Following the D-Day 80th anniversary commemorations last week, local British Army Air Corps pilots landed an Apache helicopter on the playing field at St Michael’s Primary School in Aldbourne this afternoon, much to the delight of the pupils.
Aldbourne is an idyllic village in Wiltshire that is renowned for its strong military links. Over the course of World War Two, British and Canadian forces were based in the village, with the Americans also arriving in 1944. This included the now famous US paratrooper unit Easy Company – the “Band of Brothers” immortalised by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks in the 2001 TV series, based on Stephen E Ambrose’s book. Many of the officers stayed within the village, put up by locals. Other soldiers were housed in Nissen huts on Farm Lane, with overflows in the likes of the stables at Hightown.
St Michael’s C of E VA Primary School has remained at the heart of the village since the first provision for schooling in Aldbourne was founded back in 1668. It has evolved into a thriving school with 200 pupils in attendance. The school is supportive of military families, with a number of children attending whose parents are in the British Armed Forces along with several Governors who have previously served. As a school, the visions and values are in many ways aligned with those of the military. A shared sense of pride and purpose helps enrich us all. There is a belief that academic achievement and personal development are equally important and a stimulating and happy learning environment fosters these in unison.
The opportunity for the children of St Michael’s to meet members of the British Army Air Corps is a brilliant example of how we help implement this into our learning environment. Aside from the excitement of seeing the Apache helicopter land on the school field, it acted as a great case study to reinforce parts of the curriculum across the different year groups. For example, our Reception class have been learning all about ‘people who help us’ and have had several talks from different industries about the opportunities available in the work place to make a difference to people’s lives, the military being a perfect fit. There are also the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) areas of study that are linked to the rigorous training associated with flying these prestigious aircrafts. Routinely flown just above tree top height by day and night, the complex aircraft systems coupled with the most advanced sensors and targeting equipment ensure the British Army has a world leading attack aviation capability, ready for deployments anywhere across the world.. The design, technology and engineering were the main topics of conversation between the older pupils and the pilots themselves.
“It was humbling to remember the 80th anniversary of D-Day last week, highlighting to the children of St Michael’s that so many had sacrificed their own lives for our country. It was therefore very timely to be honoured with a visit from the British Army Air Corps today at our school. It was a fantastic sight for all to see an Apache helicopter land on the school field, I’m not sure anything will top their excited faces! A huge thank you to the pilots and soldiers who gave up their time to visit us and answer all of the many questions the children had for them.” Judith Arkwright, Headteacher St Michael’s, Aldbourne.
Do you recognise this cat? Now occupying a garden in The Parade
