Year 5 took a step back in time today on a thoroughly enjoyable and informative visit to Armley Mills Industrial Museum in Leeds. Suitably dressed to embody the role of a Victorian child, the students were immersed in what life was like in the 1800’s. Through authentic role play activities in the schoolroom, we understood the harsh realities of school life, many children attending school having already spent a morning working in the mill or down the mines. We handled our dipping pens with care, making sure not to ‘blot our copybook!’

Life in the mill was ruthless and the unimaginable dangers children faced were witnessed first hand as we watched the original machines moving backward and forward across the factory floor. The noise from one machine alone gave us an idea of what a factory full of machines must have been like. Travelling back to our 21st century lives of comfort certainly offered time for reflection and consideration of the legacy the Victorian period has had on modern life.

Miss S Morris