Last week, Year 8 stepped back in time during their History trip to Quarry Bank Mill.
Pupils explored Styal Village, thoughtfully built by the Greg family so workers could live close to the mill. A visit to the Apprentice House provided a clear reminder that Victorian childhood was not all fun and games, with long working hours and dormitory living part of everyday life.
Inside the mill, the running machinery brought the Industrial Revolution to life. Pupils saw how cotton was spun and quickly discovered how difficult it is to hear over the noise of a 19th-century power loom.
Throughout the day, pupils’ knowledge of the Industrial Revolution was put to the test and clearly strengthened, with thoughtful responses and some surprise at the realities of life before modern technology.