Leeds Castle welcomes school visits from the UK and all over the world, all year
round. As part of our ongoing charitable mission to support local schools,
the Education Centre has recently undergone a major renovation to double its
size.
Following an extensive programme of building works, the Centre will now provide
schools with a larger and more practical facility for fun workshops and historical
activities. What was previously a storage area has become a light and airy
second classroom, equipped with all that you’d expect – chairs, tables, a ceiling
mounted projector … a full suit of armour and a throne! Other improvements
to the Centre include more practical considerations such as new flooring, safety
handrails, new kitchen facilities for staff and the installation of doors to
allow direct access from the Culpeper Garden into the main classroom.
The 12th Century Castle can now offer double the amount of special subsidised
rates to schools from Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Essex and London.
Helen Ellis, Education Manager at Leeds Castle said:
“Last year almost 300 schools booked workshops with us, bringing over 7000 children.
But during the spring and summer terms we turned away many classes as with
only one education room we just could not fit them all in.
I am thrilled to now have an Education Centre that has been designed to meet
the needs of the children who visit us as well as being a great area for the
staff to work in. It’s wonderful to have a second room which enables us to
offer fun workshops for up to two schools each day. And to add icing on the
cake, there is a special costume area and we are even having new costumes created
especially for us to go with the ‘royal throne’!”
