EACH week the Gazette will be visiting a different school to take a look at some of the ways pupils are being encouraged to learn in their classroom.

This week, we paid a visit to Hawkesbury CE VC Primary School in Hawkesbury Upton, where pupils in all year groups focussed on the theme of the 20th century, from artists of the time to wartime stories, through a variety of activities and tasks.

Pupils have been on a journey to the past at Hawkesbury CE VC Primary School, where the year groups have taken on their own topics through the school theme of the 20th century.

As pupils returned to the school at High Street, after the half-term break, the summer term theme has continued in the classrooms where topics connected to the 20th century have inspired lessons and homework tasks.

The reception class has been looking at the farming industry in the 20th century, comparing machinery and tractors in particular, while years one and two have been looking at past and present types of holidays and the changes in weather.

Years three and four combined to learn about World War Two, by writing diaries and letters as evacuees and looking and interpreting different sources of wartime material.

Year three teacher Shelly Callicott said: “The umbrella theme has branched over the school and by bringing the two classes together it has helped with the children’s learning and progress, as they have more personalised and independent learning.

“The children have really enjoyed learning about World War Two. The theme is broad enough to cover the whole curriculum which is good. They have been writing their own newspaper reports and poetry about the Blitz using all kinds of strong adjectives.

“This week particularly will be about wartime food and recipes, and we hope to even grow our own food as part of this, weather permitting.

“We aim to end the entire theme with a VE Day celebration later in the month as well.”

Pupils have also been encouraged to bring in materials from home from the era, to ‘show and tell’ their classmates about – from wartime medals to photographs of past times.

Seven-year-old Erin Weeks in year three said: “I like bringing in things to class about the war, I brought it a medical kit already with bandages and plasters.”

Fellow classmate Katherine Warner, eight, said: “I found it interesting learning about the rations during the war as we got to see the kinds of food people used to eat and had in their homes, even though it wasn’t very much.”

Year five and year six pupils have been looking at their family trees as part of the theme, and also learning about artists including visual artist Julian Opie, sculptor and painter Alberto Giacometti and English ceramic artist Clarice Cliff.

Headteacher Louise Lewis said: “We decided to look at the 20th century throughout the school because we believed it would give the children a good sense of chronology through the years, which will be wrapped up with a celebration extravaganza event.

“We are trying to keep history alive through their learning.”