Conquering Concepts - Iron Age and the Celts Workshop

Horrid Historia

School Workshop London & South East Hampshire

Why do I love teaching about the Iron Age? Well to put it simply, when we speak today about culture and national identity and our heritage- this is where it all started to forge together amidst the embers of tribal life. An identity forged of an island race full of mystery, intrigue and, if you are to believe the narrative of mainland Europe, full of terrifying monsters. A land, shrouded in mist, where mysterious druids ruled over the savage, uncivilised tribes. Is this the tale which is true or just the other side to the story? In these workshops your pupils get to grips with the evidence, they get to see and feel what life was like for our Iron Age ancestors. To experience their customs, their beliefs and their way of life as they immerse themselves into a world full of wonder, excitement and awe. Where they get to decide the narrative and Conquer the Concepts of Iron Age Britain.

Our passion is all about hands-on enquiry-led learning. We don't operate on a script or come to you with a show. We design our workshops to fit your pupils needs and interests. We empower them to take their learning on a journey that inspires them to want to know more. We focus on the skills rather than the end goal using artefacts that are either real or hand-made replicas for the period. But we don't stop there. History isn't about full-stops. It's a maze of comma, ellipsis, exclamation mark and questions. It is about life. What came before and after; the links that forge and unite our history and our lives today. This is where we excel. You want a workshop on Iron Age weapons and armour then we bring this to life for you but we also explore what came before and what comes next. The evolution of the concept - the differences and similarities, what changes and what stays the same and why it happened - cause and effect.

"For we are the spark that ignites their passion."

We also cover - Stone Age, Bronze Age, Roman, Saxons and Vikings and many more - details on our website. So if you are looking for a stand alone or multi-period experience that is bespoke to you, then the Horrid Historia team are your crew.

Conquering Concepts - Iron Age and the Celts photograph

school trip at Conquering Concepts - Iron Age and the Celts

school groups Conquering Concepts - Iron Age and the Celts

Conquering Concepts - Iron Age and the Celts school groups

Teacher Checklist

Bursaries or Funded Places Available

Where we travel to

We can visit your school in:

What activities are available during this school workshop?

We start every workshop with an interactive experience for your pupils that not only sets the scene but also allows them the opportunity to get to grips with many of our artefacts.
The rest of the day is up to you to decide safe in the knowledge that whatever you choose we will adapt the delivery and content to fit your narrative or enquiry-led trail. At present we have 15 specific Iron Age workshops for you to choose from and all of these can be combined or adjusted in order for us to deliver the living history experience your pupils deserve. All of the details are on our website but here is a flavour of some of them.
Clunch Creator - you will have no doubt heard of wattle and daub as a building material but here is an alternative. Something different but how so? Well your pupils will find out and get to build something truly unique.
Woad and Lime - the painted warrior of renown. Study tribal art and Celtic heritage to then recreate this terrifying entity.
Celtic Board games - discover the legend of the Dark Raven, learn of its secrets and settle old scores Celtic style.

Which curriculum topics do we cater for?

Archaeology Workshop

Click to read full text Archaeology provides a window through time from which we can use artefacts to recreate the narratives of that time period through the thoughts and ideas of your pupils. Here they will learn chronology and how different methods are used to date artefacts. They will learn how evidence is acquired, correlated and disseminated. They will discover how to form questions and how to use artefacts to form a narrative based on form, function and use. They will explore similarities/differences; cause and consequence and why things might change or stay the same. Whilst also exploring what we don't know and what archaeology alone cannot help us understand.

Citizenship Workshop

Laws and the justice system Team building Monarchy Democracy British Values

Click to read full text From the dawn of time we have been learning the key concepts of citizenship. From what we perceive as being the lawless uncultured past of our Neanderthal cousins we are beginning to discover a different narrative. Where rules become laws and where justice prevailed. But that is also a question in itself - where does justice sit inside a sphere of subjective processing. What happens when two cultures collide and each have different laws and identities? Who is right? Is the written word the measure of a cultures worth and if so why? What of the author? Have we measured their morality? Is there an agenda? Was their perspective skewed? History is a great place to explore all of this. Monarchy vs Democracy - we think this is a new concept. What about the Viking history or the Saxon kings and queens versus monastic life where elections selected leadership. What of international relations where trade was intrinsically linked to power and alliance. In a world full of different languages and cultures how did our ancestors not only manage but thrive before modern technology broke down many of these barriers? Our workshops use these principles to engage with your pupils and get them thinking and asking question themselves using historical principles as the guide for shaping modern day practices.

