The Year 5 staff and children at Westbury Junior School brought the Victorians to life with a Victorian Day where both staff and children experienced a school day from the 1800s.
Surrounded by maps of the British Empire and some very strict school rules, the school hall was transformed and the children were dressed to represent the class differences of the time; from poor chimney sweeps to rich children of the local mills, complete with top hats.
The children discovered what the lessons would have been like, repeating poetry and times tables aloud, handwriting practice, military drills and still life drawing all delivered by several very stern teachers.
The day will be followed by a walk around Westbury to visit buildings from the Victorian era such as The Laverton, Prospect Square, Bitham Mill, the Old Town Hall and Westbury Swimming Pool.
Teacher Hannah Duffy said “The children thoroughly enjoyed it. They put a lot of effort into their outfits and really got into character. We did this as part of their history topic and it helped to bring the subject alive and taught them how a typical Victorian school day may have been.”