Whipton Barton Federation, part of our family of schools, welcomed two members of the Torquay Museum Education Team to the school this month to run a fun filled history workshop about ancient Egypt with Year 1 pupils. 

The children learnt all about the mummified boy, which is on display at the museum, how they know how old he is and about his family’s status. They then participated in the reenacting of a purification and mummification of a body. There were lots of steps involved and they found out that the whole process takes 60 days! They also got the chance to write their name in hieroglyphics, using a reed and paint; and create a scarab beetle from clay as well as create papyrus paper.  

400 million years of Torbay’s heritage can be discovered at the Torquay Museum, which is a hands-on and family friendly place to visit. Until the 18th of February the fascinating story of how hieroglyphs were decoded is being celebrated in a national touring exhibition called Egyptian hieroglyphs: unlock the mystery.   

Torquay Museum is the last stop on the tour, this follows the major show at the British Museum, marking the bicentenary of this breakthrough. Objects on display include an extract from the Book of the Dead, belonging to the priestess Nestanebetisheru, and a large limestone lintel revealing the name of Pharaoh Ramses III.  

Louise Moretta. Executive Headteacher at Whipton Barton Federation said: 

“I want to say a big thank you to Claire and Stacey from the Torquay Museum for taking the time to come and visit us. I know that the children thoroughly enjoyed themselves and Claire and Stacey were impressed with their fantastic behaviour and their thirst for knowledge.” 

Moira Marder, CEO of the Ted Wragg Trust said: 

“Everyone at the trust was delighted to hear about the ancient Egyptian workshop that took place at Whipton Barton Federation. It certainly looks as though the children had a wonderful time and took a lot away from this memorable, hands-on learning experience.

“The Ted Wragg Trust’s ‘Common Primary Curriculum’ aims to ensure students become independently minded and confident citizens of the future who will contribute positively to our society and it’s great to see this in action at Whipton Barton Federation.”