Preparing for Togas and Tesserae at Priory House

Preparing for Togas and
Tesserae at Priory House
We’re looking forward to welcoming your group to take part in Togas and Tesserae.
But before your session, it is helpful to read this sheet, as it includes lots of helpful
information and advice that will enhance the experience of your day project.
Before Your Visit

Please arrange a coach well in advance. Schools need to be dropped off at the
layby in front of the old police station on Priory Road. From here they are two
options to walk to Priory House either through the park or along the road. The
lane up to Priory House is a shared space for pedestrians and moving vehicles
so please be aware of this when walking up the lane. Maps are included in this
pack.

If you are travelling by train, Priory House is only a 5 minute walk up the lane.

Please allocate the children into four groups prior to your visit. We also
recommend providing name labels for the children.

Our risk assessment is included in this pack. If you have any queries please
call the Heritage Education office on 01926 412069.

Priory House has no disabled access. If you have any concerns about
accessibility for the disabled we can arrange an alternative space for your visit.
This should have been discussed at the point of booking. Please contact us
urgently if this is a concern for you.

We advise that you bring at least six adult helpers to work with children during
the day project. Please ensure that this sheet and all other visit information is
available to them before the day of the visit.

Please arrive promptly and allow time to walk to Priory House. We advise
arriving ten minutes at Priory House before the start of your session.

Lunch can be eaten in Priory House but if the weather is dry children can sit
outside and have a picnic style lunch. Priory Park is a one minute walk away
and children can be escorted by your staff to the park to play.

There might be an opportunity for your class to have a 10 minute tour of the
County Record Office during your visit to Priory House. This must be booked at
the time of booking your day project. A member of teaching staff must
accompany the group.

For teachers and adult helpers tea and coffee are available at Priory House.
We ask for donation in the tin provided. Cakes and chocolate are available
from the County Record Office reception, all individually priced.

If you need to contact us on the day of your visit you can call our member of
support staff who will be at Priory House directly on 07513 975778 or call the
County Record Office reception on 01926 738959 who get a message to
Priory House

Finally, enjoy your session, and don’t forget to bring a camera!
Teachers Responsibilities:
Please sign and bring this form with you and hand to the member of staff before your session
Supervision:

In all instances the teacher to pupil ration must be a minimum of 1:8. We recommend that you try
and bring 1:5 as it enhances the quality of the children’s learning experience.

Adult supervisors must stay with their group for the entire visit.

Teachers remain in loco parentis and therefore should have seen a copy of the risk assessments and
have signed this document.

It is the responsibility of the individual teachers and leader to visit the site in order to conduct risk
assessments that are specific to their group and that fulfil their policy requirements.

We recommend that teachers arrange a free pre-visit, where they can conduct their own risk
assessment and discuss any special requirements.

Please be aware no food or drink can be consumed in the museum, there is a lunch room available
and must be requested when make a booking.
Behaviour:

Teachers/ adult supervisors from the school are required to inform and enforce behavioural
expectation whilst on a museum visit.
Health and Safety:

Responsibility for FIRST AID rests with the teachers, in all instances following school policy and
guidelines. Teachers must bring their own first aid kits with them.
Photography:

The responsibility for obtaining parental consent for taking of photographs or video images lies with
the school.
What to expect from Heritage Education:

All Heritage Education staff responsible for leading sessions have enhanced DBS disclosures.

We have public liability insurance as part of Warwickshire County Council.

