Lincoln Cathedral Hosting a Free Training Session to Provide Starting Point in Schools

The Lincoln Cathedral Connected project is set to host a free teacher training session to help teachers and school children develop an understanding of their local heritage and its significance. 

The training day, which takes place on 1 February from 2pm-5pm at 27 Minister Yard, a property to the left of the Cathedral’s main entrance, will be facilitated by Historic England, and will offer a practical, hands-on session looking at how historic maps and aerial photographs of Lincoln can provide a starting point for local study in schools. 

The session will be led by the Lincoln Cathedral Connected project; a Heritage Lottery Fund backed project to radically improve the Cathedral’s setting and visitor experience. Connected aims to engage people in the Cathedral’s past, archaeology and architecture through activities and events to educate, inspire and inform. Teachers will have the opportunity to find out more about this exciting project and how they can get involved on the day. 

At the training day, Historic England will show teachers how to trace changes over time, develop chronological understanding and will provide a step by step guide on how to carry out a local history study using census data and free websites, with the aim of giving children a sense of pride in where they live.

Kate Argyle, local heritage education manager at Historic England, said: “We are delighted to be working with Lincoln Cathedral to offer this practical but also inspiring session. Heritage Schools is a DfE funded programme. Our aim is to provide the support teachers need to make effective use of the heritage on their doorstep so children understand what is special about where they are from and develop a sense of pride."

Teachers will receive a free teaching pack of maps and photos, a ‘how to’ guide, access to hundreds of free resources from a member only website and a downloadable timeline on Lincoln.

There will also be an opportunity to find out more about the exciting future for school visits at Lincoln Cathedral once the new learning centre is developed as part of the Connected project works.

Sally Bleasdale, education outreach officer at Lincoln Cathedral, said: “We are very pleased to be hosting this exciting teacher training day with Historic England, which will allow us to share details of the city’s history and that of Lincoln Cathedral. 

“This day will give teachers the chance to link Lincoln’s history with their curriculum to inspire real and relevant learning experiences for their students. It’s brilliant to be able to share more stories of the Cathedral with teachers, which in turn will be passed on to students, hopefully sparking further interest in this magnificent building

“Places are limited and we’ve already had a number of bookings, so I would encourage people to reserve their place by contacting Lincoln Cathedral or Historic England.”

The event is fully funded by the Heritage Schools Programme and is free to teachers and students from all Lincolnshire school. In addition, state schools can claim a contribution of £75 towards the cost of cover for one teacher.

To register your interest please email kate.argyle@HistoricEngland.org.uk or education@lincolncathedral.com