A COLLECTION of thought-provoking projects have been created highlighting the First World War experiences of pupils at a Halesowen school.

With help from the families, the children at St Margaret’s at Hasbury researched the part their ancestors played in the trenches and on the home front.

Headteacher Pauline Rogers said: “The standard of the projects was outstanding - we were all moved by the many stories of bravery and loss of so many local young men including the 40 ex-pupils of Hasbury listed on the memorial plaque in our main hall.”

She added: “We wanted children to talk to older members of their family who may have had memories, photographs and artifacts of their grandparents and great grandparents’ experiences and stories about the Great War.

“We felt the projects would enable the children to have a much greater understanding of the importance of the 100 year commemoration of the outbreak of the war and that this event would then be far more meaningful to the children when we held our Remembrance Service in St Margaret's Church.”

The school also took the older children to the National Memorial Arboretum where they spent the day finding out about the different memorials and the stories behind them. Janet Ingram, a school governor and a member of the Halesowen Historical Society, said: “Many of the adult congregation at our Remembrance Service were deeply moved by the respect and thoughtfulness of the children who led the service and all the children's projects were displayed in the church for everyone to share.” Pupils Faye Gibbons, Lauren Moreton, Emily Bennett and Olivier Williams received book tokens for submitting the best projects in their year group and Olivier also won overall best project.

Her work is being put forward to Halesowen Historical Society's annual schools' local area history competition.

St Margaret’s has also won the title best choir in the Little Voices singing competition at Merry Hill and a £1,000 to enhance music and singing throughout the school.