Kaddi | Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse

9th Jun 2026

We recently visited Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse with 112 Year 8 students, and I can honestly say the experience was fantastic from start to finish. The day was engaging, insightful, and exceptionally well organised, providing our students with a memorable learning experience that brought their classroom studies to life. The central enquiry question for the visit — “Was the Workhouse really that bad?” — was explored brilliantly through a range of active learning sessions that encouraged students to think critically about the realities of life for those who lived and worked in a Victorian workhouse. The activities were interactive, thought-provoking, and perfectly pitched for our students, keeping them fully engaged throughout the day. Our aim was for students to take part in active learning sessions to discover what life was like for people in a Victorian workhouse, and the day fulfilled this objective completely — and more. Students left with a far deeper understanding of the hardships faced, but also with thoughtful questions and discussions about poverty, social attitudes, and historical change. The staff at Gressenhall were excellent — knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and highly engaging with our students. Their ability to make history feel real was impressive, and our students thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It was a truly valuable educational visit, and we would not hesitate to recommend it to other schools.