Culloden and the Curriculum

At Culloden battlefield, NTS staff aim to engage and inspire people of all ages in a wide range of learning activities. The Curriculum for Excellence presents teachers with an unrivalled opportunity to make the most of a unique site, both in specific curriculum areas and through cross-curricular studies.

The guiding principles behind the Curriculum for Excellence are at the heart of learning activities at Culloden. While providing guidance and suggested activities for teachers who are unfamiliar with the topic and the site, we aim to build in opportunities for personalisation and choice and for pupils to set their own research goals and targets. Suggested activities should be regarded as a starting point; ideally pupils, if properly prepared, will be setting their own agenda on site and understanding the purpose and relevance of all activities and of their visit.

Learning staff at Culloden should be seen as a resource to be interrogated and exploited rather than as lecturers; as facilitators to challenge ideas and provoke discussion and engagement. The Visitor Centre aims to place Culloden and the events surrounding it within its historical and cultural context, enabling pupils to gain a broader sense of progress and coherence in the strands of their learning activities, and to see how the conflict has shaped the Scotland of today.

Culloden battlefield is an outdoor site. The power of outdoor learning is well-documented, as pupils benefit from learning in context and through experience and place. In addition, pupils gain from the physical activity necessary to investigate the battlefield. The less formal environment can have positive effects on social development as a different kind of relationship develops among pupils and between pupils and staff. While not addressed directly by this pack, there are opportunities to engage with and investigate the natural environment of the moor, perhaps as part of a whole-school cross-cutting theme or challenge day.