We offer a wide range of different workshops and activities, and would love to discuss your needs to ensure your learners have an experience that is right for them, whether from a school, home educator group, scout troop, or any other organisation with an interest in education. 

We recommend you come to The Common Room, in the centre of Newcastle, for our sessions but if you can’t, we can visit you.

Our programme is future facing and inspired by our region’s industrial past. It is fully funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.  

A photo of a child sat at a table, working on a technical skills board.

Our Workshops

Discover workshops, shows, activities: everything we have ready to go right now!

Two girls visiting The Common Room, one practices using a drill whilst the other watches

School and Group Visits

Find out more about our offer for group and school visits.
Children play with LEGO

Education Outreach

Find out about our outreach offer: we can deliver workshops throughout the region.
Old map showing Western Coal Districts from 1861

Explore Online

Take a look at our exciting online resources, with videos and activities ready to use at home or in the classroom

Collections

The Common Room holds “one of the two most important collections in the world for the study of the birth of the Industrial Revolution”. Learn more about how we are making it freely available here.

Exterior image of Neville Hall

Get in touch

Please get in touch to book with us or to discuss your needs.

What our supporters say

"The workshops, which were delivered to Year 1-6 children, were brilliant as they introduced the children to the history of mining and they were cross curricular. They really enjoyed learning about mining and the engineers that helped to shape our world. The children were also given the opportunity to think about goals for the future, not only for themselves but for the world that they live in"

Hannah Osueke, Science and STEAM Leader, Science Teacher of the Year Award Winner 2017 - 18

"From my background working in the engineering sector I understand the importance of sharing this heritage to different audiences to inspire them to go into engineering."

Alison Reynolds, Strategic Human Resources and Organisational Development Consultant

"The Common Room education programme provides young people in the North East an insight into the many careers and roles within the STEM sector whilst also challenging gender stereotypes within STEM related roles. We are proud to say that The Common Room are an active part of our North East Ambition programme which allows the schools and colleges in the region to have access to the opportunities from The Common Room and also supports alignment between education and business."

Lucy Johnson Enterprise Coordinator North East LEP

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Resources from the archive

Contact us to discuss use of our archive. The collections cover the development of the railways, geology and the social, economic and cultural history of the mining industry.  As well as over 35,000 printed books, we hold unique archives including photographs, manuscripts, maps, objects, underground plans and more!  A large selection of these collections are freely available for education use. 

An archival illustration of a miner pushing a coal tub filled with coal through a coal seam. At one end of the coal seam is a little boy next to a trap door which is open to let the miner pushing the coal tub past. This illustration is in black and white.

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Get in touch

Drop a message to our team to find out more about our education programme.

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Support us

As a registered charity, we rely on funding and support from public and private sources to help us deliver our mission to inspire the next generation of innovators and engineers.