- County name: North Yorkshire
- Group/School name: Hackforth and Hornby CE Primary School
- Age group: 5 - 11
- Group type: Key Stage 2 class
War Memorials Trust first visited Hackforth and Hornby CE Primary School in conjunction with Historic England’s Heritage Schools Programme in 2015. WMT were delighted to visit again in November 2017 to increase pupil’s awareness of the role war memorials play on Remembrance Day. The visit formed part of the Key Stage 2 class’s work on Remembrance which included researching individuals from the local area who are recorded on the war memorial. After this session, our Learning Officer accompanied the pupils to the local church where they left a wreath and carried out a short act of Remembrance.
The session began with pupils examining images of a range of war memorials in order to create a simple explanation of what war memorials are. Pupil’s descriptions suggested that anything (cross, plaque, window, hall) which remembers people who fought in the Great War could be a war memorial. To highlight the range of objects which can be war memorials as well as the different conflicts which are remembered pupils were shown a selection of war memorials within relatively close proximity to the school. It was lovely to hear pupils recognising some of these memorials as the images were displayed.
The session moved on to explore when many war memorials were created and why this was. Pupils were then involved in a discussion around why war memorials were important when they were created and if they are important today. They gave careful consideration to both questions and their responses included that at the time people should not be sad but should commemorate those who had fought and that the people who died would have known lots of people and it (the war memorial) meant they would not be forgotten. Some pupils felt that war memorials are just as important now as they were before whereas others felt they are even more important now so that what people did is not forgotten. They also felt that war memorials act as a reminder so that a war like that does not happen again. With this in mind we turned our attention to the problems war memorials may now face and looked at some examples of war memorials nearby which had been in receipt of grants from WMT.
The afternoon was rounded off by a visit to the local church where pupils laid a wreath beneath the war memorial window and plaque (www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/206325/). The Head Teacher and pupils carried out a short act of Remembrance and laid crosses for each of the men remembered on the war memorial plaque. We also had the opportunity to visit the six Commonwealth War Grave Commission graves in the churchyard. The class left a display of the some of the work they had done around Remembrance which has received lots of positive comments from parishioners.
Our Learning Officer was very impressed with the attitude of the pupils and the interest they took in their war memorial heritage and the careful consideration they gave to the importance of war memorials today. Feedback from the school expressed that it was an extremely enjoyable afternoon, a feeling that was echoed by the Learning Officer.
