Exploring London

The Business Academy took 71 Year 10 History students to the Museum of London, where they spent the day exploring the theme of crime in London, as part of their GCSE module ‘Crime and punishment through time’.

            The day consisted of a carousel of three different activities. Firstly, students had the opportunity to explore the museum’s galleries. They stepped into a real eighteenth-century prison cell and imagined what it was like to be sent to Newgate Prison for being in debt. Through the various displays and installations, they were able to track the developments in London that led to changes both in what crimes were committed, and by whom, and how criminals were detected and treated.

 

This was a journey that brought them right up to the present day, and students were then treated to an incredible ‘ASBO’ show in which actors took on various roles as the themes of youth crime and anti-social behaviour were tackled. Our students were encouraged to think reflectively about perceptions of anti-social behaviour and how confrontations can be avoided, as well as to make links between crime and punishment in London today and in previous centuries.

 

            The day culminated with an object handling workshop, in which students were put in groups with a selection of real historical artefacts. Each group was presented with objects from a different century, from the 1400s to the 1900s. They had to work out what the various objects, which ranged from a toy car to a medieval dagger, had to do with crime in that period of time and then prepare a presentation to deliver to the rest of the group. It was a great way to bring the history that they had been learning about to life.

 

It was a thoroughly enjoyable day in which the students learnt a huge amount and were given the opportunity to think critically about how crime has developed in London throughout the centuries. The Academy will definitely be returning to the museum for more trips in the future!