Pupils visited First World War battlefields in France and Belguim during a trip to educate them about the history of the conflict.

Year 11 history pupils from Bancroft's school in High Road, Woodford Green, visited historical sites in Belguim and France over the weekend.

Head of history Luke Brennard led his 72 pupils to the sites so they could be educated about the tragic loss of million of lives.

Mr Brennard said: "The weather at times gave the students some insight into the horrific conditions the soliders had to endure whilst living in the trenches.

"But all pupils remained in good humour and learnt a great deal about the conflict."

Students visited the Ypres Salient, in Belguim, which saw one of the biggest battles of the Great War, with enemies forming on three sides of the territory.

In France, they visited the land where the Battle of the Somme took place in 1916. More than one million British and French servicemen were wounded or killed during the battle, making it one of history's bloodiest ever.

On Sunday, the group of students laid a wreath in Bailleul, a commune in the Somme. A student placed the wreath on the grave of Old Bancroftian George Edward 'Jerry' Wright, a boarder who was killed in action in France on October 1, aged 24.

Remembrance Day itself was marked at Bancrofts's School with a chapel service led by the school's chaplain, Rev Ian Moore.

Staff, pupils and parents joined the school's 200 members of the school's Combined Cabet Force and representatives from the Sea Scouts and Clubs to honour the servicemen and women who died in conflict.

The Combined Cadet Force marched along Whitehall Road and the High Road before proceeding into the school's grounds, where a wreath was laid on the school's war memorial by RSM Adam Deary.

A second wreath was laid on the memorial plaque in honour of former Bancroft's pupil Daniel Clack, who was killed in 2011 whilst serving with C Company, 1st Battalion, The Rifles in Afghanistan.