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The Sovereign Hill Costumed Schools are a proud partnership between the Department of Education and Sovereign Hill Museum, with the support of the Victorian Catholic Education Authority.
Acknowledgement of Country
Sovereign Hill Costumed Schools are located on the lands of the Wadawurrung people. We pay our respects their Elders past and present, and express our gratitude that we share this land today. We welcome all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to our place of learning.
Contact us
Contact us
Sovereign Hill School
For all matters concerning the Sovereign Hill School, including the Costumed School:
Phone: 03 5337 1143 or 0497 297 842
Address: 39-41 Magpie Street, Ballarat, Victoria 3350
Email: sovereign.hill.sch@education.vic.gov.au
Website: https://www.sovereignhill.com.au/learning-programs/costumed-school/
ABN: 43 442 955 117
Please note, our phones are unattended during 8:45am - 3:30 pm. Please leave a message and we will return your call.
Feedback is welcome via email.
Sovereign Hill Museum Education Bookings
For information regarding your camp or excursion, including all matters concerning museum entry, accommodation, catering, AURA, tours and pantomimes, contact Education Bookings:
Phone: 03 5337 1188
Email: education@sovereignhill.com.au
Website: https://sovereignhill.com.au/education-programs
Welcome
Welcome
Welcome to the Sovereign Hill Costumed Schools site. The information contained on this site relates directly to your Costumed School program.
Additional information about other aspects of your Sovereign Hill experience such as museum entry, education programs, accommodation, catering, tours, AURA and pantomimes can be found on the Sovereign Hill Museum website or by contacting Education Bookings using the details above.
Sovereign Hill Costumed Schools
Sovereign Hill Costumed Schools
The Sovereign Hill Costumed School is a proud partnership between the Department of Education and Sovereign Hill Museum, with the support of the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria .
The Costumed School program allows students the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in history. Through active involvement, and accurate portrayal of the 1850s goldfields, students are able to deepen their understanding of Australian society and the developments that have shaped it. The program helps students appreciate how the world and its people have changed, and gives them the opportunity to explore and develop personal skills that demonstrate empathy, perseverance and confidence. Through their involvement, students demonstrate their ability to acknowledge and appreciate social and cultural differences, and to work with others in a respectful and positive way.
As a part of the Costumed School program, students are under the tutelage of a strict, all-knowing Ma’am/Sir who has complete authority over them and runs a well-ordered classroom. Sir/Ma’am is not to be questioned. They must be obeyed at all times. Students quickly understand their place. During Day 1 of the program, Sir/Ma’am sets the scene of their dominance in the school and refers to the inspector/priest/minister/visitor with reverence and fear, and in such a way that the students recognise that there is someone else with higher authority than their teacher. This allows them to get a hint of the social norms and the class system in the Victorian era.
On Day 2 of the program, the District Inspector/Priest/Doctor/Nurse arrives, demonstrating without a doubt that they have complete authority over Sir/Ma’am. Through a highly engaging interaction with Sir/Ma’am, and actively seeking student involvement, the activator is able to make obvious the class system and social norms of the 1850s. Students will see that their strict and all-knowing teacher can be put in their place by the presence of another. They will be quietly challenged to see the injustice, and to be inquisitive regarding the path of change.
The Costumed School program specifically addresses the aims of the Victorian Curriculum 2.0, Level 5 & 6, particularly:
History
Drama
English
Health and Physical Education
Personal and Social Capability (including the Respectful Relationships program)
Critical and Creative Thinking.
All Costumed School teachers are registered with the Victorian Institute of Teaching, and as such, are fully qualified teachers who have Working With Children Clearance.
Maximising Inclusion
Maximising Inclusion
Sovereign Hill Costumed Schools actively support the inclusion of all students by:
using information about students' needs including physical, medical, behavioural and academic to make adjustments to the program. This information is provided by the visiting school's coordinator through the Essential School Information form submitted at least one week prior to the program.
welcoming supporting adults including teachers, learning support staff, advocates and parent helpers
acknowledging and respecting all cultures and religions, and making minor adjustments to costumes that allow for full participation
utilising social stories developed by Sovereign Hill Museum that enable students with autism, anxiety and trauma to familiarise themselves with aspects of the Costumed Schools program
acknowledging the LGBTQIA+ community by giving students the opportunity to feel comfortable in their costume.
Please note: a student dressed in a boy's costume will sit and play with the boys and undertake boys' activities; a student dressed in a girl's costume will sit and play with girls and undertake girls' activities. Students participating in the Costumed School experience become a living exhibit of the Sovereign Hill Museum and must therefore accurately portray a child of the 1850s.
making minor adjustments to costumes so that students with sensory issues feel comfortable.
Visiting teachers are asked to contact the Sovereign Hill Costumed Schools to discuss ways in which inclusion and participation can be maximised.
Respectful Relationships
Respectful Relationships
Sovereign Hill Costumed Schools proudly support the Respectful Relationship program.
Prior to, and during, the Costumed School experience, students must draw on their personal strengths and positive coping skills to fully engage in the role play.
Comparing life in the 1850s with the present allows teachers the opportunity to lead rigorous discussion regarding gender & identity and positive gender relations after the Costumed School experience. This discussion also encourages students to determine ways in which they can make positive changes to ensure a more equitable and respectful future.
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