World War One was the focus of this term’s Curriculum Collapse Day on Tuesday 7 November 2023. Throughout the special day, boys swapped their usual lessons to explore a whole carousel of activities that opened their eyes to some of the realities of soldiers’ lives in WWI and allowed each boy to learn the personal story of an individual Old Bedfordian who lost his life in the conflict. It proved a poignant, enriching day that developed many themes beyond traditional classroom boundaries.
However, starting the day before, in a special assembly with Old Bedfordian Richard Galley (72-82) and Director of the Bedford School Association Hugh Maltby (73-83), boys began their WWI journey by learning about Bedford’s Highlanders. The 17,000 Highland troops became a part of Bedford in 1914, with Bedford School being a central hub in the Highlanders’ lives as they trained, paraded and even held (the largest ever) highland games on the school estate.
The boys also saw the names of all the Old Bedfordians, some 497 boys (the youngest just 17 years old) and men who lost their lives in WWI. Poignantly, this is a total higher than the number of boys in the Prep School today. Their names took on renewed significance as Curriculum Collapse Day dawned, as each boy was given a unique identity card with a fallen Old Bedfordian that they could read about. Included among them was OB Charles Pulley, who was brought to life for the boys in the assembly in a unique AI animation, in which ‘he spoke’ verbatim from his diary about the Christmas Truce – one of the most widely shared moments of the Great War.
Read more about Old Bedfordian Major Charles Pulley’s war diary
Around the estate on Curriculum Collapse Day, boys in Y5-Y8 undertook army training exercises, built lookout towers and learned how to march with our RSM. The boys also created shoebox trenches, periscopes such as those used to see over the top of the trenches, and a stunning sea of poppies (some 500!) so reminiscent of the fields of France. Y7 boys also experienced a session in a WWI field hospital set up for the day. Thanks to army medic, Hugh, the boys learned not only how to bandage arms and legs, how to use a tourniquet and how to transport a casualty safely but also gained an insight into the difficulties medics faced in treating injured soldiers in the harsh conditions of the trenches.
Our younger boys in Y3 and Y4 created Anzac biscuits, a treat sent to soldiers from Australia and New Zealand during the war from home, took part in a WWI-themed treasure hunt and added to the incredible poppy display around the Inky.
All boys enjoyed a session on the WWI soldier. In the age-appropriate sessions, Chris from the Education Group took them through a soldier’s uniform and trench warfare and introduced the boys to songs from the time, among many things – a real highlight of the day for many!
To wrap up the day, in House Drama, boys acted out famous war poems in their Houses. It proved a moving evening, which conveyed through words and drama the focus of the day and proved a fitting finale and act of remembrance ahead of the Armistice weekend.
Prep School Headmaster Ian Silk told us, “What a superb day, all inspired by Remove Former Will Feltham who brought in a WW1 Christmas Box, which Princess Mary gave to all the troops in 1914, to show some of the boys. Their interest sparked a full day of activity, in which it was moving to see the boys engage so fully as they furthered their understanding of the history of WWI. Through the various activities, the boys could deepen their understanding and reflect on the hardships faced by all in an age-appropriate way. Above all, it gave them a safe space to think about and commemorate the brave soldiers, among them a staggering number of Old Bedfordians, who lost their lives fighting in WWI.”