New activities launched to inspire future Newtons at Woolsthorpe Manor

Supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the National Trust has partnered with Autism East Midlands and Nottingham Trent University to engage children and young people with the legacy of Isaac Newton, who made some of his greatest discoveries at his humble home of Woolsthorpe Manor near Grantham.

In partnership with Autism East Midlands and its school, Sutherland House, the Future Newtons project has worked alongside autistic children to create engaging educational activities. Physics, education and graphic design students from Nottingham Trent University have worked together with the younger students to create accessible activities designed to last 30-45 minutes, with shorter options lasting only 5-10 minutes.

The materials have been designed for school children, community groups, and young people with their families or carers. The resources will also be made available digitally and will be printable for use at home.

It has long been widely speculated that Sir Isaac Newton himself may have been on the autistic spectrum, making his birthplace an ideal location to test this new collaboration and educate future Newtons. The learning materials will be used onsite at Woolsthorpe Manor in the Science Centre to help engage autistic children with the story of Newton and his discoveries.

Lauren Whyte, a Primary Education student working on the project, said: “I wanted to be involved with this project as I have visited a lot of National Trust properties over the years and have been able to gain a lot of valuable information and joy from visiting them, and I wanted to pass this experience on to others who may not have had the same opportunity as me.

My involvement on this project has been highly beneficial for my course, and also my teaching career as I would love to work with children with special educational needs in the future.”

Lucy Phillips, Cultural Strategic Partnerships Manager, said: “It has been a really positive experience bringing Nottingham Trent University students from three disciplines – physics, education and graphic design – together to create these brand-new resources in support of the National Trust’s strategy.”

Jon Brown, senior teacher at Sutherland House School, said: “Some of our students enjoyed visiting Woolsthorpe Manor before the summer and others have been trialling the materials for visitors with autism. We believe that well known and influential organisations like the National Trust need to understand and cater for the needs of all their visitors and offer opportunities for as diverse a range of people as possible.”

Louise Ransberry, Assistant Director of Operations for the National Trust in the Midlands, said “We are striving to achieve experiences at our places that make everyone feel welcome.

“We’re incredibly grateful that the support of National Lottery players allows projects like this to make more places inclusive, ensuring more of our heritage is accessible for everyone for ever.”