Windy Nook: a school and community at War
1914-1918
WW1 Project and its Legacy
At Windy Nook Primary we have always valued the history of our locality, so we are delighted to announce that we have been awarded a Heritage Lottery Fund First World War; then and now grant to help us investigate Windy Nook: A School and Community at War 1914-18.
In 1914 the village was a still a distinct Edwardian community, ‘occupying’, according to Whellan’s 1894 Directory, ‘an elevated and exposed position’ within Felling Parish. The largest employers were local mines and quarries. Our school opened in 1883 and played a prominent part in local life. During the summer term 2018 our Year 6 children, led by Mr Hawdon and Mr Brown explored the impact of that terrible conflict on local people.
This project had a profound and lasting effect on everyone at Windy Nook Primary School; therefore, and quite rightly so, we have decided to continue to contribute to this page. It is our tribute to the fallen men and women who sacrificed theirs lives to give us the British values that we cherish: democracy; the rule of law; individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths.
Explore & Research
Learning through…
Field Trips
We have field trips planned to Heugh Battery, Hartlepool, Newcastle University and St Alban’s Church.
Local Archives
We’ll be looking at the old school log books and using military service records, CWGC resources, newspapers, maps and census materials.
Expert Visitors
Artist Kate Hancock, ICT expert Martin Bailey and WW1 re-enactor Sgt Chapman will be visiting school to help our Y6 children.
Project Resources
Trade
Directories
Windy Nook
Hero
Finding John
Brown King
Leading Up
To WW1
School Log
Books
WW1 Links
Newby Wiske 2026
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Newbie Wiske
What a start to this year’s residential. The children have taken part in a range of amazing activities, from facing their fears on the climbing wall and the giant swing, showing excellent teamwork skills in a range of games and showing competitive spirit during laser...
Bluebells Homework 5.6.26
Bluebells homework this week is as follows: English – Page 50 and 51 - Apostrophes for missing letters Maths – Page 38 and 39 - Fractions of amounts READING All children should be completing daily reading – diaries will be checked on Mondays. If your child reads 5...
Transport Adventures and Sports Day Fun!
This week we have introduced our new focus on transport, and the children have been exploring this theme in lots of creative and hands-on ways. During snack time, we enjoyed reading a range of transport-themed books, which sparked discussion and curiosity about...
Nightingales Homework 5.6.26
This week’s homework for Nightingales is - CPG English Pages 18 & 19 – Commas in a list Please return to school by Wednesday.
Virgin Money Make £5 Grow
Today, Year 6 were delighted to welcome Clare and Jen from Virgin Money, who introduced the exciting Make £5 Grow project. Over the next few weeks, the children will take on the role of young entrepreneurs as they learn how to invest money and develop ideas to...
Welcome to the Bug Hotel: Now Open for VIP Minibeasts!
This week the children learned about minibeasts and their habitats. Our bug hotel needed renovating, so the children got busy transforming it into a five-star hotel for their tiny guests! The children collected materials from the school grounds, including sticks,...
Year 2 Storytelling Fun!
In Year 2, we’ve been busy diving into the story Goldilocks and Just One Bear—and what a fun twist it is on the traditional tale! The children absolutely loved spotting the differences and talking about what made this version so funny and unique. After enjoying the...
KS1 Trip to Washington Wetlands
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Something fishy in KS1
We had a fantastic time at our KS1 Diorama Workshop, where children and their families came together to create beautiful underwater scenes inspired by the Great Barrier Reef. There was a wonderful turnout, and it was lovely to see so many parents and carers joining in...
Virtual-Reality Rainforests!
In Lower Key Stage 2, we welcomed Mr Peoples from EduPeopleVR for a phenomenal virtual-reality workshop, all about tropical rainforests! Wearing virtual-reality headsets, the children were able to explore all four layers of the rainforest, as well as encountering...
Leaf Man Inspires: A Week of Creative Learning
This week, we concluded our It’s Not a Stick focus with a creative and highly engaging playdough activity. The children worked collaboratively to follow a simple recipe, carefully measuring, pouring, and mixing ingredients to make black playdough. They were fascinated...
Image credits
Banner image: Imperial War Museum Photograph Archive Collection
Response Memorial: Photograph by Jacqueline Banerjee from the Victorian Web
Inside Heugh Battery: Paul Buckingham [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons