History

Explorers & Famous People

Set sail with history's greatest explorers and meet the people who changed the world. Join Christopher Columbus crossing the Atlantic, Captain Cook arriving in Australia, and discover Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole's remarkable achievements.

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1,800+
Students per year
383,000+
Students reached
EYFS–Y6
All ages welcome
Students learning about famous explorers and historical figures

Duration

35–40 mins

Class Size

Up to 32

Suitable For

KS1–KS2

What's Included

VR + Resources
About This Workshop

Discover the individuals who shaped our world

The Explorers & Famous People workshop uses immersive VR to bring significant individuals to life. Students sail with explorers, experience care in wartime hospitals, and discover that history is made by real people with courage, determination, and vision.

Through VR experiences and hands-on activities, students understand how individual actions, ambitions, and compassion can change the world. They explore exploration, discovery, innovation, and humanitarian achievement across different time periods and contexts.

Book a full-day visit and choose a different VR topic for every year group — making it super specific to each class's curriculum and exceptional value for money.

Immersive VR Experience

Immersive VR Experience

Each session includes a Virtual Reality segment where students are transported back in time. Using class sets of VR headsets, children explore 360° recreations of historical environments — from walking through ancient temples to witnessing the Great Fire of London.

360° Environments
Fully immersive historical recreations
Shared Headset Experience
One headset between two, per screen time recommendations
Guided Experience
Facilitator-led narration throughout
Curriculum Aligned
Mapped to National Curriculum KS1/KS2
What Students Do

Five hands-on activities, adapted by age

Every activity is designed to bring history to life. Your facilitator selects and adapts activities based on the year group.

1

Christopher Columbus

Step on board one of the ships given to Christopher Columbus by King Ferdinand of Spain, investigating the length of the journey, conditions the sailors faced, and the goods discovered in The Americas.

All year groups
2

Cook’s Voyage – Mapping Australia

Visit the Endeavour and learn about James Cook’s three famous voyages, exploring how this British explorer, navigator, and captain charted his expeditions using mathematics and astronomy.

All year groups
3

Florence Nightingale

Explore inside the Florence Nightingale Hospital, comparing what hospitals were like in the 1800s and discovering how her work in Crimea changed healthcare, identifying continuities and changes in medicine over time.

All year groups
4

Scott’s Terra Nova Hut

Visit the hut erected in January 1911 as the base for Robert Falcon Scott’s Terra Nova expedition to the South Pole, now wonderfully restored by the Antarctic Heritage Trust.

All year groups
5

Polar Ecosystem: The South

Set foot onto the ice sheets of Antarctica, disembarking from a scientific research vessel to explore the frozen wilderness, discovering penguins, leopard seals, and orcas adapted to survive in Earth’s coldest climate.

All year groups
Learning Outcomes

What students take away

Every session is designed around measurable outcomes that align with the National Curriculum and build historical thinking skills.

Understanding significant individuals

Students know major explorers and figures who shaped history and understand their contributions.

Geographical awareness

Students understand exploration, discovery, and how the world came to be mapped and connected.

Courage and determination

Students appreciate the courage, determination, and vision required to achieve extraordinary things.

Cause and consequence

Students understand how individual actions and discoveries shaped historical events and modern world.

Year 4 students were inspired by these historical figures. They discussed not just what explorers found, but the challenges they faced and the mistakes they made. One girl said: 'They didn't know what they'd find, but they went anyway. That's so brave.' Real inspiration for young minds.
Year 4 Teacher
Primary School, Cornwall
Pricing & Your Workshop Day

Simple, transparent pricing

We bring everything — facilitator, VR headsets, resources, activity kits. You just tell us the date and year groups. No hidden costs, no extras.

Half Day

Up to 4 sessions
£599
Up to 128 students · £4.68 per student
  • 40 min (Y3–6) · 35 min (Y1–2 & EYFS)
  • Up to 32 students per session
  • EYFS–Year 6 adaptable
  • VR & all resources included
  • Dedicated facilitator
Best Value

Full Day

Up to 6 sessions
£799
Up to 192 students · £4.16 per student
  • 40 min (Y3–6) · 35 min (Y1–2 & EYFS)
  • Up to 32 students per session
  • EYFS–Year 6 adaptable
  • VR & all resources included
  • Dedicated facilitator
  • Reach most classes in your school
VR headset batteries support up to 6 sessions per day

Sample full-day timetable

Here’s how a typical full-day VR history workshop fits around your school day. KS2 sessions run 40 minutes; KS1 & EYFS sessions run 35 minutes. We’re flexible — we’ll work around your timetable.

9:00–9:40
Session 1
Y3 · 40 min
9:45–10:25
Session 2
Y4 · 40 min
10:25–10:40
Morning break
10:40–11:20
Session 3
Y5 · 40 min
11:25–12:05
Session 4
Y6 · 40 min
12:05–1:00
Lunch break
1:00–1:35
Session 5
Y1 · 35 min
1:40–2:15
Session 6
Y2 · 35 min
Want to combine History VR with our Future Skills workshops?

Mix and match your workshop day

Schools love booking a VR History day alongside our hands-on Future Skills workshops — giving students a full spectrum of immersive learning experiences in a single day or across the term.

View Future Skills Workshops →
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Bring this workshop to your school

Pick your dates and we'll match you with the perfect presenter. Most schools book in under 2 minutes — full pricing, availability and presenter confirmed instantly.

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Email us at hi@spark2.org — we reply within one working day.