Hands on history across the school

Yesterday, our Year 7 students had a wonderful opportunity to share their history knowledge with our Reception children, bringing learning to life in an engaging and hands-on way.

The Year 7 historians proudly showcased the fantastic model castles they had recently created. These models were not only visually impressive but also rich in historical detail, helping to illustrate the architectural and defensive features of medieval castles. Our older students explained their designs, pointing out interesting elements such as drawbridges, turrets and moats – introducing our youngest learners to these key terms and sparking their curiosity about history.

The castle models themselves were incredibly varied, reflecting a range of styles and materials. Some were carefully constructed from cardboard, others creatively built with Lego, papier-mache, or even resin for realistic moats. Each model offered something different for our early learners to explore – encouraging questions and discussion while highlighting the effort and creativity of the Year 7 students.

This collaborative session was a brilliant example of the benefits of an all-through school, where older students inspire and support younger learners while also developing their own confidence, communication and leadership skills. The Reception children were fascinated, asking questions, exploring models and even imagining themselves as medieval kings and queens.

Excitingly, the day has also sparked ideas for the future. There are hopes for a joint summer project, where Year 7 students will collaborate to create a large castle structure for the EYFS children to play in, further blending creativity, history and learning through play.