The children were incredibly excited to experience travelling by tube and did a brilliant job of following instructions, staying together and showing excellent behaviour throughout the journey. What a wonderful way to begin our day!
When we arrived at the Tower of London, we took part in an interactive workshop called ‘Fire! Fire!’. This was a fantastic opportunity to deepen our understanding of the events of 1666 and explore what life was like during the Great Fire of London. The workshop leader was extremely impressed by the children’s subject knowledge and the facts they could recall from our History lessons. It was wonderful to see just how much Year 2 already knew!
The workshop was full of exciting activities that encouraged us to become historians ourselves. We used drama and role-play to recreate aspects of the Great Fire, imagining what people might have seen, heard and felt as the fire spread through the streets of London. Through acting out different scenarios, we explored how the fire started, why it spread so quickly between the closely packed wooden houses and how difficult it must have been for people to escape. The children enthusiastically took on different roles, using their imaginations to bring this important historical event to life.
We then headed into the White Tower, where we continued our historical adventure. Here, we discovered even more about the Great Fire of London and explored the historical setting that surrounded this significant period in London’s history. It was a wonderful opportunity to make connections with what we have been learning in the classroom and to think more deeply about how London has changed over time.
After all that learning, it was finally time for lunch — which, as always, was a firm favourite part of the day! The children enjoyed taking a well-deserved break, chatting with their friends and refuelling before the next part of our adventure.
In the afternoon, we split into smaller groups to explore more of the Tower of London. There was so much to see and discover! Many of us had the opportunity to visit the magnificent Crown Jewels, marvelling at their sparkling jewels and learning about their importance to the British monarchy. We also explored different areas of the Tower, taking in its fascinating history and discovering more about this famous London landmark.
Throughout the day, Year 2 demonstrated fantastic curiosity, enthusiasm and teamwork. They listened carefully, asked thoughtful questions and made brilliant links between their classroom learning and the things they experienced during the visit. We were particularly proud of how sensibly they travelled on the Underground and represented our school so positively.
Well done, Year 2! You were brilliant historians, enthusiastic explorers and excellent ambassadors for our school. We are so proud of you all for embracing this exciting adventure and making the most of every opportunity to learn.
What a memorable day bringing the Great Fire of London to life!
