The Schools’ Project started as an idea to involve local schools in the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Additional Burial Ground. The ABG is the most amazing resource for schools with its treasure trove of characters involved in art, music, literature and more; and people who witnessed big social changes and important historical events over the last two hundred years.
We produced a teachers’ pack with biographical material on 15 personalities, links to resources and suggested activities and waited to see what would happen. The response from the five local schools taking part was terrific, especially as we were asking them to be involved in this project at a busy time of year.
The tomb trail tours captured the children’s imagination as they engaged in learning about the characters. Dressing the children up was a real hit and Chris and Marilyn were often collared by a child asking if they could be chosen next – especially the boys!
The material the schools produced was thoughtful (like all the work around the two world wars), imaginative (like the trains produced by the Reception Class at Hampstead Parochial School), exciting (like all the poems inspired by Eleanor Farjeon), or even poignant (like the diaries of climbing boys produced by Emmanuel) to mention just a few of the special pieces of work produced.
The project culminated in two concerts involving nearly 500 pupils on Friday morning before the opening of the Flower Festival. It was compered by Tom Sneddon, ‘a sometime resident’ for 17 years of the ABG (aka Jon Siddall). It had many magical moments – the choir from Devonshire House; a group of pupils from New End wearing pearly hats they had made and singing ‘Just because I’m a Londoner’, and then another group reading a poem they had written inspired by the bomb disposal hero Ernest Gidden; pupils at Hampstead Parochial School interviewing the Pearly Queen, Linda Carter, and asking if you could buy her outfit online; sampling delicious food made by Emmanuel and St Michael’s using recipes by Eliza Acton (and we were also given beautifully illustrated recipe cards)…
Finally it was all about ‘Inspiration’ and bringing children in the community together. Teachers’ appreciated the resources and the opportunity to use the ABG as a resource for exploring local history – “we had so much fun, thank you”. We feel that we should continue the project and are working on the next stage……