Cathedral Education Department chalks up its tenth anniversary!

  • News
  • 23 February 2012
Cathedral Education Department chalks up its tenth anniversary!

 

It’s party time at Manchester Cathedral on 29 February as we celebrate 10 years of formal education work at Manchester Cathedral. The department was set up in 2002 in response to a number of requests from Manchester schools for educational visits to the Cathedral. Since that time, the cathedral has welcomed over 35000 school pupils through its doors to participate in trails, workshops and special events. 

The Education Team works with school groups of all ages, abilities and backgrounds, using the Cathedral space as a unique learning space, where pupils can draw on the Cathedral as an educational resource to develop their understanding across a wide range of curriculum areas – for example art, religious education, history, music, maths and geography.  The emphasis is on enjoyment, with hands-on, interactive learning experiences. 

Pupils and teachers alike have responded very positively to visits, especially those for whom the cathedral is their first taste of church. And learning isn’t only confined to the cathedral. The Education Department has forged strong links with other learning outside the classroom providers in Manchester, and beyond.  Two very successful trails include “Sacred Neighbours” and “A Shared Story”, which are joint trails with the Buddhist Centre and Jewish Museum, respectively.  Pupils have the opportunity to compare and contrast faith buildings and consider Manchester as a place of faith.  These trails draw pupils from as far afield as Wales and Yorkshire, while also attracting a large number of local schools.

And for learning out of school hours, the Education Department also provides opportunities for informal family learning.  The Cathedral Explorer Trail is a free interactive trail, available at weekends and school holidays, which helps families discover more about the Cathedral through a fun trail with activities.

So we wish the Education Department a very happy 10th anniversary, and look forward to its continued growth and flourishing as we seek to serve schools and young people in Greater Manchester and beyond!