Headteacher apologies after 'scary history exercise'

January 21 2011

A Lancashire-based headteacher has said sorry after a history exercise left some of his pupils terrified.

Pupils at St Mary's Roman Catholic School in Bacup were rounded up and informed that war had broken out in Britain, with Blitz-style attacks taking place in London.

The frightened children were then taken into the school's cellar to hide while staff used sound effects to simulate bombs.

However, headteacher Mike Richards was forced to cut the exercise short after some pupils became distressed.

"We were doing World War II as a topic and we saw advice from schools that basically suggested that we introduced the topic as if it was really happening. We didn't foresee these problems," he explained.

"We did a simulated air raid and talked about evacuation, but we said children would probably be evacuated to Bacup as it was safer than Manchester or London."

Mr Richards added that unfortunately the exercise was too real for some of the pupils.

In related news, students from one Staffordshire primary school also enjoyed a history lesson with a difference this month when they dressed in Victorian clothing and used slates during their classes, the Sentinel reported.

News brought to you by TimePlan, the UK's FIRST for teaching jobs

Want to know more about teaching in the UK?

News Homepage