Education Packs
A Teacher Resource Pack entitled ‘Remembering the Normandy Landings’, has been produced by the British Normandy Memorial supported by the British Council for D-Day 80. This resource is invaluable for those wanting to engage pupils with background stories to D Day, and includes suggested activities and research articles. It is available at:
https://www.britishcouncil.org/school-resources/find/classroom/remembering-normandy-landings and there is a link to download the pack at the end of the article.
Alternatively hard copies are available from the Spirit of Normandy Trust. Teachers may request these by sending details of their school, including a postal address, to info@spiritofnormandy.org.uk
Copies will be sent free of charge, but we request that the school keeps the Trust informed of D-Day related activities.
2025 Education Competitions
80th Anniversary – VE Day Poster Competition – Closing Date 20th April 2025
The 8th May 2025 will see the 80th Anniversary of VE Day. On 8 May 1945, Prime Minister, Winston Churchill made an announcement on the radio at 3pm that the war in Europe had ended, after Germany’s surrender the day before. The Spirit of Normandy Trust is running a creative competition for primary and secondary aged children.
Design a poster which illustrates and captures everything that VE Day is about. There are three categories (KS2, KS3&4 & SEND) for entries and the winner of each category will receive £100. Our own Normandy Veteran community will be judging the posters. VE Day Poster
Please scan in and send your entries to info@spiritofnormandy.org.uk Please name the scanned file with the name, competition category and age of the entry. e.g. ‘Sarah KS2, Age 9’. Posters may be used on social media and our website so please let us know if there is an issue with either the poster or the first name and age of the child being publicised.
You can read about some veteran experiences from VE Day on our website by clicking here.
Young Historian Competition – Closing Date 25th July 2025.
Working in close liaison with the Young Historian Project, the Trust awards annual prizes for essays submitted by schools throughout the country relating to World War 2 events and their historical significance.
These prizes are for groups and individual pupils in three categories, and in very special circumstances, within the EU. The veterans are especially keen that children should know what the War meant to Servicemen and their families. They are happy to visit local schools by invitation to talk to children and answer their questions. This “living documentary” has been shown to inspire the children and to ignite their imagination. This has been most apparent in the content of many of the essays written in response to the Trust’s essay competition run in conjunction with the Young Historian Project. In March 2006 it was decided by the Trustees, with the approval of General Martin’s family, to create a new award for the Young Historians, entitled “The General Peter Martin Award”. This award, for £100 and in Memory of General Martin, will only be given if an entry is considered to be exceptionally outstanding. All entries submitted will receive recognition of participation and prize winners will be invited to attend a prize giving ceremony and buffet usually held in London.
The Young Historian Project is an offshoot of the well established and highly respected Historical Association about which a great deal more can be learned by clicking here for the primary award. For the secondary award, click this link. This alliance with the Young Historian group has brought to the Trust the extremely professional services of Dr. Trevor James and his committee of educators, all of whom are, like the Trustees, unpaid volunteers. It is this committee that receives the entries and sits in judgement on the submissions before making its recommendations to the Trust.
Primary: Those entries are usually a class project or that of an after school Group in the primary age range.
Prizes in this category are;
Winning entry – £100.
School or Group also receive – £150
KS3: Usually individual entries in this category.
Prizes in this category are;
Winning entry – £100.
School or Group also receive – £150.
Senior: Usually individual entries in this category.
Prizes in this category are;
Winning entry – £100.
School or Group also receive – £150.
Details of entry available from; Dr. Trevor James on 01543-301097 or you can read more about the competition in our leaflet here.
e-mail: enquiries@history.org.uk