PLANS to build a 'Neolithic classroom' as part of new educational facilities at Stonehenge have been tabled.
English Heritage launched a public consultation on Monday, July 24, showcasing its 'Learning at Stonehenge - Inspiring the Future' project to improve the education programme at the World Heritage Site.
School children could take part in hands-on activities around the hearth of a reconstructed Neolithic building and conduct experiments in a science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) lab if the proposals go ahead.
A new ‘STEM in Heritage' programme to help students explore prehistoric technologies and modern archaeological techniques in a more engaging way is also in development.
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The charity said it welcomes more than 60,000 schoolchildren to the monument annually and has received excellent feedback on the learning programmes but demand is growing and staff are limited due to the lack of permanent, dedicated facilities.
Dr Dominique Bouchard, head of learning and interpretation at English Heritage, said: “We want to ensure that learning at Stonehenge does justice to this remarkable World Heritage Site, and for young people to come away from a visit feeling inspired, thinking, “If the builders of Stonehenge could create something incredible, why can’t I?”
"This is an opportunity to create a learning centre and offer at Stonehenge that is worthy of the monument’s significance and will enable young people to connect with the past like never before."
English Heritage is working with an expert educational panel in addition to schools and schoolchildren local to the site to ensure the new learning centre provides a world-class educational experience and "sets the standard" for heritage education for years to come.
Headteacher Carole Dean, at Stonehenge School, welcomes the project. She said: “As careers and jobs change, it is vital that we invest in up-to-date approaches to stimulate an interest in STEM by demonstrating how the modern world of innovation and discovery relies on a combination of all four subjects.
"This means that we need quality provision, such as the plans for this learning offer at Stonehenge, to help our pupils understand their society and heritage, and gain the key ingredients that they need to become successful in their future careers and worlds of work.”
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Headteacher Charlotte Harmer, at Larkhill School, also welcomes the proposals, adding: "The opportunity for our pupils to have an even broader experience of Stonehenge which includes STEM links is one that we very much look forward to with the development of a STEM Learning Centre.”
The public consultation starts July 24 and runs until the end of September, ahead of a formal planning application being submitted to Wiltshire Council.
The charity has launched a website where members of the public can find out more about the project and provide feedback, click here to view it.
Information displays and comment boxes can be found at Amesbury Library and Durrington Town Hall from 31 July, as well as at the Stonehenge visitor centre.
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