An insight into our Hospital Schools Outreach Programme

Can you tell us about the Hospital School Outreach Programme? 

In collaboration with QEH’s Hospital School we wanted to explore the idea of taking this special heritage site, beloved in Greenwich and all over the world, to children in hospital to give them a bit of normality during a period when they are away from home and school and the shared experiences that come with that, such as school trips. 

As part of my visit, I met with Heather and Carly who are part of QEH’s school team. Talking to them, I learned that what makes our partnership so special. The ORNC team are not dropping in and providing a service of fixed format and length. Instead, the programme’s ethos is to be sensitive to the young person’s medical condition and limitations, embracing the practice of education through engagement; at a time when education is sometimes secondary to their immediate needs. 

In any given session as part of the programme, we may be working with a group of children aged anywhere between five and sixteen. The team puts together a bespoke session that is flexible, as interruptions may come in many forms in a hospital setting. 

The activities can range from arts and crafts to handling collections and model-making. The aims of the sessions are simple, to provide the children – and their families – with activities to inspire their creativity, take their minds off their medical treatment, help them interact socially and provide learning opportunities to bridge the gap until they can return to school.  

The walls of the school room at QEH in Woolwich are covered in children’s work and photographs from previous sessions run with ORNC and other partners. It’s so impressive that when I walked in, my reaction was to ask how big their team was, to which Heather replied, “You’re looking at it!”  

Wasn’t there a hospital on the site of the Old Royal Naval College once? 

Yes, that’s correct. Just as Chelsea Hospital was built for soldiers who had been injured or grown old in the service of the Crown, Greenwich Hospital was created for seamen in 1695. However, it’s important to remember that the word “hospital” here refers to its original sense of a place providing hospitality for those in need due to age or disability, rather than one of medical care. Also – interesting when we’re talking about children in hospitals – while today we have an image of Greenwich and Chelsea Pensioners as elderly, some of the people who had been injured or disabled and were retired from naval service were as young as 15 or 16 and were looked after and educated at Greenwich Hospital up to its closure in 1869.

What’s the future for the Hospital School Outreach Programme? 

When we started in 2019, we ran three sessions in the first year, but we now run six a year in collaboration with QEH and at Royal Marsden Hospital in Sutton, a specialist cancer hospital with paediatric facilities.  In terms of next steps for the Programme, we’re likely to continue at the same level, as we’re naturally constrained by the importance of a varied curriculum, the capacity of the school rooms and the number of children in the wards. So, we are working with a school team at another London hospital, which we hope will develop into a third ongoing collaboration. We’re also keen to support other museums and heritage sites to learn about the Programme and explore what they can adopt in their community; we’ve been approached regularly since the Programme was shortlisted for the Learning Programme of the Year category at the prestigious 2023 Museum + Heritage Awards.  

Why is it important for your organisation to provide projects like this within the local community? 

While a significant part of our work is to conserve and protect the magnificent Baroque buildings and grounds of the Old Royal Naval College for present and future generations, equally important to us is providing opportunities for diverse audiences – from those who live on our doorstep to international tourists – to enjoy, be inspired by and learn from its significance.  

Each year, we provide workshop sessions on site for around 170 classes and 5,500 pupils from local schools. In September 2022, ORNC’s schools programme was awarded the highly esteemed Sandford Award for heritage education and cited as “world-class”. We also have a very large education provider on site in the University of Greenwich. The Queen Elizabeth Hospital School programme is very different, being small, community-based and bespoke, supporting those at a young age who risk missing out at a crucial time in their lives because of illness. 

Every child who participates in one of our sessions (whether with their class at the ORNC, or in hospital) is given a ‘Young Explorer Pass’ to take home, which gives free entry for them to visit the Painted Hall with their family. I love the idea that it is then the young person acting as the experienced guide for the family’s visit. For the young people who have been in hospital, this outing could have extra significance, and part of much needed relaxation and enjoyment after a difficult period. We hope that the young person remembers ORNC with fondness and part of their recuperation, and that this is the start of a long relationship. 

Do you think your organisation plays a role in the community’s health and wellbeing? 

Very much so. I believe strongly that looking at and being in heritage and out in green spaces is good for your wellbeing. People don’t just benefit by getting pleasure from looking at and being around the historic buildings in a glorious setting, but there’s also evidence that there are actual health benefits too, something which I’m keen to explore further in Greenwich specifically. Locals and visitors often say that Greenwich has its own identity and sense of place very distinct from the rest of London, and I heartily concur. Many people in the local community discovered us for the first time during the pandemic, as the organisation responsible for the upkeep of the buildings and open and welcoming space on their doorstep, with its striking architectural setting and views from Greenwich Park and across the Thames to Canary Wharf. We continue to look for and provide exciting ways to welcome our communities and bring the art, heritage and history of the site alive.