Elizabethan England in London

With the abundance of hotels and hostels in London, we have a superb range of accommodation to choose from, both centrally and on the outskirts, with facilities and prices to suit all needs and budgets.

Premier Inn Wembley & Hangar Lane

Both of these hotels have a high standard of accommodation at a good price. They are located just outside the busy city centre but have public transport routes to all the major sites and attractions.

Premier Inn Harrow

This hotel is ideal for those looking to stay in a quieter part of London. It is located in North London but you can access the city centre by coach in approximately an hour. This hotel is recommended for groups with a smaller budget and is in a great location for those that are including the Harry Potter Studio tour as part of their trip.

Meininger Hotel London Hyde Park - New for 2020 tours

Situated in the Kensington area of London, the Meininger is in the ideal location for school groups. It is only a few hundred metres from the Natural History, Science and Victoria and Albert Museums. In terms of quality and location, this hotel offers great value for money.

YHA Thameside

This youth hostel is located in the Docklands and is ideal for younger student groups that are travelling by coach.

Royal National Hotel

This is the most central hotel that WST offer. It is located in the heart of the city and is within walking distance of the West End. It is a large hotel that offers comfortable and affordable accommodation in an excellent location.

Wembley International Hotel

This is a large hotel, located just outside the city centre, yet close to public transport. Rooms for students are all 3 - 4 bedded and the hotel has good meeting room facilities. 

Kenilworth Castle

Kenilworth Castle is an English Heritage site which offers a bespoke tour designed to support GCSE groups learning about Elizabethan England, particularly the AQA exam module ‘Elizabethan England, c1568-1603’. Through engaging discussion and activity, students will explore key aspects of Elizabeth I’s reign, as well as the location, function, structure and design of Kenilworth Castle. The sessions last for 1 1/4 hours and can also be self-led.

Houses of Parliament

The Story of Parliament tour starts with a 15 minute 360 degree high production film taking you through key events in the changing history of UK Parliament. The group will then explore the Palace of Westminster, learning about the work of Parliament today.  Parliament is a working building and access to different parts of the Palace of Westminster, as part of your tour, will vary due to Parliamentary business.

The Houses of Parliament website also provides free teaching resources that can be downloaded here

Westminster Abbey

The Abbey offers a series of guided tours and workshops for secondary schools. The most appropriate option would be Enquiring into Elizabeth. Suitable for: KS4 and Post-16 students will ‘Discover what sovereignty meant to Elizabeth I as you stand at the Coronation site and find out how her religious settlement affected Westminster Abbey. Please see here for more information on guided tours. Schools can also explore the Abbey without a guide. They have trails available to download to support a these cover a range of topics, including Church and State, Maths, Tudors, Christianity, Super Scientists and Charles Dickens. The trails can be downloaded here.

Tower of London

The Tower of London offers a range of educational sessions aimed at school groups for this tour the most relevant ones would be: Elizabeth I where students will examine the Tower buildings and documentary evidence to reflect whether the Tower can be used as a barometer of national turmoil through crises, plots and religious unrest of this complex queen; and The Tower in context where students will critically examine primary source material to test how far this site reflects the changes in local and national history. The Tower does also offer a self-led trail for KS3 & KS4 students that can be downloaded here. All school group admissions must be booked in advance, the recommendation is at least two months in advance, payment is due six weeks before visiting. Schools can do a self-led visit which will include: Tower admission including all visitor routes open on the date, Jewel House and Crown Jewels.

Notes for Teachers: Elizabeth I 

Notes for Teachers: The Tower in Context 

Hampton Court

Another Historic Royal Palace site where schools can do self-led visits which includes: Palace admission including all visitor routes open on the date, Access to the gardens, except the Magic Garden and the Maze, pre-visit email including two preliminary visit vouchers, essential information and short history guide, Lunchrooms (subject to availability) for Key Stages 1-4. Hampton Court does offer a self-led trail for but this is for KS2. These can be downloaded here. All school group admissions must be booked in advance, the recommendation is at least two months in advance, payment is due six weeks before visiting. Hampton Court also offers a range of educational sessions aimed at school groups. For this tour the most relevant option is: Elizabeth I - In this session, students will use a range of physical and documentary evidence to explore how Elizabeth I used Hampton Court Palace to create and consolidate her presentations of power, identity and legacy. Students will analyse key events and challenges in Elizabethan life, including the succession crisis of 1562, the impact of a female ruler on the Tudor Court and the use of Hampton Court to create the image of the invincible queen of the ‘Golden Age’. Notes for Teachers are available Teacher Notes 

Shakespeare Globe

Step inside this faithful recreation of William Shakespeare’s iconic Globe theatre. Imagine it as it would have been at the centre of London’s notorious Bankside entertainment district.

