A revision session with a difference

Upper Sixth historians enjoyed a revision session with a difference when they visited Gladstone’s Library in Hawarden recently. 

Gladstone’s Library is the UK’s only Prime Ministerial library, built following a bequest from William Gladstone. It is home to important archival collections and its Reading Rooms house thousands of books, including items from Gladstone’s own collection. 

For our Sixth Formers, their visit to Gladstone’s Library was an opportunity to revise for elements of their upcoming A level exams, specifically the reasons behind nineteenth Century parliamentary reform. 

As well as hearing from – and working with – members of the library team, students were given the rare opportunity to handle and study original sources such as a nineteenth century poll book before using sources and facsimiles from the library’s extensive collection to plan an exam-style question.

Head of History, Pete Neal, accompanied the students on the trip. 

He said: “This was a brilliant sessions for our Upper Sixth historians who have benefitted hugely from their visit. 

“As well as consolidating their A level learning, they loved looking round the impressive reading room and seeing original items from Gladstone’s personal collection, such as the axe which he used to fell trees in the grounds of his Hawarden estate.

“The visit made such an impression that five students joined the library on the day and plan to use it as a place to study for their A level exams.”