Resources to use at the Tower
Trails - Key Stage 2
Guidelines for teachers (DOC 43KB) >
These trails are intended for the use of teachers and accompanying adults working with small groups of Key Stage 2 pupils. They include directions, suggestions for things for pupils to look for, think about and imagine as well as some additional information to help answer some questions your pupils may have. The trails are worded so that they can be read aloud directly to pupils. Each trail follows a different route within the Tower of London and explores different buildings.
To print out the trail in booklet form, select double-sided and set the pages to flip up.
Henry VIII at the Tower (PDF 1.91MB) >
The Tower of London was already 400 years old when Henry VIII was born. He made various changes including repairing the walls and towers of the castle, and modernising and refurbishing the medieval palace. The Tower is closely linked with the fate of two of his queens, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard.
The King's Castle (PDF 899KB) >
William the Conqueror began to build the Tower of London over 900 years ago. He intended the stone fortress to be invincible and a symbol of his power. Over the next 400 years, up until the Tudors came to the throne, the Tower was updated and expanded by the medieval kings.
Tudor and Elizabethan prisoners (PDF 1.78MB) >
The Tower of London was built as fortress, not a prison. It does not have cells or dungeons. However, because it was so secure it was used to house important prisoners from its earliest years. In Tudor and Elizabethan times it was mainly used for very high status prisoners or those accused of political crimes.
The Tudor Tower (PDF 1.87MB) >
Henry VIII stayed in the Royal Palace at the Tower the night before his coronation and before Anne Boleyn’s coronation. He rarely, if ever, stayed here again but, like the Kings of England before him, he used the Tower for lots of other purposes.
Quest (PDF 1.03MB) >
This activity has been designed to allow small groups of pupils to explore and research particular aspects of the Tower of London’s history, development and present use, and to record their observations using digital cameras.
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Briefing notes - Key Stage 2
Backgrounders exploring specific subjects at the Tower for Key Stage 2.
Imprisonment and Execution (PDF 360KB) >
For Key Stage 2 teachers this backgrounder looks at the Tower as a prison and execution ground under Henry VIII (1509-47)
Tudor Tower: Functions of the Tower of London (PDF 178KB) >
Mint, palace, fortress, execution ground, state prison. These notes look at the functions of the Tower under Henry VIII and support Key Stage 2 History Unit 7.
Share your experience
Please email us your feedback at towereducation@hrp.org.uk. All feedback is much appreciated and enables us to tailor the trails to better suit the needs of school groups.
We also welcome feedback from your class on their visit to the Tower of London. If you would like to send us a letter, or examples of the children’s work, please write to us at:
Education Team
Waterloo Block
HM Tower of London
London
EC3N 4AB
Alternatively, you can email comments and examples of work to the email address above for us to add to our blog: http://learningblog.hrp.org.uk/
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