YEAR 9 STUDENTS VISIT LOCAL WAR MEMORIALS - March 2009

Year 9 students visited war memorials in Northam, East-the Waters and St. Mary's Church Bideford. Students were interested in the wording on the monuments and struck by the large numbers who died in WW1. Students will try to rersearch individials in an attempt to help them to relate more fully to those who died. It might even be possible to find some of the graves when we visit the battlefields in Belgium in June.

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LEARNING THE VICTORIAN WAY - Year 9 - Jan 2009

Year 9 students enjoyed their visit to The Victorian School in Appledore. They found it quite difficult to remain silent and some ended up at the "naughty desk"! Students had the chance to use slates, quills and ink pens. They were shown how to do Copperplate Writing and how to add up sums of money using the Imperial System.

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SLAVERY PRESENTATION - Year 9 - Nov 2008

Year 9 students had the chance to learn more about "Britain's role in African Slavery" in a fascinating, interactive presentation from the character actors of Torrington 1646. Students were given a taste of the suffering and discomfort of slaves when they were manacled, chained together and shown whips and other methods of punishment. All students were very absorbed and a number of thought provoking questions were asked.

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STONEHENGE VISIT - Year 7 - Wed 17th Sept 2008

This educational visit to Stonehenge by Year 7 provided a unique opportunity to explore Stonehenge and the surrounding landscape. We were met by a costumed interpreter dressed as a Bronze Age "wise woman" who invited us to go back in time by dressing in costume. A walk to the Cursus Barrows then lead to a discussion about what objects might be buried with people when they had died, examining issues of status and belief. We walked to the "Avenue" to help understand why Stonehenge might have been built and imagine how Bronze Age people might have felt as they approached the monument. Pupils performed rhythms and chants as they processed up the Avenue towards the stones. We discussed how the monument might have been built with the help of illustrations.

Click here for: Stonehenge Trip 2008 Photo Gallery

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OKEHAMPTON CASTLE VISIT - Year 7 - Wed 11th June 2008

Year 7 students had an informative and fun day out at Okehampton Castle.
They can be seen here indulging in the commendable academic pastime of "looking into things in greater depth!" More about their activities and photographs can be found from the link below.

Click here for: Okehampton Castle Trip 2008 Photo Gallery

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BATTLEFIELDS OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR
~ FRANCE & BELGIUM~
May 2008

Click here for: Battlefields of World War I Trip 2008 Photo Gallery

Mr Beechey and his team returned from a three day trip to France and Belgium visiting the Battlefields of the First World War. The visit to the Western Front by Year 9's proved most successful and enjoyable for staff and pupils alike.They were fortunate to have the services of an excellent guide in Greg Davey whose knowledge of the sites visited was well communicated to the pupils. Further information and photographs of Vimy Ridge, Flanders Field Museum, Sanctuary Wood, Tyne Cott British Cemetery, Essex Farm, Menin Gate and more can be found by clicking on the Gallery link above.

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SIXTH FORM STUDENTS VISIIT AUSCHWITZ - April 2008

"If you held a minute's silence for all the victims of Auschwitz - you would be silent for four years." This stark message from a Rabbi came near the end of a long, intense and emotional day for Alice England and April Braund. The girls, both Upper Sixth History students, were part of a group of 8 teenagers from North Devon invited by the Holocaust Educational Trust to visit Auschwitz in Poland. The Trust's aim is to increase knowledge and understanding of the Holocaust, and for the participating youngsters to pass on lessons learned to their schools and the wider community.

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17th CENTURY SURGERY DEMONSTRATION FOR HISTORY CLASS

Character actors from Torrington 1646 visited Grenville on Wednesday 16th January 2008 to provide practical demonstrations of Renaissance surgery techniques to the two Year 10 GCSE History groups.

Shaun Saintey Year 10, reported in his assessment of the visit: "Every person was very interested and I think that everyone enjoyed it.......One of the most effective demonstrations was one of the actors showing how bladder stones were treated in the 17th Century. The explanation was very gruesome!"

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