Dr Kristy Turner usually teaches chemistry at Bolton School and at the University of Manchester, however, she time-travelled through different eras of history experiencing school life from 1895 to 1999 as she took part in a new BBC TV series called Back in Time for School.
Reflecting on the experience, she said: “Each day we would arrive on set and do our hair and make-up – if we were allowed make up in that era – we would then give our belongings including phones to production and begin living in the era we were filming in.
“All the food we ate, even off camera was from the era we were filming, so were our reading materials and the pastimes we had in our staffroom. We experienced all aspects of school in the eras we filmed from lessons to school dinners and leisure pursuits. It was an amazing project to be involved with, gruelling at times, the hours in TV can be quite long, but definitely unforgettable.
“It was interesting to experience as an adult but also to see how the pupils we were working with (14-15 year olds from the Birmingham area) reacted to the experiences they faced. We worked alongside Bolton-born presenter Sara Cox and the historian Polly Russell who were both lovely to work with.”
There are some themes running through all the eras including the use of technology in education, food, vocational learning and physical education.