On the Day

This year we received a record number of entries for the Annual Heritage Education awards.  The standard of work was exceptionally high and ranged from a maths trail designed for inside the Palace to a sophisticated board game based on the Park and Gardens as well as beautiful butterflies, models, histories and portraits.

Three classes from Combe Primary School visited us last year and each class produced stunning work based on three separate themes.  Butterflies attracted the attention of one class and they went on to create a splendid collage of these brightly coloured creatures, while the different shapes and colours of the leaves and foliage around the Park and Gardens caught the attention of a second class.  A first for the Education Department was to receive work from the third class from Combe School based on the perfect symmetry of the pipes of the Willis Organ. 

Pupils from St. Thomas More School, Kidlington enjoyed learning about the different areas of the Palace. Their group entry was in the form of a huge cardboard model of Blenheim complete with golden balls, columns and the many different shaped windows they had spotted in Great Court.

Children from Chandlings, Oxford visited the Butterfly House and the gardens and once back at school used shoe boxes to create excellent moving models of their favourite garden scenes.  The individual prize winner is pictured here with his model of the Butterfly House which featured a brightly coloured flying butterfly.  

A visit in June from Woodstock Primary School resulted in some very creative work which combined art, photography and graphics.  The class worked in pairs and used natural materials such as feathers, cones, seeds and grass to great effect and the results were both colourful and eye catching.  The two young ladies who produced the winning entry are pictured here alongside the display in the Education Room.

History remains a popular topic of study for schools visiting the Palace and this year was no exception.  Pupils from Lady Barn House School in Cheadle produced detailed illustrated projects based on the facts they had learnt on their trip to Blenheim Palace.  The winning entry was beautifully illustrated with a series of fine sketches and photographs and told the story of how Blenheim Palace prepared for, and survived, World War II.

Each year we receive a vast variety of work from different age groups, and this year was no exception.  Many pupils from The Marlborough School in Woodstock visited Blenheim Palace for different educational purposes and this year Mrs Perry's class produced a very challenging and well designed board game which takes players on a virtual trip around the grounds.  Pupils from the winning group are pictured here with their work.

The pupils pictured here are from Daneshill School in Hampshire and are creative young people as well as keen mathematicians.  After the school visit to Blenheim Palace, pupils were set the challenge of designing a series of new Maths Trails based on their observations inside the Palace.  It was a fantastic group effort and resulted in many challenging and colourful new booklets designed to test the reader's numerical ability.  

Last year, some of the older pupils from Springfield School in Witney paid a visit to the Park and Gardens at Blenheim.  They were fascinated by the many different things they found here and went on to produce a great assortment of eye-catching models, mazes, pictures and written work based on their favourite things - notably the Maze, the train and the Butterfly House.  This was a theme also followed by students from Abingdon and Witney College who, as well as producing a great variety of collages and pictures based on their visit, constructed a life-sized model of the Duke's godfather, Sir Winston Churchill. 

Following an end of year trip by pupils from Francis Holland School in London, Sir Winston Churchill also provided the inspiration for the winning entry in the form of an accomplished portrait drawn by a very talented pupil.     

The Palace provides inspiration for a variety of art work and the inhabitants of the Butterfly House are very useful for observing patterns and colours.  Sibford Gower Primary School translated what they saw in the Butterfly House into a series of beautiful bright coloured butterflies which were then mounted to form a huge collage.  The group representatives from the school are seen pictured here with the finished result.     

When pupils from Christ Church Cathedral School, Oxford returned to school after a most enjoyable visit to Blenheim Palace, they were given the task of recalling and describing their day and presenting it in booklet form.  All the pupils created colourful and beautifully written illustrated journals.  The winning entrant, whose work was of a particularly high standard, is pictured here below the impressive display of journals in the Education Room.

Prize Giving Tea 2010

Each year after the ceremony all the prize winners have afternoon tea with the Duke.  The occasion was enjoyed by all and everyone was delighted that Her Grace, The Duchess of Marlborough was also able to be here for the presentation.  Afternoon tea is the best part of the day according to the children!