Students and staff at King’s Ely Senior commemorated the bicentenary of the Peterloo Massacre during an action-packed history week programme.

Ely Standard: Students and staff at King’s Ely Senior commemorated the bicentenary of the Peterloo Massacre during history week. Picture: JORDAN DAYStudents and staff at King’s Ely Senior commemorated the bicentenary of the Peterloo Massacre during history week. Picture: JORDAN DAY (Image: Archant)

This year the focus was on marking 200 years since the Peterloo Massacre on August 16 1819 - and on the Chartist campaigns of the 1830's and 1840's.

The senior history department organised a host of quirky lessons and activities.

The programme included an assembly led by Cambridge historian, Dr Ben Griffin, on Chartism.

A screening of Mike Leigh's acclaimed film Peterloo was also shown alongside a sixth form historians' debate.

This year's debate saw year 13 students propose the motion that 'popular protest is ultimately futile' - with reference to Peterloo and Chartism.

In the five years that King's Ely History Week has been running, this was the first time that a year 13 set won the debate.

History week also saw teachers and students dressing up as chartist campaigners, including head of history at King's Ely Senior Colin Currie.