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If your students are struggling to keep their mind on history when it comes to learning about the Battle of the Somme, an educational visit to the site of the fight could be a great way of engaging their attention. One of World War I's bloodiest conflicts, the battle began in July 1916 after months of trench combat between British and French allies and the Germans with the aim of finding a decisive victor. However, the battle failed to achieve such an outcome, instead resulting in more than a million casualties on both sides during 1916, and the war continued for another two years afterwards. Travel with your pupils to France on a battlefield tour for schools and help them learn more about the conflict by gaining first hand experience of the locations and landmarks relevant to the battle. You'll visit the strongest defensive position in north-western France - Vimy Ridge - which is now home to a cemetery, Canadian memorial, tunnels, trenches, as well as a small museum. And you're likely to take in the commune of Longueval, which houses Delville Wood. The wood was entrusted to the South African troops for capture so soldiers could advance eastwards. Now, it is a place for remembrance for New Zealanders who fell on the Somme and also home to a national museum. In the village of Pozieres you'll find the Windmill Memorial, erected to commemorate Australia's 2nd Division, which fought in the battle and was tasked with capturing the village. Meanwhile, in Thiepval, take in the sight of the largest British memorial in the world at 45 metres high. The monument is inscribed with the names of more than 73,000 British and South African troops who lost their lives on the Somme but have no known grave. At the nearby visitor centre you can show your pupils photographic panels of the missing men. Let the youngsters explore the trenches at Beaumont-Hamel Memorial Park, which is where The Royal Newfoundland Regiment came under German machine-gun fire on July 1st 1916, with just 68 men left unscathed after half an hour. And finish your educational visit to France by paying a visit to some local points of interest, such as the Historial of the Great War Museum where students can discover what daily life during the war entailed. STS School Travel Service provide battlefield tours for schools to a number of destinations across the UK and the rest of the world, including educational visits to Italy.
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