Year 1 pupils from St Paul’s Way Primary School, recently enjoyed an exciting educational trip to the V&A Museum, where they explored the worlds of art, design, imagination and animation.

The visit provided a wonderful opportunity to extend classroom learning through hands-on discovery, encouraging pupils to ask questions, explore new ideas and develop their creativity in an inspiring setting.

During their self-guided visit, pupils explored the museum’s permanent galleries, Play, Imagine and Design. These spaces offered opportunities to discover how objects are created, how designs influence the world around us and how imagination can be transformed into something tangible.

The interactive experiences encouraged children to look closely, share their thoughts and consider the many ways creativity can be expressed.

A particular highlight was the temporary exhibition, Inside Aardman: Wallace and Gromit and Friends. Celebrating Aardman’s 50th anniversary, the exhibition invited pupils to look behind the scenes of stop motion animation and discover how much care, skill and imagination goes into bringing beloved characters to life.

From Wallace and Gromit to Shaun the Sheep and Morph, the children had the opportunity to explore the characters and worlds they may already recognise from television. Seeing how clay characters are animated helped pupils understand how stories can be brought to life through art, design and technology.

Experiences like this are valuable for our youngest learners, allowing them to connect familiar stories with new creative concepts while developing their curiosity and appreciation of the arts. Exploring the museum also gave pupils the chance to learn together, share discoveries and build lasting memories beyond the classroom.

At University Schools Trust, we are proud to see our schools providing enriching experiences that inspire children to explore their interests and discover new possibilities. This visit reflects our mission of providing transformational education for all, ensuring every child has opportunities to develop their creativity, broaden their horizons and realise their full potential.