Workshop 1: The Urswick Church of England School, Hackney

Workshop 1: Introducing students to the idea of historical exploration

The first workshop was divided into two activities. The first activity introduced students to the idea of historical exploration, why such a pursuit is important, and what methods and skills it requires. Students were also given the opportunity to put questions about exploring history to the Building on History team. The students were then given a task to develop their understanding of history and to give them a sense of the actual time scales involved. To learn more about the time sequence of historical periods, the students were given pictures of key historical events, and they worked in groups to decide on their correct historical order and dates in history.

The history of the school itself was then examined in more detail. Six documents from the school archives with accompanying questions were discussed in groups, and then with the teacher and the Building on History team.

The second activity was practical fieldwork at the St John at Hackney Church and Churchyard to ‘bring history to life’ and to investigate the church’s longstanding connection with the school since 1520. Indeed, the history of this school can be traced back to a decision made over 400 years ago by the Rector and Church wardens of the Parish of Hackney to take responsibility for the education of twelve poor boys. Today, the school has a diverse pupil population of 150.

The students also explored the church and its churchyard to learn more about the key figures in the history of the school and its local community, including Christopher Urswick who founded free education in Hackney in 1520. Another key figure is Harry Sedgwick, a Churchwarden in the early 1800s who left £500 in his will for silver medals to be awarded to high achieving children at the school. These medals continue to be awarded, and the second workshop would provide current students with the opportunity to meet and interview previous medallists who had attended the school from the mid-1940s to the mid-1950s.

The student groups explored the church and churchyard, guided by a worksheet informed by the documentary evidence used in the first session, and by copies of the plans of the church and churchyard. Father Rob, Rector of Hackney, was at hand to help the students in their historical exploration.

Back at school, the students wrote up their research findings. An example is given below.