Pupils from Frenchay Primary School in Victorian costume
THEY may have just moved in to a brand new building but Frenchay Primary School pupils went back to Victorian times to bring their history lessons to life.
Children have been studying how Brunel changed Bristol and to help them relate to the era a Victorian school day was recreated, with children wearing period costume and classroom desks arranged in rows.
They tried handwriting in a Victorian copybook, performing drill exercises, playing traditional games and doing arithmetic with chalk on pretend slates.
Head teacher Katherine Marks said: “After learning about many of the jobs that children had to do in Victorian times, the children all agreed that they would much rather have been at school.
“Everyone had been warned about the strict discipline in Victorian schools, and you could have a heard a pin drop while they were working!”
The school has also been celebrating the work of its Year 2 pupils who have been inspired by their latest book, Tad, to produce what Mrs Marks described as “some absolutely incredible writing”.
They wrote stories about animals who had close escapes from danger and “some very romantic love letters” from a tadpole to a caterpillar, showing off new skills with similes.