Since finishing their exams, our Year 8S pupils have been involved in a cross-curricular project which is centred around preparation for a mock trial. Pupils began by researching the facts of the case, debating the law and considering the arguments. They gained understanding into the role of the law and justice system within our society and explored how laws change with changes in society and science.
In preparation for the mock trial, the children took part in a debate vs PGS to hone their debating skills and took part in a legal workshop with Caroline Strevens, professor of legal education, and former Head of the Law School at the University.
Mock Trial
8S visited the University of Portsmouth Law Courts to take part in a mock trial and legal workshop with Judge Bernard Davis OBE.
The pupils were in two teams debating whether necessity is ever a defence for murder, using the case of Dudley and Stevens Vs Regina. It is a tale of shipwreck, survival, turtles and cannibalism which had them inspired to write strong compelling speeches. Judge Davis OBE praised them for their hard work, set them the challenge of distilling their arguments down to a one minute impromptu speech and said he was impressed by their eloquence and agility in the courtroom.
Miss Fisher, Head of English and trip co-ordinator said, “It is lovely to see our pupils applying their creative and persuasive writing skills in a real life setting. It is no easy thing to stand up in front of a judge, in a courtroom, wearing a wig and gown. I was very proud of all of them, and they should feel incredibly proud of themselves.”
This project aimed to:
- Develop the pupils' knowledge of the UK legal system – with a focus on criminal law; the process of going to trial and the different jobs within the legal profession
- Practice their analysing, debating and presentation skills
- Make links between lessons in school and real-world application; the pupils argued a historical case which was a springboard for historical research and creative writing tasks.
Creative Writing Task
The final stage was a reflection and review of the project including creative writing, a book review and a court report.
On the theme of survival and with a target audience of children aged 5-7, our 8S pupils were tasked with writing an engaging story. They visited the Pre-Prep to tell their stories and to see if they had hit the mark. Here one pupil tells the tale of surviving... being made to eat carrots by his parents! Other stories included mermaids, sharks and pirates and our Pre-Prep pupils enjoyed the tales.
