A new teacher and parent toolkit has been launched to inspire more young people to consider a career in the railway. It’s been developed as part of a national campaign, called Railway 200, to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the modern railway, and is believed to be the biggest educational resource in the rail industry.
Painstakingly compiled from existing sources, the Railway 200 teacher and parent toolkit gathers over 30 different learning resources serving Key Stages 1-4 and post-16 age groups, in one place. Previously, teachers and parents would have had to visit over 20 sites to access this range of educational content.
Railway 200 is a year-long campaign inspired by the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway in the North-East of England in 1825 – a journey that changed the world forever.
The resources include games and puzzles, printable worksheets, lesson plans, short films, and career profiles, on a range of topics including history, maths, science, design, technology, environment and safety.
Martyn Pennell, Railway 200’s website lead said: The railways are a fantastic way to bring STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Maths) curriculum topics – as well as themes like safety and Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) – to life in the classroom. We’ve worked with partners across the industry to curate these educational materials and support parents and teachers in making learning about the railways, fun and interesting for pupils of all ages.
Railway 200 programme manager Emma Roberts said: The past, present and future of the railway are all about tenacity, invention, and innovation. We want to inspire the next generation of innovators to learn about the railways and consider joining us on rail’s exciting journey into the future.
Teachers and parents can also access Railway 200’s new-look interactive history timeline, a journey through 200 years of railway history and innovations. The timeline has been developed with expert help from the National Railway Museum and offers a new upgraded experience, featuring maps, audio, new explainer videos, and more. Links to external sources of information have been integrated into the timeline, enabling visitors to study featured events in more depth.