Jarrow children transported back to the world of Ancient Greece

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The Year 3 children from St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Jarrow, which is part of Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust, spent a full school day exploring all aspects of life in Ancient Greece, including taking part in the Ancient Olympic Games, sampling the delights of Grecian food and enjoying some favourite Greek pastimes

The children were placed into teams representing an Ancient Greek city-state of either Athens, Sparta, Olympia, Corinth or Argos to participate in their version of the highly acclaimed games.

Dressed in traditional Grecian style clothes, the pupils took part in a pentathlon-style event which featured a wide variety of sports including javelin throwing, relay race, long jump, discus and sprints.

Pupils from St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, which is part of Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust, take part in an Ancient Greece day.

After their excursions in the Olympics, the pupils got to refuel by enjoying a Greek food tasting experience, sampling some of the finest traditional Greek foods from olives and feta to moussaka and tzatziki.

The day ended with a pottery making session for the children where staff said they enjoyed a messy-but-focused afternoon creating some wonderful Ancient Greece-inspired clay pots.

Anu Vedhara, a Year 3 teacher at St Joseph’s, said: “It was amazing to organise such a special day for Year 3 pupils who have been learning lots about Ancient Greece.

“We’ve discussed how people lived during that era including what they wore, what they ate, what they did as a job and more.

“The games were a fun way to bring Ancient Greece to life for the children and the efforts they made to replicate Grecian citizens were very impressive.

“Living history is a vital part of our wider curriculum at St Joseph’s and a key focus in the Trust’s history education continuity programme. The day consolidated all of year 3’s great learning in an interactive and enjoyable way.

“Some of the pottery creations were a real masterclass and the children especially enjoyed sampling some well known Greek foods. It was an excellent way to end a hugely rewarding history topic.”