Pupils enact Les Miserables

EVERY year, the Herm school puts out a calendar based on a particular theme to raise money for school funds. This year's is based on Victorian literature and art.

The children depict scenes from famous novels such as Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, Great Expectations and A Christmas Carol.

A large part of their work this year has been a study of the life and novels of Victor Hugo. It was wonderful for such young children to be able to read Les Miserables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame and then to visit the author's home in Guernsey. The calendar features these works as well as scenes from Hugo's Toilers of the Sea.

By immersing themselves in the roles of strong characters like Emily Bronte's Cathy, Dickens's Oliver and Kipling's Mowgli, they are able to empathise with the characters and more fully understand the complex literature they are studying. Even such gruesome tales as Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street have led to discussions as in-depth as villains versus victims and the difference between man and monster. Victorian novels, with their wealth of dramatic roles and scenes, their strict moral codes and the age-old battle between good and evil, are as good a way as any to teach youngsters about character, both in fiction and in life. As much of this learning is disguised as fun through role-playing and photography, the calendar is a great way to help the children connect to the stories while also helping to raise money for the school they love. The photos were taken by teacher Mary Carey's daughter Dulcie, who has a wonderful eye for composition, and stylised by Jack Le Tocq of Colour Monster.

One funny incident occurred when archaeologists working on the common, in search of Herm history, were stunned to see a group of children in Victorian dress come walking around the corner.

Many of the wonderful costumes were kindly loaned to the school by Jo Dowding at Candie Museum.

A large number of calendars have been ordered in advance by drama lecturer Andy Kempe of Reading University. Mr Kempe has worked with the children in the past and was instrumental in Mary Carey writing about their work with Shakespeare and being published in National Drama Magazine.

Calendars have been given to the National Trust's Victorian parlour shop in Cornet Street and the children plan to give one to Hauteville House when they next visit.

There are only a few left for sale and they can be found in the Mermaid Tavern.Herm school children star in their own calendar. (Picture by Dulcie Carey)