Witney Museum offers schools a rich opportunity for students to explore the story of their own town.
Through our displays, objects and learning resources, pupils can discover how local people, industries and ideas have shaped Witney over hundreds of years and consider how their community continues to change today.
We invite schools and learning groups to uncover Witney’s past through hands-on enquiry and creative response. Learners can:
Discover the history of Witney’s world-famous blanket trade and the people who worked in the mills.
Explore how industries such as glove making, brewing and health care have shaped the town.
Investigate objects from the past to understand daily life, work and education in earlier times.
Learn about local figures including photographer Arthur Titherington and Isabelle Spencer.
Compare life in historic Witney with their own experiences today.
Respond creatively through writing, drawing, storytelling or making inspired by local history.
Our in-museum sessions highlight key themes in Witney’s story, including the blanket trade, work and industry, community life and creativity. We aim to help young people see that history is not something distant, it is rooted in the streets, buildings and stories around them.
We invite schools to discover the story of Witney and the industry that made it world-famous. Through this interactive workshop, students are introduced to the town’s history and the trade that shaped it.
Key Stage 1 & 2
We invite students to investigate the story of Witney and the industry that made it world-famous. Through this interactive workshop, students will use their historical enquiry skills to examine a range of sources to uncover how the blanket trade shaped the town, its people, and its place in British industrial history.
Key Stage 3We are a small museum so we can only accommodate 1 class of up to 30 learners at a time.
Adult to student ratios:
Key stage 1 (age 4-7) = 1:5
Key stages 2, 3 and 4 (age 7-15) = 1:10
Key stage 5 and up (age 16+) = 1:15
SEND groups can determine their own ratios
As a small, volunteer-run museum, we rely on donations to help keep our doors open and our collections accessible to everyone. For self-guided school visits, we suggest a donation of £1 per student to support the museum and its work in the community.
Our facilitated sessions are led by our experienced volunteer team and are available at a cost of £50 per session. This contribution helps us continue delivering engaging learning opportunities for schools and community groups.
We offer dedicated school visits on Tuesdays, when the museum is closed to the public, giving you a more focused and tailored experience. If Tuesdays are not suitable, we are also pleased to welcome schools from Wednesday to Friday, subject to availability.
Unfortunately, as a small museum, we do not have a dedicated space for lunch. To help us care for and preserve our collections, eating and drinking are not permitted inside the museum galleries. We’re happy to suggest nearby outdoor spaces or local facilities where groups can take a break.
We warmly welcome SEND groups to the museum and are happy to adapt any of our sessions to ensure they are accessible and tailored to your learners’ needs. Please email us at admin@witneymuseum.org to discuss how we can support your visit and make it as inclusive and enjoyable as possible.
We have step-free access to the ground floor of the museum. Please note that our first-floor gallery is accessible by stairs only. If anyone in your group has access requirements, please email us at admin@witneymuseum.org in advance so we can discuss how best to support you and make your visit as accessible as possible.