Children at a Welling primary school dressed up in 1914 costume to commemorate the start of World War One and learn what life was really like at school and at home.

Bishop Ridley Primary School in Northumberland Avenue put on the imaginative historical day so the children from nursery to Year 6 could get a real taste what the atmosphere was like in Britain at the start of the war.

Headteacher Steven Hall dressed up as Archduke Franz Ferdinand, deputy headteacher Jenny Chapman dressed up a suffragette and chained herself to the school railings and the pupils all dressed up in costumes from the period.

Mr Hall told News Shopper: "The children all had a great day.

"They had been learning all week about the lead up to the war and they learnt a lot from the day because it was real and practical.

"We normally do a history day once a year- we have done the Tudors, Romans and Vikings in the past- and we decided do the war this year so we could remember what happened.

"We looked at what life was like in 1914, the British Empire, suffragettes and what schools and home life were like and the differences."

The children also looked at maps of Europe from the period, practised maths skills using pounds, shillings and pence, sewing and craft activities and wrote on slates during lessons.

They also took part in PE lessons using hoops and ropes and watched a production called Your Country Needs You from the Quantum Theatre which told the story of a family and what life was like at the start of the war.

Mr Hall added: "The production showed what is was being called up, soldiers writing letters and postcards from the front line and it included lots of army songs.

"We also had some artefacts brought in including a British and a German helmet, an early gas mask, a meth tin and a soldier's kit bag.

School secretary Sally Croft gave a talk about her great uncle who was killed in the war and premise manager Colin Smith's grandfather was a lieutenant and he took in medals and the commission which had been signed by King George V.

To see more pictures on the school Facebook page visit facebook.com/bishop.ridley.1?fref=ts