2010 DORSET AND SOUTH WILTSHIRE BRANCH SCHOOLS PRIZE AWARD SCHEME
Report on the Second Schools Competition
The 2010 Dorset and South Wiltshire Branch Schools Prize Award Scheme gave an excellent illustration of the quality of work which can be achieved by young historians working in the area of the First World War.
The 2010 Award Scheme encouraged pupils to approach the Great War from almost any area of the subject and to present their research findings in either the traditional essay format or as a piece of artwork, as a model or as a film. The non-essay formats had to be accompanied by research notes and comments on the progress of the research process. Every entry had to be completed in the candidate's spare time and not as part of normal school work.
Jack Matthews winning entry
This year's Award Scheme, building on the success of that from 2009, produced thirty imaginative pieces of Great War history from pupils from Poole Grammar School and Portsmouth Grammar School.
The Prize Award evening was held on the 30th September, 2010 at the Tank Museum, Bovington, Dorset where prizes were awarded to entrants from Poole Grammar School and Portsmouth Grammar School; the latter school unfortunately being unable to attend the evening.
The overall winner was an exceptional piece of work which fulfilled not only all of our judges' criteria but also exemplified the spirit in which the whole Award Scheme was offered. The quality of research, and the standard of presentation of that research, stands as a model for those entering this Scheme in future years. Jack Matthews (Year 8), of Poole Grammar School, researched all of the names on his local war memorial at Corfe Mullen. He presented his findings in a computer-aided design of the memorial, a design which was formed using all of the names, and all of his research findings about those names.
Jack's initial idea was to create a piece of artwork which could be read. To create the finished design Jack traced the outline of the memorial from a photograph onto a copy of his writing so that he knew where to highlight the text, and the poppies. He carried out internet-based research to obtain the census, grave, service and medal records and visited the Dorset History Centre. Jack commented in his research notes that research can take a long, long time and can, at times, be frustrating because sometimes the information required is lacking or contains mistakes, the latter making verification hard. However, he also discovered how extremely interesting and rewarding research can be, especially "when I found what I was looking for, it was great!". Jack has contributed his research to the UK National Inventory of War Memorials, and comments that "To understand our history, it's important to document it - otherwise it gets forgotten."
The overall winner is congratulated
by the Branch Chairman
The research notes produced by Jack Matthews to accompany his entry
The judges were also delighted by the standard of the entries submitted by the two second-prize winners. Tom Harper (Year 9), from Portsmouth Grammar School, researched and presented, on DVD, a documentary dealing with the history of Submarines in the Great War. His film included an interview conducted with staff at the Royal Naval Submarine Museum. Scott Dodds (Year 8), from Poole Grammar School, produced a family history project centred on a splendid 1:72 model of the Handley Page 0/400 flown by his great great uncle in 100 Squadron.
Scott Dodds splendid 1:72 model of the Handley Page 0/400
Other entries, many of which were highly commended included work on Conscientious Objection, Gas Warfare, Artillery, Jutland, HMS Warspite, and the British Army in the Hundred Days.
After unavoidable delay the Prize Award Scheme 2010 concluded with presentation of prizes to entrants from Portsmouth Grammar School on Wednesday 17th November 2010.
At the invitation of Portsmouth Grammar School Head of History, Mr Simon Lemieux the branch Chairman and Secretary travelled to Portsmouth to attend the School Assembly which is held once a term in Portsmouth Cathedral.
Once the whole school had assembled a smoothly executed programme of school awards, reports on activities during the term including the schools visit to Poland and Auschwitz/Birkenau, a choral piece, a well performed extract from the forthcoming school musical production and a report by a scholar on his involvement in a cosmology project at Portsmouth University the Chairman presented prizes to the successful entrants from year 9 to 11 in the branch school prize award scheme.
The quality and range of entries made the work of our panel of judge's a pleasurable but far from easy task. Pupil Tom Harpers documentary of Submarines in the Great War presented in DVD format was of particularly high quality and well deserved the second prize award in the face of extremely strong competition from the other entrants.
Portsmouth Grammar School 2010 prize winners
The Chairman was then given the opportunity to address the whole school on the quality and range of entries and on the importance of an event of such great magnitude that still has a resonance today and the role of the Western Front Association, an Educational Charity in promoting the understanding and knowledge of an event that impacted in some way on everyone's life then and now. The Chairman concluded by thanking the Headmaster Mr J.E. May MA and Mr Simon Lemieux for allowing the branch the opportunity to present the prizes on a key occasion in the school calendar. We look forward to the schools participation in our 2011 Prize Award Scheme.
David Seymour, MA, MPhil
(Branch Education Officer)
Martin Willoughby
(Branch Chairman)