PRIMARY SCHOOLS

Unlock the magical mysteries of Abbotsford with your school group today!

Browse the sessions below and discover how pupils can unlock the mysteries and secrets of Abbotsford for themselves with one of our cross-curricular sessions.

Delivered by our friendly and experienced team on-site, we offer a range of sessions spanning subject areas from social sciences and literacy to art and design, history and the sciences. Our sessions are interdisciplinary in nature and you don’t have to be studying Scott’s poetry or novels to meet your learning objectives at Abbotsford!

We also work closely with schools on bespoke projects and can tailor any of the sessions in this programme to your needs – just contact our friendly Learning team to discuss your ideas.

We’re looking forward to welcoming you soon!

Curious Collections

Why do people collect objects? What is an ‘artefact’ and how do we know what’s ‘real’? How can we preserve objects and historic places and why is this important? Visit Abbotsford to explore these fascinating questions with this brand-new session. Start your visit in our Learning centre and handle a collection of domestic objects used in the house in the past to think about artefacts and what they tell us. Then explore Sir Walter’s home and discover the weird and wonderful objects he collected to inspire his writing and look for evidence of how we protect and care for this unique building.

Curriculum links: Social Sciences, Literacy and English

Duration: 1.5 hours

£3.50 per pupil

Abbotsford: Cabinet of Curiosities

Follow in Scott’s footsteps and use his amazing collection of objects and artefacts as a stimulus for poetry and creative writing. Explore the historic house with a member of the learning team and discover a house jam-packed with strange objects and even stranger stories! This session encourages children to find and choose the objects and stories of most interest to them in the historic house and to develop their notes into a quick and fun list poem in a follow-up workshop. A great session for supporting literacy skills.

Curriculum links: English and Literacy, Social Sciences

Duration: 2 hours

£3.50 per pupil

Visitor Centre Exhibition Visit

Who was Sir Walter Scott, what did he do and what impact did he have on Scotland and the rest of the world? Explore the objects, stories and treasures on display in our visitor centre exhibition and discover the life and work of one of Scotland’s greatest figures. Pupils use fun treasure hunt clues to discover objects and stories and group discussion to bring Scott’s story to life. Includes a new display on Scott’s passion for history and his role as an antiquarian. This session works well as an introduction to Scott before a visit to the historic house.

Curriculum links: Expressive Arts, Literacy and English and Social Sciences

Duration: 45 minutes – timings are flexible so please discuss at time of booking

£3.50 per pupil

Wild @ Abbotsford

Explore the different ecosystems at Abbotsford with this fun session focusing on meadow, woodland and river habitats. Discover the plants, animals and insects which live in this unique environment through a variety of exciting activities including: tree identification; estimating the height and age of trees; insect sampling and analysis with nets and beating sheets; and pond dipping. Please note activities may vary due to season and weather conditions.

Curriculum links: Sciences, Numeracy

Duration: 1.5 hours

£3.50 per pupil

How to book your visit

Visit times are available on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

Please download a School Visit Booking Form and email your completed form to learning@scottsabbotsford.co.uk. A member of the Learning team will then contact you at a suitable time to discuss your proposed visit and booking.  Alternatively, please call us on 01896 752 043 or email us.

Please note that all led sessions with a member of the Learning team must be pre-booked and are allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. Admission is by invoice after your visit.