A TOWN centre primary school has been handed £10,000 to learn more about pupils and staff who fought in the First World War.

North Primary School received the money from the Heritage Lottery Fund to look at how the war impacted on their civilian life.

The project is called 'Home Coming' and follows two other investigations by the school called 'We Will Remember Them' and 'Discovering Their Footsteps'.

Year 5 children will research and identify former pupils and staff and record the information in an online archive.

Alan Garnett, the headteacher at the school, said: "The first two projects have rightly gained national recognition and this one is going to be just as inspiring.

"This will complete our understanding of the stories of the people from our school community who fought and tragically died and those who fought and survived and returned to re-build their lives."

The pupils will also visit the Holly Trees Museum where the medals of Royal Reginald Gomer, a former pupil at the school, are on display.

Events will also be held to include the wider public in the scheme and volunteers will be asked to collect photographs, newspaper clippings and letters.

Robyn Llewellyn, the head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in the east of England, said they were looking forward to supporting the school.

He said: “Thanks to money raised by lottery players, this project will see North Primary School work with the wider community to explore the heritage of the First World War and the lasting legacy it has had for the school and Colchester.”

The online archive can be viewed here.