Social History Workshops

Our social history collection is significant and tells the story of Rugby’s rich heritage and history. Throughout the year our displays will change, offering students the opportunity to learn about the weird and the wonderful items in our collection. Check the website for the latest information on our social history displays.

Magic Carpet Ride KS1

Children will be delighted, engaged and inspired by this immersive time travel experience through Rugby’s history. They will meet important historical figures including William Webb-Ellis, learn about local inventions and explore Rugby’s railway past. The Magic Carpet Ride explores crosscurricular themes through immersive storytelling, open-ended play and hands-on activities to delve into the key moments that shaped the town.

Curriculum Links

  • Children will use a range of tools and materials to complete practical tasks.
  • Children will experience a rich language environment.   
  • Children will learn about significant historical figures, compare those from different periods and learn about key events of local importance.

Workshop costs £143.30 per class for a two hour session. Maximum of 2 classes.  (£145.70 from 1 April 2025).

Communication KS2

Have you ever wondered how the Rugby Radio masts were built? Well, this is your chance to meet the owner of Head Wrightson & Co. Ltd who built the masts in 1927. Meet Mr William Wrightson, but friends call him Bill.

 Bill has transported himself to the present day by tinkering with a transmitter at the Rugby Radio mast site during its building almost 100 years ago! Children will learn about how communication and technology has changed in this time, and what will communication look like in the future exploring cross curricular themes through local history, timelines, storytelling, and hands-on activities.

Curriculum Links

  • Compare communication and technology from different time periods
  • Use evidence from a range of sources to describe and compare with our life today.
  • Local History: Rugby's place in communication history.
  • Students will gain experience of working in small groups and individually.

£124.60 for a two hour session for a maximum of 35 students per group. (£126.70 from 1 April 2025).

Future Museum Curator KS1-3

In this two-hour workshop children will design and curate their own class exhibition. Using a selection of our handling objects they will complete condition reports, research the objects and write up information labels, design a promotional campaign and hold their own launch event.

Curriculum Links   

  • Helps with historical perspective by placing students growing knowledge into different contexts. 
  • Explores historical concepts such as similarity, difference and significance. 
  • Aids speaking with increasing confidence, fluency and spontaneity, finding ways of communicating.

Workshop costs £116.80 per class for a two hour session. Maximum of 1 class.