Students learn to research with the Schools' Archivist

The Schools' Archivist, Mr James Buckman, has visited Year 9 students to support them with their research projects.Mr Buckman's visits, focusing on non-fiction, have supported the Year 9 research project, which is designed to prepare students for their GCSEs and beyond. In the sessions, Mr Buckman guided students through how they can tackle researching topics with little to no information, and how to use a variety of media, with the smallest details, to find what they are looking for.Each student, at the end of the year, will present their own research projects to the class. In addition to their archive sessions, Mrs Singer, Librarian at Stamford School, will show students how to search the library catalogue for books, and teach them about plagiarism, referencing and producing a bibliography; all essential skills for their future academic careers.Students have praised the workshops, commenting how interesting the content of the Schools' archives have been. Highlights included learning about 'Kissing the Old Man’, a tradition whereby students are lifted to kiss a statue above the Chapel doors, dating back centuries, and finding out about Oswald Elliott and the ‘names’ from the Schools' day Houses and buildings.Mr Buckman said: "With these history lessons, I have raised awareness about the SES Archive among the current student body, and I have shown them the value of contemporary sources, particularly how we can learn about a person’s schooldays and their lives thereafter from the school magazines."When I started these history lessons, I was uncertain if I would succeed in engaging the students. These history lessons were my first attempt at delivering an education to schoolchildren, and they proved to be inspirational for the students.  The students went off exploring the digital archives on their own looking for information on the schooldays of their relations, and even researched Old Stamfordians who served in the Great War.  Above all, these lessons have been a very rewarding experience for me."For anyone interested in independent research, Mrs Singer said: "Never limit yourself when it comes to research – if you are interested enough to make the first enquiry, then this should only be the start!"For more news from the Archives, please click here.