Great Fire of London Workshop

Step back in time to Restoration Britain, England is ravaged with plague and threatened by war with Holland. In the early hours of September 2^nd 1666, a fire breaks out in a small bakery on Pudding Lane. What is to follow will lead to the great disaster of 1666. The pupils will learn about the cause and outcome of the great fire and life in 17^th century London, through a combination of practical making activities, drama and role-play.

The morning workshop focuses on making and role play. The pupils will be met by Tobias Wheldrake, a gentleman of London who will guide them around the city. After a short introduction, the children will engage in a series of activities and role-play that will immerse them in history. While working, the pupils will also be spreading news and asking questions to learn more about the fire and how to stop it. 

The afternoon session will be an archaeological investigation, clearing away the rubble and helping Robert Hooke to relocate families who have lost their houses to the fire. 

Those History People aim to keep our prices as competitive as we can. We break down the costs to your school as follows:

Number of children: The base price is based on the number of pupils participating. For the coming academic year (2019/20) an average-sized group of 60 pupils would be charged at £400.

Materials: The pupils will be making lots of things, so we also add a small materials charge. For the coming academic year (2019/20) an average-sized group of 60 pupils would be charged at £55.

Mileage: There will also be a small charge to cover fuel and travel. We are based in Cambridge (CB22 5NE). It is possible we may have to charge an addition Accommodation charge (at £70) for distant or hard to get to locations.

VAT: All of the above charges are subject to VAT tax (at 20%). State-funded schools (including Academies) will be able to reclaim VAT.

You only need to do 4 (or 5) small things.

The Hall: We bring a lot of equipment and many of our activities require a lot of space. In addition, our public liability insurance and Health and Safety policy require us to have a safe space to deliver the day if you can’t get the hall let us know in advance and tell us if you have a suitable alternative.

Adult Helpers: Each practical activity requires an adult supervisor (just like on a school trip). For an average group of 60 pupils we will need a minimum of 8 or 9 adults, depending on the day (the exact number will be stated in your booking email confirmation, attached to the confirmation email). Again this is to cover our public liability insurance and Health and Safety policy – and it will also allow your pupils to get the best out of their day.

Prepare the Pupils: preparing the pupils couldn’t be easier. When you receive your booking confirmation you’ll get a PDF document to print out and hand to your pupils. It includes a small amount of background material, a name to choose and how to make a simple costume. Costumes are important they make pupils feel part of the action, but don’t need to be expensive or bought.

Parking: We travel and transport our equipment by van. Onsite parking is essential, and parking close to the hall is desirable, it will make setting up quicker and safer. If there is a problem with parking let us know in advance so we can work it out together.

Food: The Ancient Egyptian, Ancient Greek, 1066 day and V.E. Day workshops require a small amount of food for the feast in the afternoon. We wish we could provide the food ourselves, but the food hygiene regulations won’t permit it. However, some simple bread, cheese, grapes and water will suffice. We will provide all the serving baskets and metal goblets.

All confirmed bookings (that is after you have signed the online quote) may be subject to a cancellation fee if you cancel your booking with us.

• More than 30 days before the booked date no charge.
• 15 – 30 days of the booked date 10% of the total booking fee (including VAT): On an average fee of £600, the cancellation fee would be £60.
• 14 – 7 days of the booked date 50% of the total booking fee (including VAT): On an average fee of £600, the cancellation fee would be £300.
• Up to 7 days of the booked date 100% of the total booking fee (including VAT): On an average fee of £600, the cancellation fee would be £600.

In addition, it is possible that we will have to cancel the booking on the day if an unsafe space (e.g. not a hall-like space, suitable for the number of children) is provided to work in or if there are insufficient adult helpers. This is in accordance with our public liability insurance and health and safety policy. These rare occurrences will be cancelled at a rate of 100% of the total booking fee (including VAT). Whenever possible we will endeavour to give you the option to rearrange any booking due to conflicts of schools schedule, poor weather or circumstances out of your control.