Schools Programmes
School Visits
The Museum welcomes school visits to both its sites: the Castle (Ypres Tower) and East Street which is a short walk from the Castle.
The Castle has had many uses during the past several hundred years, including a home, a gaol, and a mortuary. The displays are appropriate to the building and include medieval armaments, smuggling and the ever popular gaol cells. There is an interactive model of Romney Marsh showing the changing coastline over the centuries and the strategic position of Rye.
The East Street site houses the main Collection which covers various aspects of the history of Rye, including an Eighteenth Century Fire Engine.
Loan Boxes
The museum has several themed boxes which may be loaned to schools as described below
Victorian & Edwardian Collection
This contains a number of objects for the students to handle and talk about. This is aimed to fit in with the History National Curriculum topic on ‘Victorians’, although many of the objects went on being used during the Edwardian period and later. Students can handle small domestic items, discover how they were designed, made and used. They can draw and relate them to costumes, architecture and furniture of the time.This can be used to support History at Key Stages 1 and 2.
Toys through the Ages
This supports History KS1 & 2. This Loan box contains a variety of toys of various ages and materials, computer discs with a slide show of toys, time line information, and containers with various words for children to select descriptions of toys.
Seaside Loan Box
This supports History and Geography KS1 & 2. This contains a variety of objects from Victorian to Modern times relating to the Seaside. This includes bathing suits, souvenirs, postcards, drawings and photographs. There is also music and a tape recording of a seaside visit in the 1930′s.
World War II Loan Box
This supports History KS1 & 2. This contains a variety of objects concerned with the Home Front including Gas Masks, Posters, Ration Books and I.D. cards and war time clothing.
There is a cookery book, Just William , air raid recordings, war time music and Churchill speeches.
Cost of the Service
Loan Boxes: £10.00 if collected by school £15 if delivered
Visit to the Museum: £1 per student (Teachers are free)