Hosting teacher development at historical sites: the benefits for classroom teaching

Visiting historical sites is a staple of secondary history education, with trips to castles, stately homes, working museums and industrial landscapes among the more popular day trips in the UK. Over the years, Teaching History has featured an array of articles outlining the benefits of local visits and how to build upon them: from learning about a local villain in Hackney at Sutton House, to a variety of thematic trips at Key Stage 3, including castles, museums and city street tours. Another range of articles have focused on overseas destinations, such as trips to the First World War battlefields or to sites commemorating the Holocaust. Although trips are often lauded by both students and teachers for providing a memorable and tangible experience of history, they are often optional, and subject to time, curriculum and financial restraints