St Bernard's Year 2 pupils explore medieval life at Discovery Fortress

Year 2 pupils from St Bernard’s Lower Primary School spent a day exploring the topic of castles through a series of activities at the newly developed Discovery Fortress outdoor learning facilities.

The visit focused on aspects of medieval life. With support from Gibralflora, pupils planted fruit and vegetables to gain a practical understanding of how communities in the past grew their own produce. They later role-played buying and selling at a mini-market while working within a set budget, combining historical learning with numeracy skills.

Pupils also designed and crafted their own shields with personalised coats of arms before using them in a re-enactment of a castle siege using bean bags. Additional activities included leaf rubbing art and composing music inspired by the castle theme.

The programme included an escape room challenge in which pupils solved clues about the Moorish Castle and the history of the Moors in Gibraltar. The activity was designed to encourage teamwork, problem-solving and historical discovery.

Staff said the day offered a mix of learning, creativity and outdoor activity, and helped strengthen pupils’ interest in the topic of castles and their stories.