Mid Norfolk is home to dozens of much loved schools that play a vital role in our local communities – and I always relish the opportunity to showcase their successes and key milestones.

One of the oldest village schools in Norfolk, Great Dunham Primary School turned 180 years old this year and, having held their official birthday party back in May, are set to unveil an exciting new booklet all about their history later this month.

Five years ago, the school took part in a Heritage Lottery funded project called “Fields Familiar, Foreign and Faraway” in which pupils worked alongside heritage professionals researching all of those who died from the village in the First World War. This very successful project led to the production of a fantastic publication that went to all homes in Great and Little Dunham, as well as all of the libraries in Norfolk.

Now, with the support of Heritage Lottery grant funding once again, Great Dunham Primary’s pupils have been exploring their school’s own history in greater depth and, later this month, will be unveiling a new booklet that they have produced to share the knowledge they have learned.

I understand that the school still has logbooks going back 130 years, as well as written testimonials from students that would have attended some 120 years ago. With the aid of heritage professionals, today’s students were able to combine that source material with other research they have been doing.

This really is a fantastic initiative and I look forward to reading the children’s work when it is published in a few weeks’ time.

Please do make sure to keep an eye out for the booklet in all of Norfolk’s libraries – and if you live in Great and Little Dunham, expect to find a copy posted through your door.

Well done to Great Dunham Primary!