All Heritage Education staff will demonstrate exemplary behaviour, ensuring that a positive culture
and climate is created during all visits.
Please sign here to confirm you have read and understood the above and the programme for your
booking outlined in the booking sheet. Please be aware amendments to the programme may incur
charges.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
A46 Warwick Bypass
Leamington
Banbury
Drop off at layby in front of the
old police station
Groups can walk through the
park is dry (yellow route)
or along the road and up the
path (orange route)
Car can and do drive up the
path so please take care
Learning
doesn’t stop here….
Heritage Education provides an array of
sessions and support to help you teach the
New History Curriculum for Key Stage Two
Discover our other activities that are specifically
catered to the Key Stage Two curriculum. Read on to
find out what else we have to offer.
Stone Age to the Iron Age
Delivered in your classroom, we will take your class through the
significant changes of this pivotal period in British History.
Togas and Tesserae
Visit us at Priory House to explore where the Romans came from
and what their lives were like. This workshop features original
Roman objects from Alcester and a large number of objects that
can be handled by the class.
Anglo Saxon Chronicles
Learn how to identify Anglo Saxon settlements from place names
in Warwickshire and find out what village life was like. Join us at
Priory House and even get the opportunity to dress as an Anglo
Saxon, complete with shield and spear!
A Local History Study
Visit St John’s Museum and immerse your class in what life was
like as a Victorian school-child in the Victorian classroom or try
life as a laundry maid scrubbing collars and turning the mangle!
Follow this up with a Local History Detectives visit to the
County Record Office to see original documents from your local
area. Go behind the scenes in the County Record Office's
strong-rooms and then explore original documents from your local
area.
Walk Like an Egyptian
This workshop includes the opportunity to learn about the lives of
the Ancient Egyptians, what they ate and wore, how they bought
their goods and their religion.
Don’t Panic
This workshop explores an event in British history that has shaped
the national sense of identity. Your class will experience what it
felt like to be an evacuee and to hear the air raid sirens warning
of danger.
Home Front Heroes
Look at how World War Two changed the lives of people on the
home front. Pupils can explore different characters through a mix
of documents and real and replica objects.
Put Your Pupils in the Dock
Children can take part in a mock Victorian trial, based on real
court records, and explore the cells and courtrooms in Warwick's
old courts.
History Detectives: Discover Crime and Punishment
Look at photographs, newspaper articles, court records, gaol
records and police records, covering themes such as living
conditions in gaol, child crime, types of crimes committed and
the punishments given.
History Detectives: Discover World War One
Look at a selection of documents, including letters, photographs,
newspaper articles and postcards, covering themes of the First
World War.
History Detectives: Discover Medicine through Time
Look at everything from photographs, parish records, recipe
books, hospital records, newspaper articles and adverts. This
session covers themes such as what people believed caused
illness, treatments available and how these were funded before
the NHS.
Warwickshire County Council
Risk Assessment for: Heritage Education Day Project – Togas and Tesserae
____________________
Team/Section/
Department:
Activity/
Process/
Operation
Working in
Priory House
Learning and Community
Engagement, Heritage and Culture,
Communities
What are the
hazards to health and
safety
What risks do
they pose and to
whom?
Sitting on Stools
Injury from fall
Date of
assessment:
8th December
2014
Review date:
What existing control measures are in place
to reduce the risk?
Point out hazard to children and accompanying
adults
Risk to: All
8th
December
2015
Risk level
achieved
H/M/L*
Further
action
required
Y/N?*
L
N
L
N
Ensure children under control and correct children
not sitting correctly on stools.
Moving tables during
session
Fingers being
trapped between
tables.
Only staff to move tables.
Tables to be moved in pairs
Tables being
dropped onto toes
Being knocked by
tables as they are
being moved.
Visiting adults and children to made aware tables are
being moved.
Visiting adults and children told to stand in a safe
place while tables are being moved.
Injury to back from
incorrect lifting
Risk to: All
Trailing cables between
CD player and power
socket.
Injury from trip or
fall.
Risk to: visiting
Cables to be placed in rubber safety housing.
CD player to be positioned close to the power socket
to reduce the length of trailing cable.
1
children and adults
and HE staff
L
N
L
N
L
N
L
N
L
N
L
N
Hazard to be pointed out to visiting adults and
children at the beginning of the session.
CD player to be unplugged and cable rolled up once
the CD player is no longer needed.
Ensure children are under control and walking
around the room.
Moving between floors
and rooms at Priory
House
Injury from tripping
or falling on stairs
Staff to ensure all children move around the building
supervised by an adult.
Risk to: All
Session
Activities
Playing sound clips
through CD player
Risk of sonic shock
from sound clips
played
Only staff to operate the CD player.
Sound level to be checked before the arrival of the
visiting adults and children.
Risk to: All
Pencils
Replica Roman Costume
Sharp object in the
eye/stabbing body
Point out hazard before the activity starts.
Risk to: children
