Burgoyne Middle School’s Museum of Curiosities

The Year 7 and 8 pupils at Burgoyne Middle School in Potton set up a Museum of Curiosities on Thursday, February 27.

Head of humanities, Eleanor Buchan, said: “It was an extended homework project where they had a month to do it. They had to sign up to a period of history and they could choose anything they wanted from prehistoric to the modern day.

“I wanted them to have the opportunity to select a period of history that interested them and to have the freedom to go and research it and create an artefact that might be seen in a museum.”

The students were allowed to work with friends if they chose. Creations included dinosaurs, the Twin Towers, full size mummies and the International Space Station.

They also had to create all the relevant information such as labelling.

Mrs Buchan added: “It was literally staggering! I set the homework and left them to it and I had no idea what I was going to get. It could have been a pathetic effort but it was phenomenal.

“There was such a positive atmosphere and the kids that put the most effort in could take the praise in full view of the other children. It showed the more effort you put in the more you get out.”

Parents, staff and the younger pupils all visited the museum, which was laid out in chronological order.

Many of the artefacts are now being displayed around the school.