Young time travellers are exploring schooldays of yesteryear in a project to keep the memories of the ‘best years of your life’ alive.
Blackrod Primary School has been awarded £10,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to explore the school’s heritage through research, written and spoken memories and artifacts from the 1940s through to the 1990s.
The school, graded outstanding, is said to be rich with history, but which until now has largely never been explored.
Entitled 'Blackrod Remembered’, 25 children from ages seven to 11. will be become ‘Heritage Hunters.
Blackrod was once a major coal mining centre with most of the working male population employed in the pits.
However, at the time of the depression in the 1930’s, many collieries closed.
Scot Lane Colliery employed 700 miners but closed in 1932, bringing hardship.
The school opened following the depression in 1939 as a senior school before becoming a primary in the 1960's.
The school educated local children post the depression and through World War II.
Many children educated at the school continue to live in the local community, themselves with children and grandchildren attending the school.
Recently the headteacher, Ian Dryburgh retired after 35 years leaving the risk that many memories from the school could be lost which prompting the project.
The project, supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund will enable children to look at the history of the school including fashion influence on uniforms, technology, punishment, school trips and dinners.
Children will consider local landscapes, looking at the building, surrounding school grounds and background landscape.
Youngsters will investigate education through changing times including through the wartime.
Past pupils, staff and governors will be invited to bring in past photographs and children will receive oral history training conducting interviews of past pupils and staff, collecting, and recording their memories and following the lives of former students, staff, and governors.
They will work with historians to fill gaps in historical evidence and secure local history at risk of not being shared.
The project will culminate in a mural, working with an artist to interpret what they have learnt visually and will prepare a digital exhibition for the community.
The project will help young people develop skills as well as ain a knowledge and love of the school and community which they will be able to share with others.
Kath Mead, headteacher at Blackrod Primary School said: “We are delighted to have received this grant thanks to National Lottery players and we look forward to finding out more about the heritage of Blackrod Primary School.
“We are confident that Blackrod Remembered will be a great success and that the project will have a positive impact on children teaching them valuable skills.”
If members of the community have links to Blackrod Primary School and would like to get involved in this project as a volunteer or would like to contribute a memory, artifact or evidence please email hlf@blackrod.bolton.sch.uk.
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