The Past Replayed: Kirby Hall

Special-needs schoolchildren experience a day out in the sixteenth-century at Kirby Hall, Northamptonshire, England. The first part of this video is an account of the planning and organization that preceded the event: the teachers attended courses to study music, dancing, costume-making, cooking and the history of Kirby Hall. Next, the children were given careful preparation for the day in the classroom. This part of the video also includes a brief resumé of the day's events and a look at the follow-up work carried out by the schools.

The second part of the video is intended for classroom use; it is a detailed record of the day itself. Each child was dressed in authentic costume, and took part in two work groups in order to experience different aspects of life in a grand country house in 1590. Lunch was authentic too - the pea soup was not popular! In the afternoon each school presented some aspect of their work as the last event of the day.

This program is particularly suitable for teacher training.