Hillsborough Castle and Gardens, has asked that we make you aware that they are launching a 
programme for all schoolchildren across Northern Ireland to visit Hillsborough Castle and Gardens for free on a completely subsidised school trip. Given education budgets are under pressure, they wanted to support schools to deliver out of the classroom learning experiences at no cost to them.
In the next few years, their ambition is to ensure that as many as 8,000 pupils per year have access to valuable education resources. We know that the cost of travelling on a school trip can also be prohibitive, so they’ve launched a complimentary Travel Bursary Scheme, that will also help support schools with travel costs.
Hillsborough Castle run facilitated sessions for all Primary, Secondary and SEN schools across the island of Ireland and GB. Their sessions support the local curriculum and explore Hillsborough Castle’s role as a family home, as well as in the political realm, from the 18th to the 21st centuries.
They cover Key Stage 2 with ‘Power and Politics’, Key Stage 3 with ‘The Origins of Northern Ireland’, Key Stage 4 and 5 with ‘Politics, Power and the Path to Peace’, plus Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) sessions on ‘A Working Home’. There are also sessions on exploring life as a servant in an Anglo-Irish ‘big house’ getting ready for a Victorian wedding! We know how beneficial spending time outdoors is to the health and wellbeing of young people, and that’s why they are also delighted to be offering more schools free access to our gardens for programmes that explore nature, sustainability, and biodiversity.
They are committed to broadening access to Hillsborough Castle and to making sure it becomes a shared space for everyone. That’s why when they re-open the castle in March, they will also be offering £1 tickets for everyone in receipt of Universal Credit.
For more information contact Victoria Shaw Email: Victoria.Shaw@hrp.org.uk
Operations & Business Support Officer (Mon-Thurs), Historic Royal Palaces | Hillsborough Castle and Gardens, The Square | Royal Hillsborough | Co. Down | BT26 6AG