Year 10 and 11 pupils at Lawn Manor Academy have had the trenches of World War One brought to life as part of their GCSE History studies.
Almost 150 pupils were given the opportunity to explore the front-line trenches through virtual reality, as well as get hands-on with shell fragments and life-saving first aid equipment, including a Thomas splint, which was introduced during WW1 and dramatically reduced the mortality rate of soldiers who had sustained fractures as a result of the war.
The day was facilitated by Time Travel Education and was led by a Sergeant Parsons, former soldier with 24 years’ experience in the Royal Army Medical Corps. Each GCSE class was treated to an hour-long revision session which explored the conditions in the trenches, evacuation and new techniques and treatments that have been developed as a result of what happened.
Social Sciences Teacher at Lawn Manor Academy, Andrew Bull, explained: “Through the use of the Virtual Reality headsets pupils were able to look directly into a front-line trench, to experience the layout and also the daily routine of a frontline soldier. We peered into a Regimental Aid Post to see how immediate first aid would be administered and then we went to a Casualty Clearing station, where we saw some common conditions, such as bullet wounds and trench foot, being treated.
“By getting hands-on with artefacts from World War One, and combining it with seeing the trenches with their own eyes, albeit through a virtual reality headset, pupils can connect their learning with real life experiences. It has really focussed the minds of our GCSE historians, who will soon be putting this knowledge to good use in their GCSE exam.”
Lawn Manor Academy is part of the Ascend Learning Trust. For more information on Lawn Manor Academy, visit www.lawnmanor.org
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