The Keighley and Worth Valley (KWV) Railway in west Yorkshire boasts what’s called ‘The Learning Coach’ – a railway coach space dedicated to school visits. Here’s what pupils can learn there.
The Learning Coach is exactly what it says on the tin – a railway coach for learning in.
Located on the platform of Ingrow Station on the KWV Railway line, this learning space is a renovated rail carriage, which offers a classroom area and compartment restored with its original features.
Together with the museums and the heritage of the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, The Learning Coach offers plenty for school groups taking a visit.
Topics on offer
Teachers organising a school trip to the railway can theme visits around the subjects of Science, Engineering, Maths, Literature, History, and Art & Design.
Other themes covered that don’t necessarily link directly to a curriculum subject comprise Exploring and Investigating and Film Heritage. Revision visits are also available to book.
A number of workshops in all of these subjects are available, and day trip itineraries typically run from 10am until 2pm. The workshops are suitable for Key Stages 1 to 3, and up to 30 children can be catered for on one trip.
The Learning Coach can hold 15 students at a time, so a school group will be split into two during a visit.
A typical day at the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway looks like this:
10am: The school arrives at Ingrow Station.
10.10am – 10.30am: The children will have a welcome and introduction before being divided into two groups of 15.
10.30am – 11.45am: Group one will stay in The Learning Coach and partake in a workshop. Group two will catch the 10.30am train to Oxenhope and return at 11:30am in order to experience the train.
11.45am – 12pm: The whole group will explore the Museum of Rail Travel.
12pm – 12.25pm: Time for lunch on one of the carriages in the Museum of Rail Travel or outside if the weather is nice.
12.25pm – 2pm: Group one will catch the 12:30pm train to Oxenhope and return at 2:00pm. Group two will partake in their workshop in The Learning Coach.
2pm: The pupils will collect their belongings from The Learning Coach and return to school.
Workshop examples
Teachers can choose from a number of workshops in the subjects taught on the railway. Bespoke workshops can be created to suit specific requirements, too.
Friction
Science, Key Stage 2
Pupils taking this workshop will learn about the force of friction and how it affects moving objects. The class will explore how different surface materials and lubricants affect the amount of friction that is generated.
Experiments aim to consolidate understanding of what friction is and how it is created, with specific application to the movement of trains.
Building Bridges
Engineering, Key Stages 2 & 3
Pupils will work in teams to budget for and build a railway bridge from various materials that are strong enough to hold a wooden train track to get their engine from one side of the bridge to the other.
Students will understand that some shapes and materials are stronger than others, weak materials can be made stronger with good design techniques, and that distribution of mass is an important consideration when building structures.
The Railway Children
Literature, Key Stage 2
This session focuses on the story and film of The Railway Children, which was filmed at various locations along the KWV Railway line.
The school group will go on a train ride to discover all about the book and film, and also be given the chance to explore and investigate some of the places and locations where the children lived and played in the film.
Additionally, they will be given the opportunity to see one of the trains and carriages that featured in the movie.
World War Two Evacuees
History, Key Stages 1 & 2
This session explores what it was like to be a child evacuated during World War Two. The pupils will be encouraged to answer questions such as: Why were children evacuated to Keighley and where were they evacuated from? How did they get there? And how would you feel if you had to live with strangers in a different part of the country?
Each pupil will also get to write a postcard home describing what their life would be like if they were an evacuee.
Contact information
Teachers interesting in finding out more about workshops at the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, or in booking a visit, should call 07825-632123 or e-mail deborah.cross@ingrowloco.com.
For further information visit www.kwvr.co.uk/education.