Local History Workshop

Click to read full text Here at Horrid Historia, we pride ourselves on making our workshops unique to you and your school. To this end when you book one of our workshops we will endeavour to try to link where possible your topic to your local area. We will research this for you and place this learning or re-enforcement within our interactive introduction and then refer to this throughout the day. So if you have anything you would like to be covered or a little more depth with regards to local events in the Iron Age period please let us know and we will be only to happy to help.

Prehistory Workshop

Iron Age

Click to read full text The iron age saw some significant changes not only in the materials and tools that were available but also in the culture, political and social aspects of life within Britain. Here are the birth of of the hill forts, the tribal territories, new building techniques, new farming practices. This is where our history if forged and shaped through the leaders, the monarchs and the legends. Where round houses housed the druids, the wise and the families that worked these fertile lands. A place where magic and mystery still shrouded the veil between the gods and the lives of mortal man. Where many of our customs still celebrated today are born. Our workshops are full of these stories and the allure of a life that is so far removed from our own. Where your pupils learn the skills required not to read and write but of how to read the land and write their own history through endeavour and deed.

What size groups do we cater for?

We are very adaptable and can usually facilitate workshops for most cohort sizes. Our standard package is one class per workshop leader but this can be adjusted to suit your needs and especially so with smaller / larger schools.

Visitors with Special Educational Needs (SEN)

We can adapt any workshop and its delivery to suit the needs of any of your pupils. We have a vast range of alternative or substitute resources at our disposal which can be used as an adaption for any workshop that we run. But more importantly all of our workshops are uniquely designed to ensure that all pupils/ clients can access the learning and join in with their friends / peers. We appreciate that some may need additional support to do so and where this is required we will work closely with the school to ensure that we come up with a solution that works best for them. Our two workshop leaders have over 30 years of experience between them working very closely with SEN, home education and small groups, as well as with young people in mainstream education that require adaptations or specialist support. Our ethos is inclusivity: we believe that enriching education experiences should be available for all young people.
I could mention here specific instances where we have adapted our delivery however I prefer instead to abide by our humanistic, holistic approach to education rather than focussing on what is in reality a label. In other words you know your pupils very well so please get in touch and we will instead work together to deliver something unique and special for YOUR pupils. I personally spent 7 years planning, creating and delivering bespoke 1:1 and small group sessions for pupils with additional and specific needs. So with your input and expertise in your young people, we can bring their curriculum to life.

Anything else?

As a company we pride ourselves on our sustainable approach towards delivering these workshops. So just as our ancestors will have done, we work within windows of opportunity. This does mean that as the seasons progress some of the resources we use may change to suit the season or may have been stored from an earlier window of opportunity. These will in no way affect the quality of the workshops we deliver; indeed we believe this approach enhances the authentic experience for your pupils. However some of the resources may not be as vibrant or available out of season.
For some of our activities we will need space - some of that outdoors and others an indoor alternative if it is really wet ie cave painting. We will always endeavour to go outdoors for workshops that require this regardless of the weather but will ensure that this always remains safe and enjoyable for your pupils.

Who are Horrid Historia?

Sean - this is my baby and it has taken years to come about. Decades of living as a re-enactor bringing history to life in castles all around the U.K. Living and learning the skills of our ancestors. I create most of the artefacts used in our workshops myself using period techniques and tools and just love researching and learning from trial and error to recreate something I have seen in a museum or have read about. As an educator, I have specialised in 1:1 intervention and SEN programmes. I have managed an outdoor heritage education site and won awards for my enquiry-led approach to teaching. I know how important and life changing enriching education experiences can be for young people and this is the drive behind this company. To make sure that these experiences are available and affordable for all schools and pupils. I am a parent, a husband, a grandfather. I coach swimming and martial arts. I am a published author and have played King John in a TV programme and have starred, as a prop, in a garden at the Chelsea Flower Show.

Adrian - a very good friend and a man whose passion for teaching and getting young people enthused about learning really knows no bounds. His speciality lies in Roman and Saxon history which he lives and breathes nearly every day. However, like me, he just loves history and the way he can bring it to life for young people is truly mesmerising. To sit and listen to his stories, which he loves telling, transports you back in time to an age where this was the most exciting and exhilarating time of the day for our ancestors and I guarantee that he will have your young people spell bound.

Whilst our prices are fixed per full day and half day visits and are very affordable (average cost based on class of 30 is less than £2 per pupil for a full day) we appreciate that if you are a smaller or specialist school, or a Home Ed group with your own accessible land, that this price structure doesn't work as well for you. So please do get in touch and as the saying goes - 'where there is the will; there is a way.' We can work together to find a solution.