Warwick Bridge Primary School evacuates pupils as part of history trip

The trip saw Year Five and Six pupils from Warwick Bridge Primary School travel from Brampton to Haltwhistle by train as part of a simulated evacuation that aimed to bring the children's history lessons on the Second World War and the evacuation of children in the 1940s to life.

Warwick Bridge Primary Schools evacuated pupils (Image: Warwick Bridge Primary School)

The primary school also got its student's parents involved in the history trip with the issuing of a 1940s-style evacuation notice that instructed them to equip their child with all necessary evacuation gear such as gas masks, ration books, handkerchiefs, and combs and warned that they would not return 'until the Government decides that it is safe'.

On the trip, the students also met Terry Miller, who was evacuated in the 1940s as a child, with class teacher Antonia Kelly reflecting on the day whilst also thanking the Tyne Valley Community Rail Partnership for helping make it possible.

She said: "Wisteria Class have had a fantastic evacuation trip. We have been learning about WW2 with specific reference to evacuation.

"The trip was able to bring our learning to life and build on the knowledge they have already learned.

"Having Terry, the WW2 evacuee, was fantastic and the children enjoyed listening to his story and asking him questions."

Warwick Bridge Primary School headteacher Mark Ashton also explained how he believes the students benefitted from the practical history trip.

Warwick Bridge Primary School students en-route to Haltwhistle (Image: Warwick Bridge Primary School)

He said: "It is very important that children get the opportunity to study aspects of history like this.

"There are fewer people alive now who actually experienced being an evacuee in World War 2 so an experience like this enables the children to get a feel of what it was like for those children during the War.

"The evacuee rail trip from Brampton to Haltwhistle gives that first-hand experience of an actual historical event."