The Middle Ages Experience Day
My lord, someone approaches the castle!
Today, you’re stepping into the Middle Ages, a time when castles dominated the landscape and shaped how people lived, fought, and ruled.
Across Britain, the ruins of castles still stand as reminders of a world of kings and lords, siege warfare, and extraordinary engineering. In this experience day, you’ll explore what castles were really for — and what life was like for the people who lived and worked within their walls.
Your guide for the day is Sir Walter de Vere, a knight of England. He knows how to wield a sword, understands the duties of knighthood, and is always on the lookout for new squires to join his retinue.
The day begins in 1066, a year that changed England forever. You’ll meet key figures from the period and explore what was at stake as the Norman invasion threatened the Saxon way of life. As events unfold, you’ll examine the weapons and armour used by both sides and bring the story of the Battle of Hastings to life through discussion and role-play.
As we move into the High Middle Ages, you’ll discover how a boy trained to become a knight, what values mattered to him, and why things like loyalty, service, and honour were so important. You’ll also explore heraldry, learning how coats of arms were used to identify individuals and families on and off the battlefield.
The day builds towards a hands-on engineering challenge. Piece by piece, you’ll learn how a castle works by building one yourselves, exploring defensive features and design choices. And, of course, no castle is complete without a test of its strength.
Will the walls hold?
Or will you breach the defences using our trebuchet?
"The children were engaged and thoughly enjoyed themselves.
They have learnt a great deal, fantastic experience.
Thank you Stephen."
Miss Manji - Teacher
What activities are included?
Our Knights and Castles Experience Day is a full-day, immersive workshop combining history, engineering, and hands-on learning.
Activities typically include:
Meeting a costumed knight
Exploring the role, responsibilities, and training of a medieval knight.Historical role-play
Bringing key moments such as the events of 1066 to life in an accessible, structured way.Weapons and armour
Seeing and handling replica medieval equipment to understand how it was used.Castle building
Constructing a working model to explore defence, design, and problem-solving.Siege warfare
Seeing a trebuchet in action and learning how castles were attacked and defended.Heraldry
Designing and exploring coats of arms and what they reveal about medieval identity.
How many children can take part?
Our Knights and Castles Experience Day is suitable for mainstream KS2 classes, from single-form entry to four-form entry (approximately 30–120 pupils).
We can accommodate a wide range of group sizes, provided there is:
a clear hall with sufficient space for movement-based activities
appropriate staffing to remain with pupils throughout the day
Special Educational Needs (SEN / SEND)
Our experience days are designed to be inclusive, flexible, and engaging.
To ensure all pupils can take part safely, schools are asked to provide appropriate staffing and any specialist support required for individual needs. As we bring a range of physical props and equipment that are integral to the workshop, suitable supervision is essential.
We have worked successfully with specialist SEND settings and high-needs groups. If your pupils require additional adaptations, we are very happy to discuss this in advance and advise on how best to deliver an excellent experience.
What do we need to run the day?
To deliver a high-quality, immersive Knights and Castles Experience Day, we require:
secure on-site parking
exclusive use of a school hall for the duration of the day
two trestle tables
sufficient staff to remain with pupils throughout the workshop
(These requirements allow us to deliver a safe, structured, full-day experience.)
Why choose Classroom Adventures?
Designed for learning, not just entertainment
Every experience day is carefully structured to support KS2 history objectives, encouraging enquiry, discussion, and critical thinking alongside enjoyment.Immersive, full-day experiences
We don’t deliver short workshops or assemblies. Each visit is a complete day of learning, allowing pupils time to explore ideas in depth and fully engage with the period.Led by costumed historical interpreters
Pupils learn from knowledgeable facilitators who bring history to life through storytelling, discussion, and hands-on activities — not scripts or performances.Hands-on, object-based learning
Pupils see and handle replica artefacts, tools, weapons, and equipment, helping them make tangible connections with the past.Inclusive and adaptable
Our days are designed to be accessible, with flexibility built in to support a wide range of pupils and school settings.Clear structure and professional delivery
We work alongside school staff, maintaining high standards of behaviour, safety, and safeguarding throughout the day.Experience you can trust
Classroom Adventures’ staff have been delivering educational experience days since 2016, working with schools across the UK to provide high-quality, memorable learning.
Ready to defend the castle?
Click the button below to send us your enquiry and begin your Knights and Castles adventure. We’ll be happy to discuss dates, group sizes, and how the day supports your curriculum.
