From Civil War To Unity!
From Civil War To Unity!
Year 9 “English Civil War” History Project at Sherbourne Fields Special School
The last few weeks have seen both the end of a long exam season and the start of a heatwave and a World Cup! They have also witnessed the History Project at Sherbourne Fields Special School, a time for lots of dressing -up, reconstruction and fun.
This was the 20th year of the History Project, which has created a such a close bond between the two schools and provided a major enriching experience for many young people. Not only does it offer the opportunity to make friendships and share fun experiences with a wider, diverse peer group, but it also presents a responsibility and a challenge. The 2026 participants are by no means the first to be inspired by their work with Sherbourne students.
The project provided a great revelation that learning about the past can be great fun for everyone. All students rose to the challenge of dressing themselves in Civil War outfits. Colour, sounds and images help the SF students identify this as a special topic. The Civil War was a massive turning point for this country, but a hugely destructive period with the country, towns, villages and even families becoming divided.
We tried to put across in a sensitive way; how the distinction between Royalist and Parliamentarian, Cavalier and Roundhead, marked the countries existence at the time. This helped to bring to life not just the challenges of the key players of the civil war, but the everyday lives of the ordinary people that all students could relate to.
The project also provided a great opportunity for our students to enhance their story-telling skills. They were divided into four groups, each with their own Civil War theme to explain. These covered the story of how and why the country disintegrated into war with itself; what life was like during the Civil War based on the famous painting “When did you last see your father;” the strange-but-true story of what happened to Cromwell’s head; and…why did they ban Christmas?!...yes, it is true that this country passed a law in 1652 banning the celebration of Christmas.
To the students delivering the project, the experience provided lasting memories.
One member of the team, Kingsley commented “Right from the start it was a great experience. I loved helping to make the flags and then hiding them later for the Sherbourne students to find”. Michelle added that it was “just as important to interact with the students in their breaks and lunchtimes as it was in their actual lesson times.” To Nadia, the whole experience was “unforgettable! The kids there were just so fun to be”
So... a huge vote of thanks to the 2026 SF team - Keerat, Josh, Nilay, Paris, Jenny, Seren, Imogen, Kingsley, Michelle, Nadia, Samson, Daxton, Grace, Logan, and Sultan.
Mr Finney, Joint Leader of History
