--- title: Bringing history to life   description: The junior school teaching staff team re-created a school day, as it might have looked during the reign of Queen Victoria.      image: https://news.redmaidshigh.co.uk/hubfs/Three%20girls%20sq.jpg --- [![Black left aligned RHS GDST logo](https://news.redmaidshigh.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/logos/Black%20left%20aligned%20RHS%20GDST%20logo.png?width=215&height=100&name=Black%20left%20aligned%20RHS%20GDST%20logo.png "Black left aligned RHS GDST logo")](https://www.redmaidshigh.co.uk/) [Back to Main Site](https://www.redmaidshigh.co.uk/) [![Redmaids' High School](https://news.redmaidshigh.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Redmaids_High_School_April2021/images/mobile-logo.png?width=270&height=472&name=mobile-logo.png "Redmaids' High School")](https://www.redmaidshigh.co.uk/) [Back to Main Site](https://www.redmaidshigh.co.uk/) [\< Back to Blog](https://news.redmaidshigh.co.uk/) # Bringing history to life ![Three girls sq](https://news.redmaidshigh.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Three%20girls%20sq.jpg?width=407&name=Three%20girls%20sq.jpg)To support their study of the Victorian period, the whole of Year 6 spent a morning at school, but not a day as they know it! The teaching staff team re-created a school day, as it might have looked during the reign of Queen Victoria.      To start with, each pupil came to school dressed as a Victorian child, either as a boy or a girl, and was asked to bring a penny with them to pay for their education.    The teaching staff have also been in character to help demonstrate the difference in teaching styles. We do know that the teachers used to be very strict, and that school was often a grim place.    They have then led a traditional school curriculum which included:    - singing and hymns - the three R’s (Reading, wRiting, aRithmetic) - cross-stitch, and - PE (which was called drill in Victorian times). Because the school classes were so big, everything used to be done in a regimented way. The teacher would write things on the blackboard for the children to copy onto their chalk boards and learn. A lot of teaching was repetition, learning the names and dates of kings and queens, or reciting the times table by rote.    Today, at Redmaids’ High Junior School, and in keeping with tradition, the girls have been taught as one big group, while sitting at individual desks, in rows facing the front. Their teachers have also role-played being stern, serious and scary (… to the slight amusement of the girls)!    Of course, we know that many children had to go to work in Victorian times, and work was sometimes very dangerous as it included tasks like climbing up chimneys, cleaning factory machines or travelling down dark mines.    We certainly didn’t make our girls do that, but we do hope they’ve had fun experiencing a very different kind of school day!    [![Book a visit](https://hubspot-no-cache-eu1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/19538110/1e8742ad-2906-4557-8c99-9598a397fc6f.png)](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-eu1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/19538110/1e8742ad-2906-4557-8c99-9598a397fc6f) Date Posted: 20 November, 2021 [Share](http://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://news.redmaidshigh.co.uk/bringing-history-to-life-1) ## Articles for: ![British orienteering champions | Redmaids' High School](https://news.redmaidshigh.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/orienteering%20champs%202-450_th.jpg?width=770&name=orienteering%20champs%202-450_th.jpg) **British orienteering champions | Redmaids' High School** Date Posted: 19 November, 2019 READ MORE ![National Orienteering Success](https://news.redmaidshigh.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Square%20orienteering%20.jpg?width=770&name=Square%20orienteering%20.jpg) **National Orienteering Success** Date Posted: 26 November, 2021 Both the Junior and Senior School orienteering teams swept the board at the British Schools’ Orienteering... READ MORE ![Science competition winners](https://news.redmaidshigh.