Scarborough Castle

School Visits

Bring the curriculum to life and inspire your students with a visit to Scarborough Castle. Dominating Scarborough's headland, the site's history spans some 3000 years, with Henry II's 12th-century keep being the centrepiece of the fortifications developed following the siege of 1312 and two more sieges during the English Civil War. In December 1914, key parts of the castle were destroyed by German naval warships, but what role has Scarborough played in local and national events? Let your class gather all the evidence and decide for themselves.

Curriculum links

Support your teaching in the classroom by stepping out of it. A visit to Scarborough Castle will help you bring learning to life, covering multiple topics across the curriculum and key stages.

  • KS1 History: Significant historical events, people and places in the locality. Study of castles
  • KS2 History: A local history study. Changes in Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age. The Roman Empire and its impact on Britain. Britain's Settlement by Anglo-Saxons and Scots. A study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066
  • KS2 Geography: Human geography: types of settlement and land use, identify the difference between natural and manmade defensive features of the castle, understand the strategic significance of the castle’s position
  • KS3 History: A local history study. The development of church, state and society in medieval Britain 1066-1509 and in Britain 1509-1745
  • KS3 Geography: Understand the key processes in human geography; understand how human and physical processes interact to influence and change landscapes

Free Self-led Visits

Book a free self-led visit to Scarborough Castle and organise your day to suit your curriculum objectives. Investigate prehistoric and Roman artefacts found at the castle in the exhibition in the Master Gunner’s House, and see the remains of the Roman signal station built to defend the cost. Explore the 12th Century stone keep and the curtain wall and imagine what life was like for medieval lords defending the castle from attack. Scarborough was famously bombarded during WW1, and standing in the castle grounds offers the perfect opportunity to explore this event in local history using the activity and extract in the Teachers’ Activity Ideas. 

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Expert-led Discovery Visits

Bring Scarborough Castle to life and let us lead a Discovery Visit for you. Our session is interactive and immersive and has been specifically designed to meet the needs of different groups across the key stages. Explore what life was like in the Medieval Period, and how the castle was defended during times of conflict.

Our Discovery Visit has been adapted to follow health and safety guidelines and will still offer your students a quality and fun learning experience.

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Plan your trip

We have a wide range of materials to support your visit and make school trip planning easy. You can find all our site-specific information and tools below, and further information on our what to expect page. 

Download our free resources to help you make the most out of your visit and create unique learning experiences before, during and after your trip. We also offer free planning visits once you have made a booking, plus a 20% discount on the official English Heritage guidebook for your place of choice.

Once you book your visit you’ll be sent a visit permit, which you’ll need to bring with you on the day.

Visit our bookings page to start planning your trip!

  • Facilities
    • PARKING: As there is no parking on site, we recommend using the Park and Ride or the pay and display Marine Drive car park. Please note, there is no access for coaches or a turning point for coaches at the site. Parking for visitors with disabilities is available within the castle grounds, if needed, please request this when making your booking.
    • EDUCATION ROOM: There is indoor space available for bag storage only.
    • TOILETS: Toilets, including accessible toilets, are available on site.
    • LUNCH: You are welcome to bring a picnic to enjoy in the grounds. There is a café on site selling sandwiches, cakes and hot and cold drinks.
    • SHOP: There is a shop selling a range of English Heritage gifts and souvenirs, accessible via a ramp. We recommend bringing your students in small groups at a time.

    Site Map

    Scarborough Site Map

  • Hazard Information

    A useful tool to help with your risk assessments. 

    You must meet the following ratios for leaders to students on the day of your visit when booking, and if your group is forming smaller groups while at the site:

    • Ages 4-5 (UK Reception) 1 leader for every 4 students (1:4)
    • Ages 5-7 (UK Key Stage 1) 1 leader for every 6 students (1:6)
    • Ages 7-11 (UK Key Stage 2) 1 leader for every 10 students (1:10) and
    • Ages 11-18 (UK Key Stages 3, 4, and 5) 1 leader for every 15 students (1:15)
    • For an adult learning group, consisting of individuals all over the age of 18, there are no ratios but there must be an appointed group leader
    • All ratios outlined above apply to home education groups
    • If your group consists of children aged 3 and/or 4, you must also refer to the Early Years and Foundation Stage Statutory Framework which sets out specific legal requirements for minimum ratios for this age group, to include requirements about the qualifications of the leaders
    • SEND groups must meet the minimum ratios above but may bring any additional leaders as required to adequately support their group
  • Education Site Opening Times

    We offer free self-led education visits during school term time*. From November until March we open exclusively for education groups at selected sites when booking an expert-led Discovery Visit. See our education opening times below for individual site information.

    *Free education visits are not offered on UK public holidays or during the operation of additional fee paying public events at English Heritage sites.

    • April-October: Monday-Sunday 10-5pm. Discovery Visits available Monday-Sunday
    • November-February: No bookings can be taken at the current time
    • March: Wednesday-Sunday 10-4pm. Discovery Visits available Wednesday-Friday

Learning Resources

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