Bay House School, Gosport: Trip to Gallipoli
Trip to Gallipoli 4-8 November 2014
Students from Bay House School in Gosport took part in a 5 day pilot visit to Gallipoli. They prepared for the trip, gathered material whilst there, and on their return they carried out local research, following up some of the soldiers whose graves and memorials they visited in Gallipoli.
Students and teachers began by exploring different approaches, and initial discussion led to ideas linked to drama and global citizenship. The pupils had to apply to take part by submitting short scripts based on stories from the campaign (example here).
Based on their applications, eight 13-17 year olds were selected, and they worked with the nearby Royal Navy Submarine Museum to explore local stories. With the aid of the Gallipoli Association, they were also able to discover the names of several Gosport soldiers who went to the Gallipoli in 1915.
Before the trip, they also made contact with students from Canakkale College near Gallipoli, and started exchanging emails.
The trip itself is reported in a blog post and the students’ reflections are recorded here.
Back in England, the students attended a drama workshop at the Submarine Museum. They also followed up leads from the soldiers whose graves and memorials they visited in Gallipoli, undertaking research locally with the Gosport community. The project was rolled out through the school through further drama activities.
Headteacher Ian Potter describes the broad educational benefits of the trip to Gallipoli for his students.