Choose your Educational Session

WWII Evacuation Experience – Wednesdays Only

Bring history to life for your pupils with this immersive, curriculum-linked workshop designed to deepen their understanding of life on the Home Front during World War II. This full-day experience is structured around four interactive sessions that explore key wartime themes through hands-on, experiential learning:

• Fire! Fire! Fire! – Discover how local communities responded to incendiary bombing raids and the vital role of auxiliary fire services.
• The Signalling Centre – Investigate wartime communication and the development of railway signalling, linking history with STEM.
• The Engine Shed and Footplate – Examine the role of steam locomotives in the war effort and learn how these engineering marvels functioned.
• The Air Raid Shelter – Take part in an atmospheric simulation that highlights the experiences of civilians during air raids.

The day culminates in a powerful evacuation experience: dressed as wartime evacuees, the children board a heritage steam train for a short journey across the site. At the Transfer Shed, they participate in a carefully scripted re-enactment of arriving in the countryside and being billeted, offering a poignant insight into the emotional realities of wartime childhood.

This workshop offers strong cross-curricular links with history, literacy, drama, and design & technology. It’s ideal for Key Stage 2 pupils studying World War II and provides a memorable, high-impact learning opportunity in a safe and historically rich environment.

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Coming of the Railways – Wednesdays Only

Explore the impact of the railways on Victorian Britain with this engaging, cross-curricular workshop based at the historic Didcot Railway Centre. Designed for Key Stage 1 and Lower Key Stage 2, this full-day experience combines hands-on learning, storytelling, and real steam locomotives to bring the Industrial Age to life.

Structured into short interactive sessions, this workshop explores how the arrival of the railway transformed towns like Didcot—and the wider world.

Workshop Sessions Include:

• Brunel’s Brilliant Railway - A lively, story-led introduction to the Great Western Railway and the reasons behind its creation—tracing the route from London to Bristol and the bold vision of Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
• Build it like Brunel - Pupils become engineers-in-training as they take on the challenge of designing and constructing a bridge over a railway line using LEGO. A fun and collaborative problem-solving task that supports STEM learning.
• Signalling Centre - Step inside the historic signalling centre to learn how Victorian railways maintained safety and efficiency. Children will discover how early railway signals worked and try their hand at communicating using authentic techniques.
• Engine Shed and Footplate - Take a behind-the-scenes tour of our working engine shed. Pupils will learn how steam locomotives operate and even step up onto a footplate to experience the driver’s view.
• Steam Train Ride & Transfer Shed Exploration
  The workshop includes a ride on one of our heritage steam locomotives. At the Transfer Shed, pupils will explore a collection of original Victorian carriages and learn about the different classes of travel in the 19th century.

This workshop offers strong links to the history curriculum, particularly local history and the Industrial Revolution, as well as opportunities to develop scientific thinking and design skills in a truly immersive setting.

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My Brilliant Boy Brunel – Available Monday to Thursday

Bring the Victorian era to life through the eyes of Sophia Brunel, proud mother of one of Britain’s greatest engineers, Isambard Kingdom Brunel. In this immersive workshop, children step back in time and explore Brunel’s legacy through drama, storytelling, and hands-on learning—ideal for Key Stage 1 and Lower Key Stage 2 pupils.

Victorian Dress-Up Experience - To enrich the experience, pupils are invited to dress in period costume—boys as hardworking navvies and girls as house or parlour maids—helping them connect more deeply with the world of the 19th century.

Told Through Sophia’s Story - The session is led in character by “Sophia Brunel,” who shares fascinating insights into her son's incredible engineering achievements, from bridges and tunnels to the Great Western Railway. Through her narrative, children explore not only Brunel’s triumphs but also his failures—highlighting themes of perseverance, problem-solving, and resilience.

Trackside Learning - Depending on the day of your visit, pupils will either walk down to the Transfer Shed or take a short steam train ride (Wednesdays only) to explore key artefacts including Brunel’s revolutionary broad-gauge track and the atmospheric pipe system. These historic features provide tangible links to Brunel’s bold experiments in railway innovation.

Extend Your Visit - Following the workshop, schools are welcome to explore the wider site at their own pace. Self-guided tour notes can be provided to support further learning. While the museum and signalling centre are typically closed on non-operational days, special access can be arranged with prior notice to enhance your visit.

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Self-Guided Tours– Available Monday to Thursday

Bring your class for a day out at the centre without the constraints of a strict timetable.  Make use of our adventure trails to explore the site in your own time.  Self-guided tour notes will be provided to ensure you get the maximum benefit out of your day.  There are also some adventure packs (limited numbers) which you would be welcome to use whilst at the centre to further enhance your visit.

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