Glasgow school mistress takes on new role at Mackintosh at the Willow

A beloved Victorian school mistress, who has taught and terrified generations of pupils during school visits, is carrying on her lessons through Mackintosh at the Willow's school engagement programme.

Article Source: National Trust For Scotland
Last Updated: 27 August 2025 13:44

Actress Lesley Robertson performed the schoolteacher role at Scotland Street School Museum for decades before it was closed for refurbishment. She is now working with the National Trust for Scotland’s learning and engagement team at Mackintosh at the Willow to perform the role of Miss Cranston, the entrepreneur who first opened the tea rooms in 1903.

The Miss Cranston’s Classroom workshop, supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, gives pupils a living history learning experience where they meet Miss Kate Cranston and take part in her interactive classroom to find out if they have what it takes to work in a turn-of-the-century Sauchiehall Street tea room. Pupils practise their mental arithmetic, copperplate handwriting, Mackintosh-inspired design skills, and the art of serving a perfect cup of tea.

The 60-minute workshop is most suitable for P5–P7 classes and aligns with Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence. It was developed in collaboration with students from University of Glasgow’s MSc Museum Education and Lesley Robertson. Costume, hair, and make-up were produced by Scottish Opera and workshop testing was undertaken in collaboration with Golfhill Primary School, St Brides Primary School, and St Aloysius Junior School.

The team is also hosting a CPD session for teachers about the workshop on 1 September. The ‘Bring History to Life with Miss Cranston’s Classroom’ session takes place from 4:00 p.m.–5:15 p.m. The unique CPD opportunity brings learning to life through living history in a hands-on session introducing participants to the workshop.

Oliver Braid, the National Trust for Scotland’s Creative Learning Manager at Mackintosh at the Willow, said: “We’ve had wonderful feedback from pupils and teachers in our workshop testing and we’re excited to bring history to life in Miss Cranston’s Classroom.

“It’s an incredibly engaging experience with pupils commenting on how interesting they found the contrast between life in the Edwardian period and now, differences in money, school life, and the lives of children. The workshop supports learning across Social Studies, Literacy, Numeracy, and Expressive Arts, while also encouraging teamwork, confidence, and creativity. All our participating teachers have recommended the workshop and we hope that we’re able to work with many more schools and classes over the coming year.”

Learning at Mackintosh at the Willow is about discovering the stories of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Margaret Macdonald, and Kate Cranston through skills-based, hands-on activities. The story of the Scottish tea room phenomenon also presents significant opportunities for all learning levels to investigate social studies, particularly the intersections of class, gender and race. It captivates pupils’ imaginations in the only remaining Mackintosh-designed tea room in the world.

Other highlights of the school engagement programme are:

• My Mackintosh Portfolio - pupils will examine the amazing Mackintosh architecture first-hand and build their own portfolio of Mackintosh patterns and shapes, before learning the traditional technique of stencilling and visiting our on-site exhibition. The workshop is 150 mins (90 mins workshop + 30 mins tea room + 30 mins exhibition) and suitable for P5–P7.

• Design your own Afternoon Tea – ideal for secondary pupils studying hospitality, they will undertake career-focused learning by comparing and contrasting hospitality businesses in 1903 and the present day. They will analyse the architecture of the premises and the social impact of the hospitality industry, while also uncovering the differences between a variety of speciality teas. This workshop concludes with each pupil sampling a speciality tea of their choosing and our luxury cakes – before designing their very own afternoon tea. This session can also be supplemented with a talk from one of the pastry chefs. The workshop is 100 mins (60 mins workshop + 40 mins designing afternoon tea) and suitable for S1–S6.

The development of these workshops was made possible by the Heritage Fund thanks to the National Lottery players, and the Trust will continue to develop further learning programmes at Mackintosh at the Willow with their support.

Schools that book sessions in November 2025 or February 2026 will receive a 40% discount. More information about the programme and learning opportunities are available through the Trust’s website: www.nts.org.uk

The CPD session for teachers can be booked at: www.eventbrite.co.uk

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