Pupils had a big surprise at Beckley when they returned to school after the Christmas holiday. Coming through the school gate and turning into the playground, they were met by a huge map of the world that was installed on a wall of the building. The world map includes key landmarks and features, picked out across the continents, that directly relate to some of the topics that the children study at school. I has been fantastic to see how the pupils have made up ‘geography games’ for playtimes, using the map in a really interactive manner.

The surprise didn’t stop there, however!

A second big feature was also installed over the Christmas holiday – an enormous history timeline that runs the full length of the stairs, leading up to  Blue Spruce and Evergreen classrooms. This vibrant, colourful timeline charts key historical events – from the dinosaurs right up to COVID-19 and the coronation of King Charles. Again, the events and features were carefully selected to include the history topics that the children study. A key feature on the timeline marks the year when our school first opened in 1818, making Beckley School pre-Victorian!

The map and timeline have really made an impact, engaging the pupils and really helping them develop their sense of place and their sense of time. They have already become a real feature of our school and helped to bring our understanding of the world and it’s history to life!