Doctor's visit is a blast from the past for Marden pupils

​​Pupils at Marden Lodge school in Caterham had a medical check-up with a difference recently when a medieval plague doctor paid them a visit.

Joining the mangy medic were a medieval monk and a pestilent peasant, as Year Five pupils studying the period in history were entertained by visitors from the Tales of the Plague theatre company – bringing an ancient world of death to life in the classroom.

“It was an amazing experience,” said teacher Rachael Nicholls, who oversaw the visit. “The children were equal parts enthralled and disgusted, but it certainly made for a history lesson they won’t forget in a hurry! The actors’ costumes were extremely believable, so to see the subject taken off the page of a text book and played out in front of them really caught their imagination”.

Marden, which was graded as Good by its most recent Ofsted inspection, is a member of the GLF Schools group, a Surrey-based multi-academy trust which now runs schools across the south east of England.

“The actors told stories and showed pictures of what life was like in medieval times, but the children’s favourite part of the day was the Miracle Play, depicting the lives of medieval people on earth, in heaven and in hell,” added Ms Nicholls. “They learnt a great deal about the middles ages from this trip, and I think it also taught them to be very grateful that they are living now instead of then!”