Recently, Year 7 students from our College visited Newport Roman villa as part of their history curriculum, focused on life in Roman Britain. The students had the opportunity to explore the remains of a villa, which provided a fascinating glimpse into how Romans lived on the Isle of Wight over 1,500 years ago.

The day began with a guided tour by knowledgeable guide, Simon Cooper, assistant education officer for the Isle of Wight Heritage Service, who explained the villa's historical significance. Students saw the layout of the villa, including the main house, baths, and storage areas. Our guide also discussed the different rooms and their purposes, such as the hypocaust system for heating, the mosaic floors, and the beautiful frescoes that once decorated the walls.

Students were particularly engaged by hands-on activities. They had the chance to handle Roman artefacts such as pottery shards and coins, as well as weaving, food preparation and how archaeologists reconstruct artefacts. They also learnt about Roman clothing and weaponry, with many students enjoying dressing up as legionary soldiers.

The second part of our visit gave us the opportunity to work with a local archaeologist. The group explored the villa's grounds where they saw the remains of a Roman bathhouse and the surrounding landscape, which included a garden area.

The trip concluded with a Q&A session, where students asked questions about Roman architecture, social life and the villa's role in the local community. Many students commented on how much they enjoyed seeing history in action and how the visit helped them understand the complexity of Roman life.

Mrs Randall, Curriculum Lead for Humanities at Carisbrooke College said “Overall, the visit was a valuable learning experience that enhanced students’ understanding of Roman history and culture in an engaging and interactive way. We are very fortunate to have had access to such a valuable resource on our island and look forward to many more future visits working with the museum services.”

Heritage Education Officer for the Isle of Wight Heritage Service said ‘It was great to see Carisbrooke College students using the knowledge they had learnt in the classroom to make comparisons between Pompeii and Newport Roman villa.”

The visit and teaching resources to support it were funded by the Isle of Wight Museums and Schools programme supported by Arts Council England and funded through the Department for Education’