As part of our World War II learning this term, Year 6 rolled up their sleeves and headed to the kitchen to experience a taste of life on the Home Front. With rationing at the centre of our history lessons, the children learnt how families had to be creative with limited ingredients — and what better way to understand this than by making a classic wartime treat: bread pudding.

Using simple ingredients that would have been readily available with ration coupons (and a couple of modern-day additions) — stale bread, a little sugar, dried fruit, margarine, an egg, and a splash of milk — the children followed an authentic 1940s recipe. They quickly discovered that nothing went to waste during the war, and even old bread could be transformed into something warm, comforting, and delicious.

The classroom was soon filled with the smell of cinnamon and mixed spice, but the real highlight was watching the children work together: measuring carefully, mixing with determination, and discussing how different life must have been for families during wartime. Many were surprised at just how tasty the pudding was, despite the limited ingredients!

This hands-on experience brought our World War II topic to life and helped Year 6 understand the resilience and resourcefulness of people living through rationing.