Tell your school’s story
Researching your school’s past is a great way to get children interested in history, but drawing on the memories of former staff and pupils can also bring the whole community together. Once you have gathered your material, there are numerous ways of recording and celebrating your school’s story discovers Nuala Calvi
Write a book If you have a major anniversary coming up, it could be worth investing in a professionally published book. Bancyfelin Community Primary School in Carmarthen decided to do this to celebrate its 150th year, using a small local publishing company that was willing to offer a discount on printing costs. The school drew on headteachers’ log
books and registers dating back to the 1870s, as well as the work of a local historian who co-authored the book with headteacher Trefi na Jones. They also posted on a village Facebook group and put up posters in the local shop and
church, calling for people to send in their stories and photographs. ‘Around 55 people wrote something
for the book – some contributed a lot and others wrote one or two paragraphs – which we included in a section on people’s memories,’ says Trefi na. ‘One individual who’d been a cook here for 40 years and was a pupil herself wrote an entire chapter.’ The book cost £2,000 to produce, and
copies sold for £10 each through the school’s offi ce and the local shop. Within a few months, it had made a modest profi t and the school hopes it will continue to sell for years to come.
Make a fi lm
Start by putting a shout-out to parents, telling them you’re planning a project about your school’s history and asking what skills they can offer. Wallands Community Primary School in Lewes, East Sussex, was lucky enough to have a professional fi lmmaker among its parent community, who offered to fi lm students interviewing older people about their memories of the school for its 75th anniversary.
30 SUMMER 2023
pta.co.uk
The PTA already had a strong
relationship with former pupils through a Facebook alumni page, some of whom were part of its fi rst ever intake. Alumni were invited to attend an anniversary fair, at which a space was set up as a fi lm studio. ‘At the fair, alumni could drift in and out and volunteer to be interviewed,’ says former PTA treasurer Holly Aquilina. ‘The children had free rein to ask what they liked and it was an excellent way for them to get an understanding of how things were
different in the past. ‘The project was cost-free as the parent offered to edit the fi lm, and we screened it at a special assembly. It’s also being made available online so people can continue to watch it in the future.’
It was an excellent way for the children to get an
understanding of how things were different in the past
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