Year 10 ESOL students step back in time at Howick Historical Village
Posted on November 04, 2025
Students from three Year 10 ESOL classes at Macleans College stepped back in time during a visit to Howick Historical Village.
The trip supported the ESOL curriculum topic ‘Challenges’ by giving students the opportunity to observe the lives and hardships of New Zealand’s early settlers.
Fifty students took part in the visit. They were divided into two groups that rotated through three sessions: rag-rugging, outdoor games and a Victorian school lesson.
The rag-rugging activity offered a calm and creative start or finish to the day. Using hessian and fabric scraps, students began crafting small rag rugs while learning how settlers reused old materials to create practical household items. The session highlighted the settlers’ ingenuity and determination.
The outdoor games were filled with laughter and excitement. Many students tried walking on stilts, throwing quoits and skipping with ropes for the first time. They explored Victorian toys such as long walkers, diabolos, graces and hoops and skimmers. Through play, they learned how children in the 1800s entertained themselves without modern technology.
The Victorian school lesson offered a direct window into classroom life in the 1850s. Sitting at wooden desks and writing with chalk on slates, students practised handwriting, arithmetic and spelling under strict supervision. They were surprised to discover that left-handed students were once forced to write with their right hand, and that physical punishment was encouraged as a form of discipline. This stood in stark contrast to today’s supportive and inclusive learning environments.
The visit provided students with memorable hands-on learning, new vocabulary and deeper cultural understanding. By linking language study to real-world experiences, the trip successfully brought the concept of ‘Challenges’ to life.
