On 9^th November 2018, the History Department took Year 8 students alongside Year 9 GCSE History students to Ypres Salient to mark the centenary of the end of First World War. During the visit, students had the opportunity to visit a range of sites including Essex Farm Cemetery, which was the inspiration for John McCrae’s poem In Flanders Fields’, and the German cemetery at Langemark. In preparation for the trip, all students had researched a soldier who was buried at Tyne Cot Memorial in Passchendale, which is the biggest Commonwealth cemetery in the Salient. On arrival, students then located the resting place of their soldier and laid a commemoration poppy cross at his grave. The trip ended with visits to Sanctuary Wood trenches and Ypres Town whereby students bought copious amounts of Belgian chocolate! Finally, Miss Bassett led a memorial service at the Menin Gate where a wreath was laid on behalf of the school. Throughout the day, all students were encouraged to enter a photography competition led by Miss Livermore and Mrs Tilby to create a memory diary of the trip. The photographs entered into this competition were all amazing and the students should be congratulated for their efforts in this. The skills they each demonstrated deserve great praise too. The photos have been judged and the winners have all received a prize. The winning photographs have been put onto a collaborative display to be celebrated in school. The winning entries were Rhiannon Barber (Year 9), Katie Burt, Michael Folan-Young, Bradley Hughes-Jones, Tiegan Knight, Natalia Sharp-Martin, Johnny Sparrowhawk and Euan Timms all from Year 8. Well done to all.

Melissa King (Subject Leader of History).