- Education
Plan Your School Visit
From our curriculum-linked workshops to self-directed visits, use these pages to help plan your visit to the museum.
Saxon Sagas KS2
Excavate the past, unlock Anglo-Saxon beliefs and bring Beowulf to life.
In this high-impact KS2 workshop, pupils step into the world of the early Anglo-Saxons through archaeology, objects and storytelling. Inspired by the Royal Armouries’ famous Pioneer Helmet, pupils investigate what objects can reveal about identity, belief, warfare and status in Anglo-Saxon society.
To keep the saga going before or after your visit, explore our free Saxons Learning Resources for videos, images, audio files and teacher notes to support KS2 learning.
Curriculum focus
This workshop supports the KS2 history study of Britain’s settlement by Anglo-Saxons and Scots and the Viking and Anglo-Saxon struggle for the Kingdom of England to the time of Edward the Confessor.
- History: pupils explore Anglo-Saxon beliefs, culture, warfare, burial evidence and the importance of objects such as the Pioneer Helmet.
- Historical enquiry: pupils use archaeological evidence, object handling and storytelling to ask questions, make inferences and build interpretations about Anglo-Saxon life.
- English (Storytelling, Drama, Oracy): pupils join in with repeated phrases, character responses and dramatic moments, building confidence, expression and collaborative performance skills.
What to expect
Dig the Pioneer Helmet
Pupils work as a team of archaeologists to excavate the helmet. They will examine evidence from the burial, identify objects and decide who the helmet may have belonged to, and why it mattered. Designed to build teamwork and evidence-based thinking.
Beowulf in the Mead-Hall
Pupils bring to life the legend of Beowulf, his boar crested helmet, and the monster Grendel in an interactive storytelling session. Shields bang and drinking horns rise as pupils step into the world of heroes and monsters.
Gallery Links
War Gallery
(Early War, Medieval)
Explore how the history of warfare has changed from the early days of hand-to-hand combat to today’s technology-based warfare, including our new display on the Second World War.
Book Now
When you email us, please provide the following information:
- Name and address of school, organisation, or home educated group
- First, second, and third choice of date
- Number of pupils and number of adults
- If you would like to visit the museum shop
- If you require coach parking
- Any other additional information you’d like us to know (e.g. special education needs)
Find our Education Bookings Terms and Conditions
Email: educate.leeds@armouries.org.uk
Phone: 07785 692443
Due to the high volume of enquiries we receive, please only call us if you have already booked a visit and your enquiry is urgent.
Learning packs and resources
Education Visit Pack 2025-2026 (pdf, 576KB)
Contact our communications team if you require documents in an alternative format.
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£5 Per Pupil
- Workshop
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- Storytelling
Saxon Sagas KS2
Grab a trowel. Raise your drinking horn. Face the monster. Pupils race against the clock to excavate the archaeological site of the Pioneer helmet, and using objects and the Beowulf saga, explore what the early Anglo-Saxons valued.
£5 Per Pupil
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