Article: Pupils from Crane Park Primary
Kids in Museums’ Takeover Day at The National Archives has involved 60 students, aged 9 and 10, from Crane Park Primary. The children have taken on roles in Collection Care, Research, Document Services and in the shop.
Five students joined The National Archives’ marketing team to become roving reporters and press officers for the day. They interviewed their fellow classmates from different departments about what they were getting up to.
Faith, 10 and Shnaya, 9
What are you doing today?
Faith: We are at The National Archives doing a little bit of research and looking at some of the stuff that they have here.
Shnaya: We have been taking over the building and doing different jobs in the archives.
Why was the day special to you?
Shnaya: It was a really good opportunity to try different jobs.
What do you like about The National Archives?
Faith: I like that it’s got a little pond with the ducks and a cafe and it’s quite a big building.
Shnaya: I like that it stores documents from about 1,000 years ago.
Do you enjoy being in the archives?
Shnaya: Yes, because it’s really fun doing the different jobs.
Faith: Yes, because it’s got a lot of ideas for what we can look at many things that people have looked at before. It’s got a lot of imagination to it.
Do you like how big The National Archives is?
Faith: Yes, it’s so magical.
Shnaya: I think it’s a really big building and it’s so big because it stores all the different documents.
Abdullah, aged 9
Why do you think your role is important to the archives?
I’m learning about what type of material is used for protecting things from bugs.
What’s the best thing about taking over The National Archives?
It’s fun because you get to look at microscopes.
Do you like working here?
Ummm…. yes.
What do you like about the job that you’re doing?
I like that you can look at all these types of fabrics and you can look really closely into them.
Veronika, 9
What activity are you doing today?
I’m doing a research activity. I’m looking at old documents about prisoners and criminal records.
What’s the best thing about taking over The National Archives?
The best thing about taking over is that I get to look at old stuff and you learn about things in the old times.
What do you like about archives?
I like that they keep old documents here and it’s a very nice place.
Do you enjoy the archives?
Yes, I really do.
Would you like to work here in the future?
Maybe I would like to work here because it’s a really good place and I like looking at old stuff now.
And finally, we turned the questions back on our roving reporters:
What have you been doing today?
Rayyan: We have been press officers interviewing all our other classmates doing their jobs.
Why do you think this role is important to The National Archives?
Aaron: So everybody can know what we are doing at The National Archives.
What’s the best thing about taking over The National Archives?
Arash: You’ll become better at the jobs you can do at the archives.
What do you like about archives?
Alex: I like how you can do different jobs so you can find out if you want to be a worker here.
Would you work at The National Archives in the future?
Yasmin: Yes! Because it’s so big and nice here. So many people can do different things and enjoy themselves.