In addition to the Libraries, Archive and Special Collections, HIKS cares for silver, textiles, drawings and paintings in its stores and elsewhere. The artefacts in the collection can tell stories about individuals and institutions using the material culture of the East India College, Haileybury College, United Services College, St Mark’s School and Imperial Service College.

Studying material culture provides pupils with an additional way to understand the history of an institution or group using objects. Interpreting social and cultural behaviour through artefacts provides an alternative historical approach to textual study. HIKS is committed to providing pupils and staff with sessions that introduce materials, techniques, contexts of items and subjects found in the collection to explore and explain ideas and themes covered in the individual subjects.

In addition to the Fine and Decorative Art Collection, the Antiquities Collection and the Archive and Special Collections are also used to support the teaching of subjects.