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Medicine Through Time

Overview

The story of the city of London dates back to pre-historic times, and each era has left its mark on the modern-day city.  Every street has its own secrets to tell: our medical-themed exploration of London is especially designed to complement the Medicine Through Time, Health and the People, or The People’s Health GCSE syllabus, but it can just as easily be adapted for Key Stage 2 pupils learning about Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole.

Our itineraries trace the development of the practice of medicine across time and across cultures: local museums such as The Old Operating Museum and Herb Garret provide historical snapshots of healthcare in London itself, while the various permanent exhibitions at the London Science Museum explore the medical practices of cultures across the world.

A really popular tour and (especially when rounded-off with a West End show!) well worth the experience.

Our Suggested Itinerary

  1. Day 1

    Depart school and arrive in London.

    Explore the Science Museum’s Wellcome Galleries – the world’s largest exhibition dedicated to the story of medicine. We also recommend the Making the Modern World gallery, where you can see Watson and Crick's DNA model and penicillin from Alexander Fleming's laboratory. 

    Optional evening activity: Take a Jack the Ripper walk in Whitechapel to discover why the case of this notorious serial killer couldn’t be solved through forensic medicine at the time. Great for GCSE students also studying the Crime and Punishment History syllabus!

  2. Day 2

    Visit the Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret for a Victorian surgery reconstruction in Europe’s oldest operating theatre.  This session is designed to bring the topic to life for GCSE History students, in the incredible atmosphere of this unique space. The Old Operating Theatre Museum also offers sessions suitable for primary schools – contact us for more details.

    Set off from the operating theatre on a King Cholera walking tour, exploring the impact of industrialisation on public health in 19th century Southwark.

    OR

    Visit The London Dungeon, taking your students through 1000 years of London's murky, gruesome history!

    Learn more about the lady of the lamp and her achievements with a visit to the Florence Nightingale Museum. Younger pupils can meet Florence Nightingale herself!

    Journey back to school.

Accommodation

The day trip is very popular, but if you choose the two-day itinerary there's a huge variety of school accommodation in London - let us know if you have a favourite, otherwise we'll suggest the best option for your group.