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Why book Shrewsbury Prison for School Trips and Educational Visits?
Our tours are designed and led by ex-prison officers who worked at the prison when it was fully operational. These tour guides have an encyclopaedic knowledge of the workings of a prison throughout history as well as real stories to relate.
Your visit will include 2 prison wings, constant watch cells, segregation unit, healthcare, exercise yards and the execution room, including the cell where the condemned prisoner spent his last night (this can be excluded from the tour if preferred).
The tour will be adapted to the school year, curriculum and what you as a teacher want to achieve. As well as being educational, some educational organisations will use the experience as a preventative tool – bringing home the harsh reality of prison life.
Many of our current educational visits come to discover more about crime and punishment through the ages, Victorian History, capital punishment, rehabilitation and the effects of crime on the victims and families. As the prison dates back to 1793 it is also frequently visited by students of Architecture, RE and Geography.
All of our tours and educational visits can be adapted according to your needs; workshops can be included along with escape rooms and a fully immersive ‘prisoner experience’.
Your visit will include 2 prison wings, constant watch cells, segregation unit, healthcare, exercise yards and the execution room, including the cell where the condemned prisoner spent his last night (this can be excluded from the tour if preferred).
The tour will be adapted to the school year, curriculum and what you as a teacher want to achieve. As well as being educational, some educational organisations will use the experience as a preventative tool – bringing home the harsh reality of prison life.
Many of our current educational visits come to discover more about crime and punishment through the ages, Victorian History, capital punishment, rehabilitation and the effects of crime on the victims and families. As the prison dates back to 1793 it is also frequently visited by students of Architecture, RE and Geography.
All of our tours and educational visits can be adapted according to your needs; workshops can be included along with escape rooms and a fully immersive ‘prisoner experience’.
What activities are available during group visits?
A 2-hour session includes a 90-minute tour of the prison with an ex-officer and 30 minutes to explore the prison or provision of a dedicated room for your group
Educational Workshops
Immersive Prisoner Experience
Escaper Room
Educational Workshops
Immersive Prisoner Experience
Escaper Room
Which Curriculum Subjects do you cater for?
Citizenship
Curriculum topics available: Crime and punishment, Laws and the justice system, Team building, Alcohol and drugs awareness, Gangs Awareness, Human rights and international law, British Values.
The main subjects we cover under Citizenship are: crime & punishment, law & the justice system and alcohol & drug awareness and we can build team building events. The tour guide will naturally cover crime and punishment (the reason prisoners are in jail), how the justice system works (how much of a sentence a prisoner serves, how often they can see their solicitor etc) and if appropriate how alcohol and drugs play a part. They will discuss, if required how those on drugs/alcohol will be medically treated in prison and the various programmes they can join to aid their rehabilitation PSHE
Curriculum topics available: Drug and alcohol awareness, Right and Wrong, Gangs Awareness, Mental health and awareness, Morality.
We cover drugs & awareness as above under 'Citizenship', right and wrong falls naturally when discussing why people are in prison i.e. they have committed a 'wrong'. We can also cover the 'rights & wrongs' once within prison and how prisoners gain elevated status and more benefits. Gang participation can often be a reason why prisoners end up in jail and there is also a gang culture within a jail. Victorian
Shrewsbury prison was built during the Victorian period and very much reflects the ethos of the time. It was about punishment rather than rehabilitation as it is today Twentieth Century
We can discuss twentieth century history from a crime and punishment perspective and how the views changed from punishment to rehabilitation. The tour guide can also discuss how and when sanitation was introduced into cells and the effect of that Georgian
Many of our current educational visits come to discover more about crime and punishment through the ages, Victorian History, capital punishment, rehabilitation and the effects of crime on the victims and families. As the prison dates back to 1793 Fieldstudies
Shrewsbury Prison offers a range of workshops which can be undertaken during your visit. These include a variety of subjects, Psychology & Sociology, Crime & Punishment, Prison through the ages, Tourism & Events, Media & Marketing Archaeology
Shrewsbury Prison was built in 1793, with over 200 years of history behind its walls including the countries last remaining Georgian prison. Students can access areas they are unable to see anywhere else and learn more about the architects who built them. Shrewsbury Prison was originally designed by Thomas telford.
What size groups do you cater for?
From 8 to 250
Do you offer on-site classroom facilities?
Yes we do there is a dedicated space for all educational booing to use
Is there first aid on site?
We have dedicated first aid trained staff on site at all times, and a first aid room.
Do you offer access for visitors with disabilities?
We regret we can’t offer disabled access to the upper floors due to the age of the building. However, the ground floor is completely accessible for wheelchairs, and we have a disabled toilet.
Do you cater for visitors with Special Educational Needs (SEN)?
Yes, we do. We would to have a chat with you prior to the visit to see if we can fulfil your criteria
Anything else?
The feedback we receive from schools is first class, with teachers telling us that the pupils were very engaged, imaginations were fired and lessons on every level were learnt.
You can read our educational reviews on the news section of our website
You can read our educational reviews on the news section of our website
Who are Shrewsbury Prison?
Shrewsbury Prison is the World’s most interactive prison, that inspires people, educating, engaging and immersing visitors through a journey behind bars.
Our mission is to preserve, protect and promote the history and heritage of Shrewsbury Prison, by shining a light on prison life from the Georgian era to the modern day. Visitors are given a unique and immersive prison experience combined with first class customer service.
Shrewsbury Prison was built in 1793 and closed in 2013, with over 200 years of history behind its walls including the countries last remaining Georgian prison.
Reviews from Schools visiting Shrewsbury Prison!
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Jailhouse Tours life inside a Victorian Prison. Get the low down on crime and punishment, laws and the justice system at jailhouse tours.
