Our Ethos
The Learning and Engagement Programme at The Kent Mining Museum is built around five core values: Collaborate, Investigate, Learn, Support and Play.
We believe that active learning through experience and experiment is fundamental in making your visit educational, informative and unforgettable. We also firmly believe that engagement should be accessible to all.
Why visit us?
- Support local Kent Heritage
- Hear unique and authentic voices from the mining community
- Collaborative cross curricular learning experiences
- Enrich curriculum learning
- Develop investigative and questioning skills
- Explore and engage with local and national history
- Experiment and experience STEAM activities
- Accessible and engaging activities for all ages and abilities
What does a visit include?
We have a dedicated Learning Space, funded by the Clore Duffield Foundation where we host our fun, engaging, creative and inspiring workshops.
Our themed play area and apparatus are available for children to run off spare energy during breaks between sessions and at lunch times. For our all-day visitors, we will provide you with a safe, clean indoor lunch space where possible.
Museum Tour
Become an Exhibit Explorer around the Museum itself.
Younger visitors are helped by Ross the mouse, to find various objects within the museum. They are encouraged to write about them or draw the artefacts and hunt for fascinating facts. Worksheets, clipboards and pencils are provided on arrival. Older visitors can accept our code breakers challenge, where you will need to crack the codes, cyphers and gather information from around the museum.
Meet a Miner
Meet a Miner and ask them questions about their job.
One of our most valuable resources are our Marvelous Miners. A unique and enlightening way to gain insight into past lives, is to “Meet a Miner” who worked in the Kent Coalfield.
All school visits include a session where children can Meet a Miner, handle genuine objects and artefacts and take part in a question-and-answer session. This is a great Local History Study, and allows for lots of cross-curricular learning inspired by the visit, including art and literacy.
All school visits include a session where children can Meet a Miner, handle genuine objects and artefacts and take part in a question-and-answer session. Younger audiences take part in a fun interactive drama based session to explore a day in the life of a miner.
Sessions are tailored to different age groups as required.
Activities
Full day visitors can select an activity to complete during an afternoon session. A second activity can be booked on request.
Which subjects do we support?
We recognise the importance of supporting the National Curriculum, and have designed our Learning Programme to support, compliment and enrich key areas. Aspects of Literacy, History, Geography, Citizenship, Wellbeing, Science, Design and Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) are all reflected within our workshops.
Which ages do our workshops suit?
Planned by an experienced, thoughtful and skilled Learning Team, our workshops all have an emphasis on activity and experience. Workshop sessions can be tailored to meet the individual needs or age requirements of your group. We may be able to provide a bespoke learning experience – choose a theme, subject or topic you are interested in and let us do the rest.
If you would like to explore a different theme or learning focus to those listed, our Learning Team will be happy to support and advise you.
Please contact us clicking the button below:
Our Workshops
Our Gift Shop
We have a small, ever-changing onsite gift shop offering books, souvenirs and gifts. There are a range of impressive fossils available to purchase, and also a selection of smaller pocket-money friendly examples.
Personalised pit-checks are also available to order.
