Battlefields Trip

Pupils in Year 9 spent a poignant long weekend exploring significant historical sites in Belgium and France.

Led by Robert, our wonderful guide of 28 trips, 39 students and five teachers spent three days on the Western Front of World War One. On Thursday, we drove to the Ypres Salient in Belgium to study the events of the three battles that were fought here, in particular the Battle of Passchendaele or the Battle of the Mud. One third of the 1.25 million men who fought for the British Empire were lost in the salient, and we visited the largest British cemetery in the world at Tynecot. The second day saw us driving to the Somme to explore the events of the first day of the battle in July 1916 – the worst day in the history of the British army. We were moved by the heroism of the Pals Battalions and the Devonshires who gave their lives for our freedoms. A vital part of our experience was the poetry carefully selected and beautifully introduced by Mr Larochelle, read by the students. Returning to Ypres, we witnessed the Last Post at the Menin Gate, a ceremony which is held every evening at 8pm in memory of the men who fought.

On the last day, we visited St George’s Memorial Church and explored the museum and trenches at Passchendaele. A trip to our usual chocolate shop and some free time for the students to explore Ypres ended what had been a truly memorable experience for everyone.