Ellesmere Port school hosts week of activities to celebrate Queen's Platinum Jubilee

As a serving officer in the British Army reserves, Dr Victoria Carr, headteacher at Woodlands Primary School used her military links to best effect to support Jubilee week celebrations.

Woodlands Primary School headteacher Dr Victoria Carr.

Preparation was key and staff have been planning this for months to make it cohesive – not least the trip the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst’s ‘Sandhurst Trust’ shop for a very special mug to drink tea out of by Dr Carr!

The school brought the fun curriculum to life with progressive and comprehensive planning for activities for all year groups, from the youngest to the oldest in subjects that can sometimes be forgotten: art, design and technology, and music – as well as history.

WO2 Matt Screen, Band Corporal Major of the Household Cavalry, agreed to support their Jubilee week after WO1 Ben Ruffer, the Corps Sergeant Major of The Royal Corps of Army Music, made the introduction.

The Queen's Carriage.

Matt filmed himself answering questions about being a member of the ‘HCav’, about learning to play a musical instrument, about being a part of doing actual fanfares for the Queen and other Royal family members and about failures and mistakes he had made. He also gave up his time to participate in not one but two live question and answer sessions with the junior children, which they loved – particularly the question about the itchy hat.

The school also had the pleasure of receiving a personalised message from the Pipe Major of The Royal Regiment of Scotland, who piped for the Queen the week before, and a shout-out for three special members of the school community by the carers of her favourite Shetland pony, Cruchan.

Research in the kitchen to create a lemon posset pudding.

The children learned a great deal about musicians and music and how fundamental it is to Royal events. They also learned about the different regiments and uniforms and why they have significance to their regiment.

To round off the musical aspect of learning for the children, the school welcomed in Jim from Edsential to share brass instruments and fanfares, something organised by music lead Lucy Barrett. Not only that but they have their very own brass expert, Carmel Donaghue, who played for the infant children. Using a range of instruments and also information technology, all of the children were able to create and perform their own fanfare.

In addition, the entire school spent the four days learning about the different decades of the Queen’s life, what she has survived and suffered, what she has done and seen making and illustrating their own timelines.

The lemon posset treat.

They examined the portraits that have been created of her, in various media, by a range of artists and each year group created their own in a variety of styles. The artwork was stunning and testament to the talent not just of the children but the Art and DT lead, Mr Barnes, whose passion for the subject is clear.

The children spent time researching the Queen’s Carriage, creating some detailed and professional looking ‘exploded labelled diagrams’ that showcased the many historical artefacts that make up components of it, before designing, creating and evaluating their own carriages in design and technology.

As if that wasn’t enough, some months ago they did a homework project on ‘Puddings fit for a Queen’, and the winning pudding, as selected by the school cooks, was lemon posset. This recipe, submitted by a pupil after he and his sister made it at home and tested it, was then made and shared with the children on Thursday by the school cooks as a surprise – it took 90 lemons, 3kg of castor sugar and 12 litres of cream to cater for all of the children.

One of the children made both Dr Carr and school dog, Gus, some royal accoutrements and naturally there was the red, white and blue dress code for the week that culminated with the entire school wearing patriotic attire to raise money for charity.