Key stage 1 to 2

Looking for an outreach option that will get pupils talking, laughing and learning? Bring motoring history to life with a lively, hands-on learning session full of stories, surprises and activities pupils can join in with.

What was the Great Horse Manure Crisis of 1894? How did French farmers accidently influence the comfort of cars? Why did the British not give two hoots about progress?

Pupils are drawn in through quirky questions, playful challenges and memorable moments that spark curiosity and classroom discussion.

Explore the pioneering spirit that shaped our transportation, sound the horns, wave the flag and even model period fashion as your pupils discover the people, inventions and big ideas behind early motoring.

Active, accessible and easy to link to the curriculum, this is a fun, high-energy outreach experience for teachers who want learning to feel imaginative, interactive and memorable.

Curriculum links: History, English, Science

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Visit Palace House, the Abbey, the Secret Army Exhibition, We Had One of Those, and the National Motor Museum all on one group ticket.

Plan your visit to suit your school.

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Can your class unmask the traitor?

With our popular "Rush to Hush Hush" workshop your class can step into the thrilling world of wartime espionage with an unforgettable, evidence-led outreach adventure.

In this interactive tabletop mission, young recruits work together to solve puzzles, follow clues and investigate the secret world of Second World War agents. Along the way, they think like real historians by asking sharp questions, examining evidence and putting their theories to the test.

Armed with fascinating sources from the archives of the National Motor Museum, teams piece together an extraordinary true story. Their adventure races from Europe’s glamorous pre-war circuits and the villages of the New Forest to occupied northern France—connecting local history with the high-stakes drama of the Second World War.

Could a champion racing driver really become an undercover secret agent? In this gripping fact-finding challenge, teams meet the remarkable people who did exactly that, and race to expose the person who betrayed them.

For classes of up to 36 pupils.

Curriculum links: History and English, including historical enquiry, the use of evidence, local and wider history, spoken language and writing for purpose.

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Six extraordinary people, four fast drivers, two intertwined stories, and one traitor.

This tabletop session immerses students in a world of espionage and deceit.  Using teamwork and problem solving students will learn the tricks taught to agents in World War 2 and the investigative skills used by historians today.

Using multiple sources from our hidden archives students slowly uncover an unbelievable story taking you from the pre-war racetracks of Europe, through the sleepy villages of the New Forest, to the occupied territories of Northern France during World War 2. 

Becoming a world champion racing driver or an undercover secret agent are usually the stuff of fiction, but in this fact finding session students meet the people who did both and uncover the one who betrayed them all.

Curriculum Links: History, English

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Who were the free thinking people that transformed the humble horseless carriage into the modern motoring marvels of today?

Told through stories, this engaging museum-based session takes pupils on a journey through time and helps them explore the revolutionary ideas that changed the world of motoring, the people who pushed for this change, and why a simple change of direction can make all the difference.

It is almost impossible to have a completely fresh idea, but Motoring Marvels opens the door on creative thinking and the engineering innovation that continues to shape our world.

Curriculum Links: History, English, STEAM, Design & Technology

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