Tag Archive for: history

Looking Forward to Women’s History Month which Honours Inspirational Women and their Impact

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Every March across the world, Women’s History Month is celebrated as a dedicated time to recognise the achievements, struggles, and contributions of women throughout history. For educators, it presents a valuable opportunity to inspire pupils and spark important conversations about equality, representation and social progress.

 

What Is Women’s History Month?

Women’s History Month is an annual, month‑long observance that highlights the role women have played in shaping society. Originating in the United States in the 1980s before being adopted internationally, it serves as an extension of International Women’s Day, celebrated on 8 March each year. In the UK, it offers schools a chance to explore women’s experiences across history, from political activism to scientific discovery, literature, the arts, and beyond.

The month is widely marked by educational events, themed assemblies, exhibitions, classroom projects, and community initiatives. It encourages pupils of all genders to learn about women who may have historically been overlooked or underrepresented.

 

Why Do We Celebrate It?

Women’s History Month exists to address a long‑standing imbalance in how history has been told. For centuries, the achievements of women were frequently overshadowed or omitted altogether. By spotlighting women’s stories, schools help pupils understand that progress—whether scientific, political, cultural, or social—is the result of many voices, not just the dominant ones recorded in traditional narratives.

 

Celebrating Women’s History Month helps:

  • Promote gender equality by giving visibility to women’s contributions.
  • Inspire pupils with diverse role models across disciplines.
  • Challenge stereotypes and broaden pupils’ understanding of what women have achieved—and can achieve.
  • Strengthen representation so that girls in particular see themselves reflected in positions of influence.
  • Encourage critical thinking about fairness, inclusion, and social progress.

For school staff, this is also a chance to embed equality and diversity into the curriculum in meaningful, sustainable ways.

 

Five Inspirational Women to Explore with Pupils

Below are five remarkable women whose stories can spark curiosity and discussion in both primary and secondary classrooms.

  1. Mary Seacole (1805–1881) – Nurse, Healer, and Humanitarian

Mary Seacole was a British‑Jamaican nurse who cared for wounded soldiers during the Crimean War. Despite seemingly facing racial prejudice and rejection from the War Office, she funded her own travel and established the “British Hotel” to support soldiers. Her courage and compassion make her a powerful role model for resilience and determination.

  1. Emmeline Pankhurst (1858–1928) – Leader of the Suffragette Movement

A central figure in securing women’s right to vote in the UK, Emmeline Pankhurst founded the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU), known for its motto “Deeds, not words.” Her activism changed British democracy forever and helped lay the foundations for gender equality today.

  1. Malala Yousafzai (1997– ) – Education Activist and Nobel Laureate

Malala’s global campaign for girls’ education began in Pakistan, where she advocated for schooling at great personal risk. After surviving an attack by the Taliban, she continued her activism on the world stage. At 17, she became the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize winner and remains a modern icon of courage and advocacy.

  1. Ada Lovelace (1815–1852) – Pioneer of Computer Science

Often described as the world’s first computer programmer, Ada Lovelace worked with Charles Babbage on his early mechanical computer. She wrote what is considered the first algorithm and was visionary in seeing the potential of computing beyond mathematics. Her work inspires pupils interested in STEM subjects.

  1. Baroness Doreen Lawrence (1952– ) – Campaigner for Racial Justice

Following the tragic murder of her son Stephen, Doreen Lawrence became a powerful advocate for justice and equality. Her campaigning led to significant reforms in policing and public institutions, and she continues to champion community support, anti‑racism, and fairness.

 

Women’s History Month is a vibrant opportunity for UK schools to celebrate these stories and many more. By embedding women’s achievements into the curriculum—not just in March but throughout the year—schools help build a more inclusive, informed, and inspired generation of learners.

Secondary Planners

Primary Planners

Did You Know These Facts About The Victorians?

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  • We like to highlight important historical dates in Boomerang school planners and this week, we’re focusing on the Victorians.
  • Queen Victoria was born almost 200 years ago today, back in 1819.
  • As Queen of England for over 60 years, we thought we’d commemorate Victoria’s reign by bringing together a few facts about the Victorians that you may not know.

So here goes…

1) Queen Victoria gave us the white wedding dress

Queen Victoria

Although not the first to wear white on her wedding day, Queen Victoria was certainly the most influential.

With such a widely publicised wedding, her white lace dress was copied by brides across the country and thus she is often accredited with popularising this style.

2) Victorians wore black because of pollution

Victorian fashion had many influences but one contributing factor to the wearing of black clothing was the heavy pollution.

Ever-present smog would often stain clothes and wearing black became an effective way of masking the discolouring.

3) They gave us creepy literature

victorian-fiction

From The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, to Dracula, the Victorian era produced beautifully chilling tales, often with a Gothic influence, that still impact the horror genre to this day:

The Raven – Edgar Allan Poe

Dracula – Bram Stoker

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde – Robert Louis Stevenson

4) Freak shows were common

victorian-freak-show

A highly controversial but popular aspect of Victorian society, ‘freak shows’ featured ‘attractions’ such as deformed people and animals, uncommonly large or small performers and anything else deemed a ‘freak of nature’.

 

5) Female hysteria was an actual medical diagnosis

female-hysteria

Once a common medical diagnosis reserved solely for women, ‘hysteria’ was seen as a ‘disease of the womb’. Woman considered to have it, displayed symptoms such as insomnia, loss of appetite and even a ‘tendency to cause trouble’.

So what do you think of our facts? Do you have any others to add to our list?

Tweet us @BoomEdLtd to let us know! 🙂

The Boomerang Team.

50 years ago: Torrey Canyon Oil Spill

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Here at Boomerang HQ, we like to highlight topics of interest throughout the year, especially when it comes to historical anniversaries.

We do this mainly through dedicated sections in our school planners but you can help us spread the word online too!

Torrey Canyon Oil Spill – What Happened?

This month marks 50 years since the Torrey Canyon oil spill of 1967:

50 years ago, the oil tanker Torrey Canyon disastrously struck Pollard’s Rock on the Seven Stones reef, near Land’s End, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. The oil spill fast became a national crisis, as nearly 3 million gallons of crude oil leaked into the English Channel.

The impact on the local landscape was catastrophic with an estimated 15,000 sea birds killed, alongside large numbers of other marine organisms. The government controversially authorised RAF jets to bomb the remains of the oil tanker and napalm was used to set the leaked oil alight in a futile attempt to halt the situation.

Despite these efforts, the Guernsey quarry that was later named after the Torrey Canyon was still full of oil over 40 years later, continuing to cause damage and death to local wildlife.

However the disaster did result in tighter controls on marine pollution and although there have been oil spills since, clean-up operations have taken a more considered approach.

torrey-canyon-conversation

The Conversation

It’s all very well relating the facts of the disaster but we want to go one step further and turn an article into a conversation 😀

Some possible starting points:

  • Do you know of any more recent oil spills?
  • How were these dealt with in comparison to Torrey Canyon?
  • Is marine pollution still as much of an issue today?

Drop us a tweet using the hashtag #torreycanyon or leave a comment below – we’d love to hear from you!