Southwark Council launches new teaching tool on local architecture and history for primary schools

24 November 2017

Southwark Council has launched a free teaching resource for local primary schools to help introduce pupils to the amazing architecture and history in their local area.

Two Peckham primary schools - St James the Great and John Donne Primary – piloted the new online service last summer and it is now being rolled out across the borough. 

The project has been funded by the council’s Peckham Townscape Heritage and organised by the charity Our Hut, who have developed and tested a series of creative and interactive lessons. Although the current focus is on Peckham, the resource can be adapted for other areas so schools can build their own resources using the lesson plans as a template.

Denis O’Regan, Headteacher at St James the Great, said: “The Peckham Town Centre project provided our seven year olds with a unique view of the landscape they view every day. They saw it through the gaze of history looking at familiar buildings in a completely different way allowing them to fire their imagination in a very different way.”

Peckham has a fascinating history and there are many interesting buildings from different eras in a range of architectural styles. The buildings and their history provide an exciting springboard for children to learn about the neighbourhoods they live in, how they developed and how areas change over time. 

Cllr Mark Williams, cabinet member for regeneration and new homes, said: “Southwark’s architecture and local history is a rich learning topic for local children. We hope that more primary schools will use these resources so that more children can learn about our borough’s history.”

The resource, which can be downloaded free from www.peckhamheritage.org.uk, has elements for both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 children, and can be used in its entirety or adapted by classroom teachers to suit their needs.

Page last updated: 24 November 2017