National Portrait Gallery Trip Brings Classroom Learning to Life

Year 8 students recently visited the National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place, London, to bring their classroom learning to life.

The trip focused on analysing portraits as primary historical sources and developing critical enquiry skills.

Students engaged in a workshop activity exploring periods such as the Tudors, The Reformation and The English Civil War. They carried out active enquiry by examining the iconic portraits of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I.

They completed Source Analysis by investigating how Tudor monarchs used propaganda, hidden symbolism, clothing, and expressions to project absolute power and religious authority.

The trip to the National Portrait Gallery enabled students to connect with historical figures they have learnt about during the history curriculum at HBAED. It was a pleasure to see the boys becoming active historians as they completed a self-led tour within the galleries.

They closely analysed portraits of significant figures, learning the vital cultural and political contexts behind why their images were captured.