A Bevin Boy Remembers


Meet a Miner


Lord Hastings

Videoconferencing Workshops

The latest development in the Museum’s education programme is videoconferencing. For pupils who are too far away to visit the Museum, or for teachers wishing to consolidate learning following a visit, a video conference workshop is an exciting and interactive way for pupils to access the Museum’s resources and learn about coal mining. All videoconference sessions are FREE.

A Bevin Boy Remembers
Available on Mondays only
9.30am -10.00am and 2.30pm-3.00pm

One of our living-history interpreters takes on the role of an ex-Bevin Boy, Jeff. Opening a suitcase he has found in his loft, full of objects and documents from his past, unlocks Jeff’s memories of WW2, which he shares with his listeners. Jeff explains how he was conscripted to work in the mines during the war; why coal mining was so important to the war effort and what it was like to work underground.  Pupils will also be able to ask their own prepared questions at the end.

Meet a Real Miner
Available on Thursdays only
9.30am -10.00am and 2.30pm-3.00pm

Take the opportunity to meet one of our mining guides, and hear first hand what it was like to work underground. Our mining guide will take you through a typical working day, explain the dangers and thrills of working in a mine and give pupils a powerful insight into the mining industry. Pupils will also be able to ask their own prepared questions at the end.

These two workshops supporting both History and Literacy have been specially created for KS2 pupils. Workshops last 30 minutes and are FREE. A pack of preparation materials to support each session can be downloaded from this site or emailed to you directly. This will encourage class discussion and allow pupils to get the most from the session. 

New Videoconference for KS3 and KS4 pupils

No Escape!
Available by arrangement
Designed to support speaking and listening and reading skills in English, this activity takes the form of an inquest into the Hartley Colliery Disaster (1862). After examining a number of witness statements and other forms of evidence, pupils cross-examine mine owner, Lord Hastings, via videoconference to find out who is to blame for the disaster. It is an excellent opportunity for pupils to speak and listen in contexts beyond the classroom and for cross-curricular work with History and Citizenship.

A teachers' pack of materials is available to support this unit of work.

To take part in a videoconference, your school will need to be registered with the JANET Videoconferencing service, which bridges the call on our behalf. To find out more about this, please go to http://www.jvcs.ja.net/cgi-bin/vcng/welcome.cgi

Videoconferencing workshops can be booked by contacting the Assistant Education Officer on 01924 848806.


'Videoconferencing is a great way of engaging students and it enriches topics across the curriculum by bringing themn to life. It also opens a window onto a world outside the classroom and is an effective means of collaborative working'
Andrew Lickley
Yorkshire and Humber Grid for Learning Foundation