Year 8 WW1 Battlefields Trip

Year 8 History residential trip to the WW1 Battlefields, France and Belgium June 2023

Year 8 students travelled to France and Belgium for a History tour of the World War 1 Battlefields in our first visit since 2019.

Visiting key battle sites, such as Ypres and the Somme, cemeteries and memorials, our excellent tour guides gave the students insight into the personal stories of the men who bravely fought and died during WW1. Particularly poignant were the stories of PALS Battalions told to us as we sat in Sunken Lane on the Somme, right where those young men went ‘over the top’ on that fateful day in July 1917, when some 20,000 men died and some 40,000 were wounded. An experience that students were still talking about on our way home on the coach.

We were privileged to lay a wreath on behalf of the school at the Menin Gate during the Last Post Ceremony in remembrance of Hertfordshire soldiers, and the three students who were able to participate in this performed such an important service excellently.

Shopping for authentic Belgian chocolates was definitely a highlight and much needed at the end of a busy first day!

I want to thank all the students for their positive attitude to learning and superb behaviour. Everywhere we visited staff and members of the public commented on how polite, friendly and well-behaved our students were. The staff on the ferry were particularly complimentary!