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The creation of the British Empire was the subject of a visit to a London museum.

Year 8 history students from Royal Docks Academy visited the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich to take part in the From Trade to Empire workshop.

They used the museum’s galleries to examine the role of the East India Company in the 18th and 19th Centuries to work out how the activities of a small trading company based in London led to Britain’s army taking control of large swathes of Asia and creating the British Empire.

Students looked at artefacts from the museum vaults to work out what life was like in India before the East India Company arrived and the positive and negative impact its activities had on the Indian economy, politics and cultural life.

They also used the artefacts and ships’ logs to work out how contact and trade with India had impacted the British way of life.

Patricia Molloy, head of humanities, said: “Lots of fantastic and insightful comments were made during the workshop which showed our students at their best.

“The organisers had nothing but praise for the hard work and excellent behaviour the Year 8s showed.”