A Norfolk school is set to become the subject of its own history lessons ahead of its 180th anniversary.

Great Dunham School, in between Swaffham and Dereham, is celebrating the milestone this year and plans to delve into the many pages of its past.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund is supporting the school with the project, which will include events and a publication that will be distributed to all households in the villages of Little Dunham and Great Dunham.

Watton & Swaffham Times: A photo of pupils from Great Dunham School in the 1930sA photo of pupils from Great Dunham School in the 1930s (Image: Stephen Olley)

Gordon Phillips, project co-ordinator and former advisor on the school’s governing body, said: “It was the school’s idea, but they asked me to get involved as I helped them with a project looking into the lives and military careers of the 21 Dunham men who died in World War One.

“We had all the children write into the lottery when applying for funding saying how excited they are to look into how the school used to be all that time ago."

Pupils will look through old logbooks and learn about the school’s building, its curriculum, the weather's effect on the school and how it had to be closed during an outbreak of whooping cough.

Watton & Swaffham Times: Great Dunham School Log books from 1909 and 2001Great Dunham School Log books from 1909 and 2001 (Image: Great Dunham School)

Former pupils have been asked to contribute to the project and get involved in celebrations.

A week of activities and celebrations will start on May 24, when staff and pupils will go to Gressenhall Museum for a Victorian-themed day, complete with period costumes.

Two days later there will be a celebration event and presentation of the Joan Smith Reading Achievement Award.

Watton & Swaffham Times: Joan Hunter, a former pupil of which children will be working with her exercise books from the 1920sJoan Hunter, a former pupil of which children will be working with her exercise books from the 1920s (Image: Stephen Olley)

The school can be contacted by email office@grd.unity-ed.uk, and Mr Phillips can be reached at ourworld.festivals@gmail.com.