Year 2 at Windsor Castle

Wow! What an amazing day Year 2 had at Windsor Castle. Our well-timed trip perfectly developed the growing excitement of the Coronation weekend, as we were among the last visitors to the historic landmark before it closed to prepare for the Coronation itself.

The children were astounded at the huge number of people flocking into the castle. They were struck with awe and wonder as they explored the first gate and the walkways, which showed at first hand a ‘real’ castle and all the key features that they had learned about in class. The arrow slits and battlements were a particular hit.

They shared explanations about the siting of castles as they strode up and down the hills and observed the river Thames. Martin, our guide, was a wonderful inspiration, retelling the timeline of Windsor Castle and explaining its important role of protecting the monarch and providing a home for the royal family.

After modelling some weapons and armour, the children explored the reasons behind the development of the Magna Carta, then they attacked a castle replica with arrows, a siege tower and a battering ram!

Our joyfully sunny day continued with a lovely picnic outside, before the children used iPads to photograph the castle – we will use this evidence in our classwork. The children then queued politely to explore St George’s Chapel and showed due respect at the tomb of the late Queen Elizabeth II. It was delightful to see some children saying prayers for her.

The children shared their excitement as they explored The State Apartments, where they particularly loved the golden drawing room and elaborate anterooms. The day was a wonderful experience which brought our Castles topic to life and gave us a real insight into royal life, just as the Coronation was all but upon us. What amazing timing!

Claire Collinge


Thursday 11th May 2023

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