The First World War Centenary Battlefield Tours have been helping schools to connect the First World War to their local communities – as well as to the political and social issues of today – to make the war relevant and personal to the lives of our students. Simon Bendry explains

In March this year, Comres conducted polling which suggested that two-thirds (66 per cent) of British adults do not believe that young people today understand the historical significance of the First World War.

A majority of all age groups reached this conclusion, including 58 per cent of those aged 18 to 24, and 75 per cent of over-65s.

While these results demonstrated the on-going challenges that teachers face in developing a deep historical understanding within their classrooms, my experiences working with schools up and down the country show there is a great passion among students for learning about historical topics such as the First World War, if they are taught in a dynamic and engaging way.

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