Royal High Students Observe Remembrance Day
Senior School, Co-curricular & Trips
Students at Royal High School Bath (RHB) have been learning about and commemorating World War I in the lead-up to today's Remembrance Day.
Over the half term break, Year 9 pupils embarked on the school’s annual Battlefields Trip, visiting key sites around Ypres and the Somme to gain a deeper understanding of the experiences of those who served. During the visit, one student, Maude, was able to locate the name of her great-great-great uncle, Ernest Church, on a memorial to the missing at Tyne Cot.
Maude commented that: “I don’t think I knew how deeply I felt about this man before I went on the trip. I felt sad and found it difficult to leave - I couldn’t stop myself staring at his name on the wall. We also held a little service of remembrance next to the panel with his name, which was very touching and I’m so grateful for the fact that we managed to do that.”
Another student, Ada, said that she thought to herself when visiting the cemeteries: “Ok, that happened, let’s not ever let it happen again.”
Alongside their visits to the historic sites, students explored some of the poetry of the time, reflecting on the legacy of the war and its enduring place in our collective memory.
Royal High itself has a proud military heritage, having originally been founded as the Royal School for the Daughters of Officers of the Army. Its establishment was largely thanks to philanthropist Mr Alfred Douglas Hamilton, who founded the Officers’ Widows and Orphans Fund during the Crimean War - from which the idea for the Royal School grew. The school remains dedicated to ensuring that military history is commemorated and discussed.
Harriet Pagnamenta, Head of History at Royal High, said: “Our Battlefields Trip allows students to engage with history in a deeply meaningful way, fostering a greater understanding of the realities of World War I and ensuring that those who sacrificed their lives are remembered. I am continually impressed by the thoughtful and respectful way our students approach these challenging topics.
Co-curricular trips like this are a vital part of our history curriculum, transforming what is covered in the classroom into something the students can see, hear and touch. It adds another dimension to the study of history.”
Back in school the pupils marked the day itself with the whole school community coming together to observe two minutes of silence, followed by one of our talented students performing a moving rendition of The Last Post, filling the air with a sense of gratitude and remembrance that resonated across our campus.
