Secondary History

The National Portrait Gallery collects portraits of figures of national significance, from Tudor times to the present day, providing an ideal context for studying British history and for developing the skill of interpreting portraits as historical evidence.

Many of our cross-curricular sessions involve substantial emphasis on history so please also refer to Cross Curricular Sessions when selecting your topic. We also provide CPD sessions to support teachers and introduce our Collections and temporary exhibitions as resources for the classroom.

As well as our extensive on-site programmes, we also offer combined A Level and AS Level Study Days with the Tower of London.

Gallery Sessions
An interactive Gallery session with discussion in front of the portraits, followed by either drawing or an historical activity, available for smaller groups.

• 90 minutes (discussion and activity)
• 1 hour (discussion only)
• Maximum 30 students

Slide Talks
A lively slide presentation in the Ondaatje Wing Theatre is available for larger groups. Groups can also book a self-directed visit to the relevant galleries following their slide talk.

• 1 hour
• Maximum 138 students