Throughout the year their expert guides bring this extraordinary open-air theatre to life in a 50 minute guided tour, with colourful stories of the 1599 Globe, the reconstruction process in the 1990s and how the building works today as an imaginative and experimental theatre space. Take a seat ‘within this wooden ‘O’’ – listen, absorb and ask questions as the secrets of the Globe unfold.

The Theatre offers an introduction or revision session where students attend an interactive lecture and a guided tour of the theatre focusing on AQA GCSE History exam requirements. Along with a source booklet for each student to use for revision the key activities include: An interactive lecture focused on Elizabethan theatre and the construction of the Globe Theatre; a guided visit linking the site to analysis of key sources relating to Q1 of the Elizabethan England paper.

London offers a great choice of museums and attractions, many of which are an ideal complement to their learning and can be free for students

Highlights Of London Guided Tour

A half day guided tour of the city on board your coach is a perfect way to see all the major sites. Highly recommended if this is a first time visit to London for many of your students.

Guided tour of the London 2012 Olympic Sites

Following the outstanding success of the world’s greatest sporting event, there is now huge interest in seeing the area where our athletes won their medals.  This 2 – 2½ hour walk begins at Pudding Mill Lane and takes in the exteriors of the Aquatic Centre, the Stadium, Handball Arena (The Copper Box), the Velodrome and also the new I-City (formerly the International Press Centre). For an additional fee we can pre-book visits inside the Copper Box, the Aquatics Centre and the Orbit within your walking tour. 

Art Galleries Of London

London has a great range of art galleries, which have free entrance and all offer downloadable resources and education programmes. The most popular galleries are:

• National Gallery
• National Portrait Gallery
• Tate Britain
• Tate Modern
• Victoria & Albert

British Museum

With more than 7 million objects within its collections, the British Museum illustrates and documents the story of human culture from its beginnings to the present. Famous objects include the Rosetta Stone, sculptures from the Parthenon, the Sutton Hoo and Mildenhall treasures and the Portland Vase making it one of the greatest museums in the world.

London Eye

Breath-taking sights make the London Eye a highlight of the city which you should not miss!

Madame Tussauds

A thrilling and exciting visit containing inspiring wax works of some of the world’s most influential and famous people. Galleries include Sport, World Leaders, The Royal Family and Music along with the Spirit of London ride and Marvel Super Heroes 4D experience.

Museum Of London

Step inside Museum of London for a memorable journey through London’s unsettled history. Telling London's story students can enjoy the prehistoric, Roman and medieval London galleries through to the present day.

Natural History Museum

Hundreds of exciting, interactive exhibits including the ultimate dinosaur exhibition, a human biology section or visit 'Investigate' -an exciting new hands-on science centre perfect for engaging students.

Thames River Cruise

This cruise along the Thames is a great way to see some of the major sites of the city. We recommend groups take the 40 minute cruise from Westminster to Tower which takes in Westminster, Big Ben, Somerset House, London Eye, Oxo Tower, The Tate Modern, St Paul’s Cathedral, London Bridge, Tower Bridge and the Tower.

West End Theatre Performance

Whatever your study aims, a West End show is a great opportunity to reward those on school trips to London with a thrilling night at the theatre.

Restaurants

Make your evening meal a night out with a restaurant visit. We can book tables at an exciting range of restaurants offering pre-theatre dinner packages to suit all budgets. Choose from:

• Bubba Gump Shrimp
• Planet Hollywood
• Rainforest Café
• Hard Rock Café
• Pizza Hut
• Pizza Express
• Maxwell’s 
• Piazza