Shrewsbury Prison – Education Behind Bars Programme

Shrewsbury Prison was built in 1793 and closed in 2013, with over 200 years of history behind its walls including the countries last remaining Georgian prison. This iconic heritage site is a unique location for educational visits, and one that not many people get the opportunity to discover.

Many of their current educational visits come to discover more about crime and punishment through the ages, Victorian history, Georgian history, capital punishment, law, rehabilitation, and the effects of crime on the victims and families. As the prison dates back to 1793 it is also frequently visited by students of Architecture, Citizenship, Media Studies, RE and Geography.

The Education Behind Bars Programme is designed by educationalists, aligned with the national curriculum, tailored to your students’ Key Stage and can be adapted according to your needs; along with a wide range of activities that can be included in your visit such as our popular Escape Rooms. The perceptive ‘In-Cell Experience,’ included on the Guided Tour allows your students to experience the realities of life behind bars.

The tour will be adapted to the school year, curriculum and what you as a teacher want to achieve. As well as being educational, some educational organisations will use the experience as a preventative tool – bringing home the harsh reality of prison life.

A 2.5-hour session includes a 1-hour Guided Tour of the prison led by a Prison Officer, a 45-minute Education Activity designed in line with the national curriculum and 45 minutes Self-Guided Discovery in which the students will explore the prison, completing activity tasks, designed to get them thinking and experiencing the realities of life behind bars from the Georgian era to modern day.

Enhance your school trip to Shrewsbury Prison with various add on activities such as our popular Escape Rooms.

Age suitability

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