London’s Foundations was a three year project which started in 2013 and finished in 2016.  Its school programme got local schools actively learning about the Victorian brick fields of outer West London, and the vital link that the canal system provided.  In particular, children learned about the working conditions of adults and children who literally helped to build London.  The programme has generally focused on delivery to primary schools.  For the new curriculum, London’s Foundations fits under the Extended Chronological Study and Local History sections of KS2, and under the Significant Local Historical Events section for KS1.

The standard school based sessions consisted of an introduction to local geology and brick making, discovering the work done by child brick workers and debating the issues raised, testing the strength of different designs of mini walls, making clay bricks by hand, and compiling a project folder. Teachers can now run these activities themselves for their own pupils by borrowing a brick-making kit, lesson plans and the resources needed for all the different activities. All you will need to get is some clay to make the bricks which you can buy from HG Matthews. To borrow the kit please email [email protected] .

The trip on The Elsdale showed pupils part of the route taken to transport bricks to central London.  This was combined with inferring what changes have taken place in the local environment since brick making stopped.  Other activities included: dressing up, interviewing the child brick worker, making and testing the carrying capacity of mini boats, traditional canal boat art, and making a replica Victorian toy.