Year 1 travel back in History in Castellet castle

Last week our Year 1 children visited the castle of Castellet, a fortress located in an exceptional natural enclave, surrounded by the natural area of the river Foix, in the municipality of Castellet i la Gornal (Alt Penedès). The fortification was of major strategic importance until the 16th century. Since then, it went through successive periods of decadence and restoration until it was finally declared a cultural site of national interest.

Such an interest led our KeyStage 1 teachers to choose this unique historical venue to illustrate their Summer class topic based on castles and materials. They felt it was important for children to see one in real life so as to understand the scale, features, stone work and interior spaces of the castle.

As the children arrived at the castle, they split into groups and were taken on a guided tour were they were given information as they explored each room. They also had an opportunity to walk around the grounds of the castle to view the exterior and do some pencil sketches of it from the outside, thus building on their Art subject on different materials, such as paint, collage and junk modelling.

It turned out to be a very positive experience as the students were able to extend their knowledge, by having a better understanding of the scale of a castle. They looked at the detailing of the windows, shapes, height and masonry. They also found out about the age of the castle, and could experience what it felt like to be inside.

Ms Hogarty, one of the Year 1 teachers, said: “Children had a great time. The drawings they completed were detailed and they were able to see certain features such as the portcullis and ramparts in real life and understand better how these things worked. It put the things we had been learning about in class into a context they could relate to.”