VIEW FROM THE CLASSROOM
students, especially about how the losing side is allowed to commemorate their dead. As a history teacher at Studley High School, it gave me first- hand experience of the things we explore in the classroom, so I can now talk with conviction based on my visit and associated thoughts and feelings. I cannot begin to tell you how the trip impacted on me
emotionally.My family are of German heritage so the most moving moments for me were visiting the German cemetery at Langemark and then Tyne Cot, the biggest Commonwealth Cemetery in the world. I was
upon row of headst overwhelmed when
'numbers' .
What do you think your students got from the experience that perhaps they couldn’t get from textbooks / the classroom setting? Some of the concepts relating toWWI are so huge that until students are actually there, they can only have a vague understanding. Actually being able to visit the sites and walk in the footsteps of the solders really helps them to gain a greater context and a deeper understanding. The more practical nature of trips engages
What do you think your students got from the experience that perhaps they couldn’t get fromtextboo ks / the classroomsetting?
students as it is a different way of learning, and in the case of this tour it really inspired them to find out more.
What impact do you feel the trip has had o n your teaching?
What impact do you feel the trip has had on your teaching?
It has reignited my passion forWWI and also for school trips in general. I am also more aware of the opportunities that exist to work with colleagues from other schools as a result of the contacts that were made on the trip. It has also reinforced my belief that students need to be able to experience history as close to first hand as possible and that doing so enables them to develop a long term interest and passion for the subject.
What impact do you feel the trip has had on your students?
What impact do you feel the trip has had on your students?
Their interest inWWI and more importantly the commemorative element has grown and they have become much more aware of what is happening on a national scale.With regard to transferable skills, they are much more confident in passing on their knowledge to others and have developed their ability to work with a range of
ones, despite knowing the I saw in front of me row
VIEWFROMTHE CLASSROOM
people. For the Henry Cort students in particular, their confidence has improved overall which I think is due to the tour dynamic of 1 teacher and 2 students; they had to mix and get along with students from other schools and from a range of backgrounds that they didn’t previously know.
Are your students planning a post-tou r commemorative project to share their experienceswith their peers andwider community
Are your students planning a post-tour commemorative project to share their experiences with their peers and wider community?
ty?
Studley High School students are planning to visit local primary schools in the near future to hopefully inspire the younger generation to do their own family tree research to establish any FirstWorldWar connections. At Henry Cort, we’ve adopted a cross-curricular approach based around key themes. In History, the students welcomed historian Trevor Booker who gave an engaging talk about life in the trenches, casualty treatment and the first use of gas in warfare and he also conducted an artefacts handling session. TheMusic, Art and Drama department worked together to deliver a sensational re-enactment of a gas attack through use of visual stimulus and a range of multisensory effects. In Biology, the class labs were transformed into medical treatment rooms for the wounded with students considering the most effective methods of trench first aid. PE
saw the gymnasium with students being
led by staff in combat gear. A turned into an assault course
range of other activities included code breaking, philosophical enquiries and cooking based on recipes from 1914.
Whatwould you say to other schools contemplating taking part in the free government programme ?
What would you say to other schools contemplating taking part in the free government programme?
Do it because it really is totally free (and that’s rare these days!)More importantly, the Centenary is such an important event and commemorative activity that people need to be involved. Both you and your students will come back inspired and motivated to pass on what you have learnt during the trip.
But I already run a battlefields tour - howis participation different fromwhat I currently do?
But I already run a battlefields tour - how is participation different from what I currently do?
The tour is quite simply a school trip made easy. The paperwork is minimal and all the organisation including the risk assessment is done for you. Other than looking after two students (which to be honest is a teacher’s dream come true!), you actually have the time to engage with your students, using the enquiry based learning techniques provided to develop their
understanding and create a deeper sense of learning. You visit a variety of memorials,
cemeteries, former battlefields and museums and have historians and serving soldiers from the British Army on hand throughout the 4 days to provide other thought-provoking perspectives. This programme has something for everybody and creates the perfect learning environment. If anything, use it as a recce for a future school trip or send an NQT as part of their development but make sure your school doesn’t miss out.
www.centenary
rybattlefieldtours.org
Secondary schools in England qualify. Tours run every spring and autumn through to spring 2019. Schools need to register to take up their free place. The programme is led by UCL Institute of Education with the tours delivered by Equity Inspiring Learning.
June 2016 2016 wwweducation-toda
y.co.uk www.
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