Wickhambrook school celebrates Magna Carta anniversary

Children at Wickhambrook Primary School took part in a special celebration to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta on Thursday.

The school hosted a visit by Margaret Charlesworth from the Bury St Edmunds Magna Carta 800 Committee, who led an assembly informing the children all about the Magna Carta and its historic links to the local area.

Afterwards, children completed a range of activities centred upon the Magna Carta and about everyday life in medieval England.

Activities included crown making, rule writing, decorating illuminated letters, creating scrolls – stained with tea for an authentic look –and even a life-sized collage of King John.

At the end of the morning, children took part in a timeline race where groups were asked to place in order important historical events in the quickest time possible.

Headteacher Jason Austin-Guest said: “This creative and fun-filled morning proves that teaching children about the significance of key British historical events can be fun.

“The morning was a great success and it provided our children with an enjoyable and memorable learning experience.”

Mr Austin-Guest said he was impressed by how interested the pupils were and he would like similar events to become a regular fixture at the school.

The Magna Carta, signed by King John 800 years ago, provided the basis for legislation that put a brake on the powers of the monarch and allowed for the ruler’s power to be checked.

Though not always successful in its initial form, it nonetheless served as a vital precedent for further legislation that paved the way for democracy as it is currently seen.

Other vital document were inspired by it, including the US Constitution.