Shrewsbury Prison Education Behind Bars

Shrewsbury Prison was built in 1793 and closed in 2013, with over 200 years of history behind its walls including the countries last remaining Georgian prison.

Many of our current educational visits come to discover more about crime and punishment through the ages, Victorian history, Georgian history, capital punishment, law, rehabilitation, and the effects of crime on the victims and families. As the prison dates back to 1793 it is also frequently visited by students of Architecture, Citizenship, Media Studies, RE and Geography.

Our Education Behind Bars Programme is designed by educationalists, aligned with the national curriculum, tailored to your students’ Key Stage and can be adapted according to your needs; along with a wide range of activities that can be included in your visit such as our popular Escape Rooms. Our perceptive ‘In-Cell Experience,’ included on the Guided Tour allows your students to experience the realities of life behind bars.

Each student will receive an Education Behind Bars pack containing;

• Educational Activity
• Activity Booklet
• Site Map
• Certificate of Completion

Your students will be given time to complete a Self-Guided Discovery allowing them to explore in small groups, completing their Activity Booklets.

Shrewsbury Prison was built in 1793 and closed in 2013, with over 200 years of history behind its walls including the countries last remaining Georgian prison. This iconic heritage site is a unique location for educational visits, and one that not many people get the opportunity to discover.

Many of our current educational visits come to discover more about crime and punishment through the ages, Victorian history, Georgian history, capital punishment, law, rehabilitation, and the effects of crime on the victims and families. As the prison dates back to 1793 it is also frequently visited by students of Architecture, Citizenship, Media Studies, RE and Geography.

Our Education Behind Bars Programme is designed by educationalists, aligned with the national curriculum, tailored to your students’ Key Stage and can be adapted according to your needs; along with a wide range of activities that can be included in your visit such as our popular Escape Rooms. Our perceptive ‘In-Cell Experience,’ included on the Guided Tour allows your students to experience the realities of life behind bars.

Your visit will include 2 prison wings, constant watch cells, segregation unit, healthcare, exercise yards and the execution room, including the cell where the condemned prisoner spent his last night (this can be excluded from the tour if preferred).

The tour will be adapted to the school year, curriculum and what you as a teacher want to achieve. As well as being educational, some educational organisations will use the experience as a preventative tool – bringing home the harsh reality of prison life.

As a starting point for all students, we offer a Guided Tour of the prison, enhanced by the In-Cell Experience. The tour is led by a Prison Officer with a wealth of knowledge and stories to tell. Your visit will include 2 prison wings, constant watch cells, segregation unit, healthcare, exercise yards and the execution room, including the cell where the condemned prisoner spent his last night (this can be excluded from the tour if preferred).

Students will learn what it was like to be incarcerated from the Victorian era to the modern day and there will be plenty of opportunities for questions and engagement between the students and Prison Officers.

All Education Behind Bars visits will include:

• Guided Tour led by a Prison Officer
• In-Cell Experience
• Education Activity (aligned with national curriculum)
• Self-Guided Discovery Activity
• Education Behind Bars Pack for each student
• Private Education Room

Add on activities can be included, with a wide range to choose from and each visit can be tailored to your exact requirements.

Boasting a vast site, we cater for a minimum of 8 students all the way up to 1500.

Our specially designed programme of Educational Activities are delivered in our bespoke education rooms. Led by a trained facilitator, activities are group led discussions capturing the students’ curiosity and triggering their imagination.

Each Education Activity has been designed alongside the national curriculum. By the end of the programme students will be able to;

Key Stage 2, PRU & SEN groups:

• Describe the main causes of crime in Victorian England
• Describe the different types of punishment and how prisons came to be built
• Describe how it would have felt to be a prisoner in the 19^th century

Key Stage 3 & 4:

• Understand the meaning of keywords such as deterrent and rehabilitation
• Understand how the nature of crimes and associated punishments have changed over the centuries
• Debate the pros and cons of The Death Penalty (capital punishment)

Key Stage 5 & Universities:

• Debate how the media can influence how people and society think about crime and punishment
• Understand the role the media plays in public perception about certain types of crime and the impact of public perception on punishment, reform, and rehabilitation
• Consider how the media can misrepresent the nature of crime.

Outcomes and focuses can be tailored to your students’ needs.

Our Self-Guided Discovery is supported by your Tour Guides, students will explore Shrewsbury Prison in small groups. Completing Activity Booklets, which have been designed to engage and educate students in an immersive and informal manner.

Each student will be provided with an Activity Booklet to complete, and your Tour Guide will be on hand to support students in their journey behind bars.

Once complete students will reconvene to compare their answers, before being awarded their Certificate of Completion.

Each student will receive an Education Behind Bars pack containing;

• Educational Activity
• Activity Booklet
• Site Map
• Certificate of Completion

No restrictions.

We provide a full risk assessment.

Charlie Grace

E: cgrace@covegroup.co.uk

C: 01743 213308”

Our Education Behind Bars Programme starting prices per student:

• Key Stage 2: £13.00
• Key Stage 3: £14.00
• Key Stage 4: £15.00
• Key Stage 5: £16.00
• University: £17.00

Escape Rooms can be added, and lunch can be catered for by our prison restaurant. Get in touch with our Education Officer who will be happy to advise and arrange your exact requirements.

The prison can get cold in the winter months, so warm clothing is recommended along with flat shoes due to the number of stairs between the landings.

We have dedicated first aid trained staff on site at all times, and a first aid room.

• On site gift shop with merchandise starting from £1.00.
• A restaurant
• Changing rooms
• Dedicated education spaces for your group
• Plenty of room to eat a packed lunch or we can provide lunch bags for your group

Disabled access via a stair lift to ensure disabled students can get involved in all parts of the tour, however the very upper floors (3s, 4s & 5s) are inaccessible due to the age of the building. We have disabled toilet on site.

We are open between 10am & 5pm, 7 days a week, but can open earlier by prior arrangement.

The feedback we receive from schools is first class, with teachers telling us that the pupils were very engaged, imaginations were fired and lessons on every level were learnt.

“I took my Psychology students to Shrewsbury Prison, as they were studying forensic psychology and custodial sentencing. They were enthralled from the moment they saw the ‘meat wagon’ as they arrived. The tour was very informative – with Officer Graham providing many real-life stories from his experience of working at the prison. The cell experience was also a firm favourite with the students – and the teachers! Overall, it was an excellent visit, which sparked much debate on the way home and the following day in lessons. Looking forward to returning next year and would highly recommend to others.”

– Miss Hadley, Head of Psychology at Birkenhead School

You can read more of our educational reviews on the news section of our website.

Schools and Universities return year after year and report very high levels of engagement amongst their students.

For more information please visit our website: https://www.shrewsburyprison.com/education-behind-bars/