First World War Battlefields Tour 2025

On Monday March 3rd forty Framwellgate students, mostly in Year 8 and Year 9, departed the school with the twin purpose of exploring the battlefields of northern Europe and building relationships with our partner school in Albert. The majority of the students were funded through a Turing Scheme bid which had the objectives of widening participation, developing employability skills and enhancing international awareness.

Investigating the battlefields of Ypres and the Somme

Our time on Tuesday and Wednesday were spent exploring the battlefields and cemeteries of the Ypres Salient and the Somme. Led by the insightful prompts of our guide Simon, we investigated the experiences of soldiers on the front line, including the work of John McCrae at Essex Farm, who worked as a medic and wrote the poignant ‘In Flanders Fields’. From here we travelled to the awe-inspiring Tyne Cot cemetery, which contrasted to our earlier visit the heavily wooded and atmospheric German cemetery at Langemark, with its links to the first gas attack of the war. The afternoon took us to the more hands-on experience of Sanctuary wood and Hill 62, where the students could appreciate trench life and warfare. The day ended with the sun setting over the last post at the Menin Gate in Ypres.

Having travelled to France on Wednesday, we took time to visit the Thiepval memorial, where some of our students were able to find the name of a relative among the 72,000 that the span the monument. The afternoon was dedicated to visiting Lochnagar crater and trying to comprehend the noise and violence of the mines that were set off to signal the start of the battle of the Somme. From there we visited the Butte de Warlencourt, where many Durham Light Infantry soldiers perished in attempting to claim their ‘mini Gibraltar’. Finally, we travelled to Arras and the Wellington Quarry, a testament to the hard work in ingenuity of the New Zealand miners who dug through to the German lines in 1917. Students then had the chance to collate their photos and videos on the evening in their groups.

Experiencing European culture

Alongside the history focus of the trip, was the opportunity to delve into the culture of both Belgium and France. This included visits to Ypres, which involved a chocolate shop raid for Mothering Day presents and appreciation of the incredible architecture of the cathedral and town hall. In France, we visited Amiens and marvelled at the size and stature of the Notre Dame cathedral, built in the 13th century as a masterpiece of gothic art, but also the cities classic café lifestyle.

We spent time with our partner school College Pierre et Marie Curie, where our students were treated to a guided tour of the town by their French peers (in French and English). We also sampled French school lunch, marvelling at their two-hour lunch break. Our students then had time to mix and talk with French students (with some use of Google translate) – widely considered one of the best and fulfilling moments of the trip. We look forward to their return trip in the near future.

We asked the students to be brave, to be curious, to be respectful and to be tolerant (these trips can be hard going!) and they responded magnificently. Many thanks to the staff who took on the challenge avec bonhomie. Hopefully we will have the chance to replicate the trip next year.

Mr Ward, Assistant Headteacher

After visiting the war cemeteries, we collaboratively wrote a poem about our experiences. This poem captures the sense of loss families felt at the human cost of the war, but also hope for peace in the future. 

The Silent Land (by Year 9)

Cries of fear roam the land
As echoes of gunshots ricochet over the horizon,
And in the silence that follows
A whisper of tears.
Those who were once moving are now still,
And rows of headstones stand erect before us
Marking the sacrifice of thousands of men.

This is not what their families would have wanted,
Their sadness and unanswered prayers weigh heavy as lead,
At the loss of their cherished sons,
Taken too early.

Yet their deaths have made a safe haven,
And we will always remember the great loss that saved us.

As the wind whistles through the graves
I know their souls have found the light,
Even as sunset falls over the trenches
That zigzag like scars across the silent land.