Roman history and culture took over St Gregory’s catholic Primary in Margate with warriors, the nobility and townsfolk in the classrooms and corridors.
The colourful historic spectacle was all part of a special immersive day to celebrate a successful learning adventure.
Year 3 and 4 children in an array of outfits and costumes enjoyed a packed day of activities as they learnt more about living as a Roman.
They made bread to a Roman recipe, found out about Roman fashions and created Bulla pendants, explored leisure activities and sports, enjoyed a Roman food tasting and designed and built shields used in battle formations.
The children really enjoyed the day. Mia said : “My favourite part was the shield making, I really liked being able to design them ourselves”, while Dieko added: “The Bulla pendants were really fun to make, as real Roman children wore them, and I got to make a wish just like they did.” Izzy really enjoyed making the bread and commented: “It wasn’t like our bread though it was really heavy and quite sour tasting.”
Food tasting sessions were popular although some pupils were disappointed they didn’t get to sample traditional delicacies including flamingo tongues and roasted dormice.
However they did sample foods similar to everyday Roman fare: mackerel, cured meats, semi hard cheese, olives, figs, dates, honey and their own handmade non-yeasted Roman loaves. Morrisons supermarket contributed to the spread which meant the children got to sample a rich array of new tastes.
Nyah said the mackerel was delicious and added: “I wasn’t sure at first due to the smell, but I really liked it,” and Joey said: “The honey was really tasty, and it was great with the bread.”
The learning journey began at the start of term with pupils considering why the Romans decided to settle in Britain. They explored the natural resources that appealed to the Roman invaders, the Britons’ response to the invasion, what made the Roman army successful, explored what artefacts can tell us about a Roman life and considered the legacy that the Romans left behind.
Noah Graham, special educational needs and disabilities coordinator and lower Key Stage 2 lead, said: “We all enjoyed a fully immersive day as Romans. It was a fitting culmination to a term where our children have been busy discovering all about Roman life – in History, we have explored how they settled in Britain, and we have used our time in literacy enjoying author illustrator Thiago de Moraes’ book ‘A Gladiator Stole my Lunchbox’.’
Teacher Shimona Sandwell, who coordinated the day, said: “It was such a good opportunity to bring learning to life. The children will remember these experiences for years to come and will able to draw on the associated knowledge as they continue throughout their school career.”
Head Teacher Dave Walker said: “What a wonderful way to end a fantastic topic discovering a pivotal time in the history of Britain. The children were thoroughly immersed in the history and culture of the period, and we were treated to excellent costumes and outfits from our enthusiastic pupils and staff.”