Windmill pupils prove to be mothers’ pride with Great Fire ofLondon baking project

Pupils in Butterfly Class at Windmill School had a history lesson with a
difference recently when they baked bread inspired by the Great Fire of
London.

The children have been studying all aspects of the life, history and stories
of the capital this term, taking in projects as diverse as building their
own bridges to find new ways across the Thames and having a visit from a
London black cab to find out about their role in the city’s story.

But it was the tale of the Great Fire of 1666 that particularly caught their
imagination – and inspired them to go to the kitchens themselves. “London
has proved to be a great topic to study, because there are so many different
aspects to it, but this was probably the most fun one to do,” said class
teacher Mrs Clare Scragg. “It wasn’t just about the food aspect, though – we
discussed the sort of bread that people would have been likely to eat in
those days, and the ingredients they would have used, so it was specific to
the London topic.”

Unsurprisingly for such a crowded place, the capital has proved to be full
of themes and topics for lessons, but Mrs Scragg said it also gave staff an
opportunity to widen the curriculum. “As well as being an enjoyable activity
in its own right, activities like baking are also a way of introducing ideas
like healthy eating into the curriculum, and making the children think about
that. And the best thing about it was that, at the end of the day, everyone
had something to take home for tea as well!”