A Wonderful Term of Learning and Fun for Year 1 & 2

In Week 5, our Year 1 and 2 students visited Rippon Lea Estate as part of our History unit exploring the concept of Now and Then. Throughout the day, students were immersed in hands-on learning experiences that helped them understand what life was like in the past.

Students took part in Servant Training, played a range of old-fashioned games, and toured the grand historic home to see how families lived, worked, and played in the 1800s. They also explored the beautiful gardens, noticing how everyday tasks and leisure activities have changed over time.

This engaging excursion greatly supported their History learning, allowing students to compare past and present life and deepen their understanding of how communities and lifestyles have evolved. The day was filled with curiosity, laughter, and wonderful discoveries about the world of “long ago.”

Here are some of the things our Year 1 and 2s had to say about their day at Rippon Lea Estate:

It was so fun when we got to play games from a long time ago. Some of them we still play. — Shrigna 1S

My favourite part was when we went into the house. The bedrooms had buckets where they went to the toilet! — Amay 1S

We got to go inside the house and see the fancy stairs. I really liked the clothes, they were so beautiful! — Leanne 1D

The big door had pictures of people on the glass. The walls and the ceiling looked like gold. — Peter 1D

I like the excursion because when we were washing the clothes and I got splashed as well. — Gabriella 2J

My favourite part was we got to experience what the maids were doing in the olden days. — Kiaan 2J

I like how we had to tour around the house. — Lotus 2M

I like how we had a lot of games in the afternoon. It was really fun visiting Rippon Lea Estate because the wall paper in the waiting room was made out of gold. — Phillips 2M

I like when we got to wash the clothes in the old ways and we got to look inside the mansion. — 2S Cooper

I like doing the treasure hunt and exploring the garden. — Aarna 2S