Learning at Middleport Pottery

As the last continuously working Victorian pottery factory in the UK, a visit to Middleport Pottery is an immersive learning experience for all ages. Offering both formal educational visits and fun learning activities for everyone throughout the year, there is always something new to discover, create and inspire you here at Middleport.

School & Home Education Programmes

Working at Middleport

Come & learn about Stoke-on-Trent’s historic potteries, in the last continuously operating Victorian factory in the city. See the processes that revolutionised pottery production and improved working conditions in the Victorian era. Step inside our Bottle Oven and learn how pottery was transported by canal – to destinations all over the world! Your visit can include creative workshops based on pottery techniques used here in the factory, giving your students a memento of their visit.

We have been awarded a Sandford Award!

Our amazing Learning Team here at Middleport Pottery have been awarded the Sandford Award. The Sandford Award is a standard of excellence in education & learning programmes in heritage sites, museums and galleries across Britain. Middleport Pottery is the only venue in Stoke-on-Trent to be announced as a 2026 winner, making us only venue in Stoke-on-Trent to receive this award since 2013.

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Living in Middleport

Visiting school groups can learn what life was like living in Middleport, looking particularly at Post-War Britain. Tour the 1950’s Lodge Keeper’s House, younger students can learn about wash day, older students can learn about life at Harper Street. There is also a range of hands-on workshops where students will be able to take their creations away with them as a souvenir of their experience.

New Learning Centre – Opened April 2025

With thanks to National Lottery players and The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Middleport Pottery was awarded a funding in 2024 to create a new dedicated learning centre .

The new Learning Centre is located on Port Street Range across from the Bottle Oven entrance. This area is used for formal learning activities with visiting school and home education students as well as for informal learning activities such as “Play with Clay”.