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Science%20quiz%20team%20sq.jpg?width=770&name=Science%20quiz%20team%20sq.jpg) **Science competition winners** Date Posted: 9 November, 2021 News Hot off the Press: Our Junior School team has beaten stiff competition from across the area to win the area heat... READ MORE ![Bristol Old Vic perform Macbeth for juniors | Redmaids' High School](https://news.redmaidshigh.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Macbeth-450_th.jpg?width=770&name=Macbeth-450_th.jpg) **Bristol Old Vic perform Macbeth for juniors | Redmaids' High School** Date Posted: 5 February, 2020 READ MORE ![2022 Founders' Commemoration Day](https://news.redmaidshigh.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/social-suggested-images/FCD.png?width=770&name=FCD.png) **2022 Founders' Commemoration Day** Date Posted: 23 November, 2022 On Friday 18 November 2022, staff, students, alumnae, and parents marked the founding of our school with a tradition... READ MORE ![Our very own Junior School Election!](https://news.redmaidshigh.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/PXL_20240704_071004433.jpg?width=770&name=PXL_20240704_071004433.jpg) **Our very own Junior School Election!** Date Posted: 4 July, 2024 READ MORE ![Founders' Commemoration Day 2025](https://news.redmaidshigh.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/sd-1.png?width=770&name=sd-1.png) **Founders' Commemoration Day 2025** Date Posted: 24 November, 2025 Last Friday, we once again honoured a remarkable piece of our history as we celebrated the 391st anniversary of... READ MORE ![Awesome astronomy](https://news.redmaidshigh.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/IMG_9792.jpg?width=770&name=IMG_9792.jpg) **Awesome astronomy** Date Posted: 29 November, 2021 Our Junior School girls took full advantage of an astronomy evening held at the senior school recently. READ MORE ![Our school production is a creative collaboration ](https://news.redmaidshigh.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/20191124_6-450_th.jpg?width=770&name=20191124_6-450_th.jpg) **Our school production is a creative collaboration** Date Posted: 3 December, 2019 READ MORE ![Our brand new Junior School Library is unveiled](https://news.redmaidshigh.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Untitled%20design%20(11)-2.png?width=770&name=Untitled%20design%20(11)-2.png) **Our brand new Junior School Library is unveiled** Date Posted: 29 January, 2024 READ MORE ![We are delighted to join the Girls' Day School Trust](https://news.redmaidshigh.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/GDST%20Social%20Announcement.png?width=770&name=GDST%20Social%20Announcement.png) **We are delighted to join the Girls' Day School Trust** Date Posted: 2 September, 2024 The Governing Body of Redmaids’ High School and Trustees of GDST are delighted to announce that Redmaids’ High School... READ MORE ![Redmaids' High named one of the top independent schools in the South West](https://news.redmaidshigh.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/JMB09475.jpg?width=770&name=JMB09475.jpg) **Redmaids' High named one of the top independent schools in the South West** Date Posted: 1 December, 2023 READ MORE ![Redmaids' High School Joins the GDST Family](https://news.redmaidshigh.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/RHS%20officially%20in%20GDST%20news%20pic.png?width=770&name=RHS%20officially%20in%20GDST%20news%20pic.png) **Redmaids' High School Joins the GDST Family** Date Posted: 3 February, 2025 We are thrilled to announce that we have now officially joined the Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST) family of schools.... READ MORE ![New large-scale artwork unveiled](https://news.redmaidshigh.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Elephant%20.jpg?width=770&name=Elephant%20.jpg) **New large-scale artwork unveiled** Date Posted: 14 September, 2021 The Junior School Art Department is proud to introduce a fabulous new addition. Hathi the elephant, kindly named by Mrs... READ MORE ![WOW! What a day](https://news.redmaidshigh.