Ensure the children are under control and carrying
out the activity with adult supervision.
Suffocation and
strangulation
Visiting adults and children made aware of the
hazard.
Risk to: Children
Staff to supervise the trying on of the costume.
Staff to select children who will fit into the costume
comfortably.
Ensure children are under control and working with
adult supervision.
Mosaic
Irritated eyes from
dust
Visiting adults and children made aware of the
hazard.
Risk to: All
Children to wash hands after completing the activity
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and not rub their eyes.
Ensure children are under control and working with
adult supervision.
Writing on wax tablets with
metal stylus
Injury to eyes from
sharp ends
Visiting adults and children to be made aware of the
hazard.
Risk to: Children
Ensure children are under control and working with
adult supervision.
Allergic reaction to
beeswax
Staff to make visiting adults and children aware of
the hazard.
Risk to: All
Ensure visiting adults have appropriate first aid
supplies to hand and have permission from parents
to use the contents on their child.
L
N
L
N
L
N
L
N
Visiting adults to be aware of individual children and
visiting adults who experience severe allergic
reactions and those who carry epipens.
Smelly pot activity
Allergic reaction to
contents of pots from
consumption or
smelling contents, ie
honey, herbs
Staff to make visiting adults and children aware of
the hazard.
Ensure visiting adults have appropriate first aid
supplies to hand and have permission from parents
to use the contents on their child.
Risk to: All
Visiting adults to be aware of individual children and
visiting adults who experience severe allergic
reactions and those who carry epipens.
Ensure children are under control and working with
adult supervision.
Grinding cumin in
mortarium
Allergic or asthmatic
reaction from
particles in the air or
consumption
Staff to make visiting adults and children aware of
the hazard.
Ensure visiting adults have appropriate first aid
supplies to hand and have permission from parents
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Risk to: All
to use the contents on their child.
Visiting adults to be aware of individual children and
visiting adults who experience severe allergic
reactions and those who carry epipens.
Ensure children are under control and working with
adult supervision.
Trapped or grazed
fingers
Staff to make visiting adults and children aware of
the hazard.
Risk to: Children
Staff to give clear instructions on how to carry out the
activity.
L
N
L
N
L
N
L
N
Ensure children are under control and working with
adult supervision.
Objects
Coins
Chocking hazard
from small pieces.
Ensure children are under control and playing with
coins under adult supervision.
Risk to: visiting
children
Children playing with coins are beyond the age
where they put things in their mouths.
Tell the children to respect the coins and play with
them carefully as they are historic objects.
Replica brooches
Injury from sharp
ends of brooch pins
Visiting adults and children to be made aware of the
hazard.
Risk to: All
Staff to give clear instructions on how to carry out the
activity.
Ensure children are under control and working with
adult supervision.
Glass vessels
Injury from broken
glass
Visiting adults and children to be made aware of the
hazard.
Risk to: All
Visiting adults and children given clear instructions
on how to handle the objects safely.
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Staff to remove any broken glass from the activity.
Ensure children are under control and working with
adult supervision.
Historic roman nails
Sharp object in the
eye/stabbing body
Visiting adults and children to be made aware of the
hazard.
Risk to: children
Visiting adults and children given clear instructions
on how to handle the objects safely.
L
N
L
N
Ensure children are under control and working with
adult supervision.
Historic broken pieces of
pottery
Choking or injury
from sharp edges
Visiting adults and children to be made aware of the
hazard.
Risk to: Children
Visiting adults and children given clear instructions
on how to handle the objects safely.
Children are beyond the age where they put non
food items in their mouths.
Ensure children are under control and working with
adult supervision.
Name of Assessor: Rebecca Williams
Name of Manager
responsible for Activity/ Process/ Operation: Laura Pye
Signature …Rebecca Williams……………………….
Signature …
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* If the risk level achieved is still High, the planned activity/ process/operation must not continue. The risk assessment action plan must be
completed to identify what further action will be taken to reduce the risk to an acceptable lower level.
* If the risk level achieved is Medium you must consider whether the existing control measures are sufficient or if any further action could be
taken to reduce the risk to a low level. (The risk level may remain as Medium where the risk is inherent in a particular activity/process/operation).
Reference should be made to the Risk Assessment Guide 4.1 Step-by-Step for guidance on when and how the action plan should be used.
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Warwickshire County Council
Risk Assessment Action Plan for:
Activity/
Process/
Operation
Risk
Planned action to be taken to reduce
the risk to a reasonable level
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Anticipated
risk
reduction
level
M/L
post action
Responsible
person for
taking action
Planned
completion
date
Completion
date
(Line
manager
signature to
verify and
date)
7
Risk Assessment for: _______________________________________________
Name of Persons involved in the
Activity/ Process/ Operation
Signature
Date
8