Project in Practice

Education Coordinator: Aretha George
Participant School: Wylye Valley Primary School
Key Stages: 1 - 2
Project Period: 2006-07

Case Study/Evaluation:
EPE School Project Case Study - Wiltshire.pdf (62 KB)

This school project was the flagship for the EPE school projects, and aimed to show how local history research can be used creatively in schools for cross-curricular learning. The project was based on academic research by Dr John Chandler (for the EPE publication Codford: Wool and War in Wiltshire).

The whole of Wylye Valley Primary School got involved in this project, as pupils from Key Stages 1 - 2 worked in mixed groups to explore developments in local agriculture. The pupils explored agriculture in living memory, medieval farming, late prehistory and the agriculture revolution through investigation, field trips, role play and research. The groups then presented their findings to each other, their teachers and parents.

Debbie Downing, Head Teacher of Wylye Valley School, describes her experience of the school project below.

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Pupils from Wylye Valley Primary School said this about the project,

“The school trip to Cranbourne was a twice in a lifetime experience. I’d really like to go again because of all the things we learnt like how to dye materials 100’s of years ago” - David, Year 4.

“You get into the history and go far far away in time. It gets you to think more” - Chloe, Year 4.

Debbie Downing, Head Teacher of Wylye Valley School.

"As a school we continually strive to make our learning in school fun and relevant - this project will enhance the cross-curricular approach using our local environment.

Local history and culture is a vital part of our heritage and this project will enable us to access all the wonderful resources in our local environment and will enrich the experiences of the children.

Children will take ownership of their own learning and develop key history skills which will give them a valuable appreciation of history in later life.

As a school we strongly believe in continuing professional development of all staff and this project will provide staff to work together with local historians”.