There are four PDF files available to download on this page. Each file is designed to support visiting teachers in different ways, depending on the type of visit to STEAM that has been booked.
We are very proud to announce that STEAM Education has just been awarded the Campaign for Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge.
Risk Assessments and Health and Safety Guidelines
In whatever capacity you and your class/es are visiting STEAM, you will need to download the following PDF file Risk Assessments and Health and Safety Guildelines (289KB).
This contains comprehensive Risk Assessments and Safe Systems of Work for all educational activities provided by the Education Department at the Museum. There are also Risk Assessments for you to use during a Teacher Led visit to the Museum and for a self-guided tour of Swindon's Railway Village. These Risk Assessments are written from the Museum's perspective and especially from the perspective of the Education staff, so you may still wish to conduct your own Risk Assessment during your Familiarisation Visit and use the materials provided to complement your own.
This PDF file also contains the Standard Conditions for School Groups visiting STEAM, which detail what we expect from visiting school children and what the responsibilities of Group Leaders and other accompanying adults are.
It also contains procedures for Fire and Emergency Evacuation of the building and for children becoming lost or separated, as well as STEAM Education's Safeguarding Policy.
Please ensure you fully familiarise yourself with these documents and brief all accompanying adults and, where applicable, the children before the visit.
Standard Teachers' Pack
If you are visiting STEAM in any capacity (except for We'll Meet Again), you will need to download the following PDF file Standard Teachers' Pack (3.65MB).
This contains directions to STEAM and parking instructions for your coach driver, practical information about your visit and the way the day works, a map of STEAM for teachers and accompanying adults (showing the different teaching locations in the Museum), background information about the Great Western Railway and Swindon's Railway Village, maps of Swindon and the Railway Village, an evaluation form and a range of photocopiable activity sheets, which link to the permanent displays at STEAM (Victorian Social History).
WW2 Support Materials
If you are visiting STEAM to take part in our day-to-day Programme of WW2 Discovery Sessions (not We'll Meet Again), you will need an additional PDF file WW2 Support Materials (6.27MB) as well as the 'Standard Teachers' Pack above to help you make the most of your wartime day at STEAM.
This contains lots of background information including a document outlining the role that the railways in general and the Great Western Railway in particular played during WW2. This background information can help the children put into context the locomotives and displays that they will see at the Museum and how the railways helped us 'win the war'.
It also contains a range of ideas and templates to enable the children to come dressed up and in role as evacuees. These are only suggestions, so please don't feel that you have to do everything (unless you want to!).
It finally contains a simple WW2 Museum Trail for your accompanying adults to help them encourage the children to make links between our displays and WW2. Although STEAM is a Victorian Social History Museum, there are links with WW2 if you know where to look.
We'll Meet Again Support Materials
If you have booked to visit our special wartime event for schools, 'We'll Meet Again', which runs for two weeks in both the autumn and spring, you will need to download the PDF file We'll Meet Again Support Materials (425KB).
This PDF file contains practical and background information to help you prepare for the day.
However, some parts of the above PDF file 'WW2 Support Materials' are also relevant for a visit to We'll Meet Again e.g. the role that the railways and the Great Western Railway played during WW2, the chronology of war on the Home Front and the ideas and templates to enable the children to come dressed up and in role as evacuees.
Directions to STEAM and parking instructions for your coach driver and a map of STEAM for teachers and accompanying adults can be found in the above PDF file 'Standard Teachers' Pack'.
There are some answers to frequently answered questions by teachers on the Teachers' FAQs page of the website.
| STEAM - Museum of the Great Western Railway is strongly committed to protecting and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff, volunteers and visitors to embrace this commitment. |