VIDEO: Clipstone kids uncover war time history

Samuel Barlow Primary School has years of history running through its brick walls and grounds.

Almost 100 years ago, the primary school formed a training area for one of the regiment’s camps, Clipstone Camp.

Now the entire school has been learning all about WW1 as part of a whole term topic and is even campaigning to get a war memorial on the school grounds to mark the centenary.

Rachel Sheldrake, head teacher, said the project has captured the children’s imaginations more than she could ever have imagined.

“We are part of the Clipstone Camp Project Group and we are working with them to try and get funding for a war memorial to remember the villages history and those that were lost at war.

“The school has a special significance to the war so we think what better place for it and it will be protected on the school grounds.

“The children are so motivated by this entire project and have loved producing artwork, writing poems and making war time meals.

“They absolutely love learning about all the different aspects.

“We will also be planting poppy seeds later in the year to mark the centenary.”

Local historian, John Danbury, has been giving talks at the school and bringing teaching staff up to date with how the area was affected and showing children different memorabilia from the time.

Mrs Sheldrake added: “I was conscious that the some of the staff had either no or little knowledge on the school’s history so we are really grateful to John for taking time to come and talk to us.

“We are constantly looking at what’s going on in the village and how it has changed since the war and I think it is important for the children to know about its history.”

The school hopes to bid for funding to transform the school front to remember Clipstone’s war time history.

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