Sunderland school transports pupils to WWI with week of themed lessons

Thornhill Academy remembrance event. Pupil Jake Gray who researched his great grandfather Robert Tait

In keeping with other public buildings around the city, the school has attached banners and poppies to fences and all tutor groups have been busy creating wreaths which have been placed at the foot of a specially erected flagpole in the quadrangle.

All learning this week was focused around WWI, with gas masks being made in science, trenches in history, remembrance jars in technology and war time songs sung in music.

All pupils were also given a poppy onto which they have written their own message, with the poppies affixed to a large 100 and displayed in the main hall.

The school also welcomed representatives from the DLI to come into school to work with groups of students from all year groups. Members of the local community have also been invited into the school to see the pupils’ efforts.

Jackie Leroy, assistant headteacher at Thornhill Academy, said: “Our expectations of the week have been hugely surpassed. Our young people have more than risen to the challenge and have shown the greatest amount of respect: the whole school population observing a minute’s silence on the yard at break time.”