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/RMJS%20visit.jpg?width=770&name=RMJS%20visit.jpg) **WOW! What a day** Date Posted: 18 October, 2021 Last week, every pupil in the Junior School had a break from normal lessons, to enjoy an action-packed, highly... READ MORE ![Special guests visit the Junior School](https://news.redmaidshigh.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/thumbnail_IMG_3892.jpg?width=770&name=thumbnail_IMG_3892.jpg) **Special guests visit the Junior School** Date Posted: 8 October, 2021 Our Year 3 and 4 girls had great fun today meeting Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre - both of whom are writers and... READ MORE ![Enhancing science learning at the Junior School](https://news.redmaidshigh.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/IMG_4979.jpg?width=770&name=IMG_4979.jpg) **Enhancing science learning at the Junior School** Date Posted: 14 December, 2023 READ MORE ![Success at the Bristol Festival of Speech and Drama](https://news.redmaidshigh.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Amber%20Y%20with%20the%20Blue%20Bowl%20sq.jpg?width=770&name=Amber%20Y%20with%20the%20Blue%20Bowl%20sq.jpg) **Success at the Bristol Festival of Speech and Drama** Date Posted: 29 March, 2022 The Junior School pupils enjoyed tremendous success at the 2022 Bristol Festival of Speech and Drama, held here at... READ MORE ![Junior School carol service](https://news.redmaidshigh.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/SQ%20DSCN6542-1.jpg?width=770&name=SQ%20DSCN6542-1.jpg) **Junior School carol service** Date Posted: 9 December, 2021 Our annual Junior School Christmas Carol Service provided a wonderful opportunity for us to gather together as a... READ MORE ![Shortlisted for excellence in the performing arts](https://www.redmaidshigh.co.uk/UserFiles/Images/NewsImages/ISP-Awards-Rosette-Shortlisted-20195-450.th.jpg?637618573810000000) **Shortlisted for excellence in the performing arts** Date Posted: 9 July, 2021 We are delighted to announce that the Redmaids’ High Junior School has been shortlisted for an Independent School... READ MORE [Click here to view all news articles](https://news.redmaidshigh.co.uk) - [MAKE AN ENQUIRY](https://www.redmaidshigh.co.uk/contact-us) - [NEWS](https://news.redmaidshigh.co.uk/) - [MY REDMAIDS' HIGH](https://www.redmaidshigh.co.uk/my-redmaids/) [![Black centered RHS GDST logo](https://news.redmaidshigh.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/logos/Black%20centered%20RHS%20GDST%20logo.png?width=179&height=200&name=Black%20centered%20RHS%20GDST%20logo.png "Black centered RHS GDST logo")](http://redmaidshigh.co.uk) #### Registered Office The Asticus Building, 21 Palmer Street, London, England, SW1H 0AD Company number: 6400 Registered charity number: 306983    #### Junior School Grange Court Road Westbury-on-Trym Bristol BS9 4DP [0117 962 9451](tel:0117%20962%209451) [juniors@redmaidshigh.gdst.net](mailto:juniors@redmaidshigh.gdst.net) #### Senior School AND SIXTH FORM Westbury Road Westbury-on-Trym Bristol BS9 3AW [0117 962 2641](tel:0117%20962%202641) [seniors@redmaidshigh.gdst.net](mailto:seniors@redmaidshigh.gdst.net) - © 2025 Redmaids' High School, GDST - All rights reserved - [School Policies](https://www.redmaidshigh.co.uk/about-the-school/school-policies/) - [Cookie & Privacy Policies](https://www.redmaidshigh.co.uk/about-the-school/school-policies/data-protection-and-privacy-policies/) - [Contact Us](https://www.redmaidshigh.co.uk/contact-us/) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Admin", "url" : "https://news.redmaidshigh.co.uk/author/admin" }, "dateModified" : "2023-02-28T11:47:07.477Z", "datePublished" : "2021-11-20T10:30:00.000Z", "headline" : "Bringing history to life  ", "image" : [ "https://news.redmaidshigh.co.uk/hubfs/Three%20girls%20sq.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://news.redmaidshigh.co.uk/bringing-history-to-life-1", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://news.redmaidshigh.co.uk/hubfs/RHS_logo_left%20aligned_black_RGB.png" }, "name" : "Redmaids' High School" } } ```