Royal wedding: how schools are celebrating

David Cameron's plea to ignore council "pen pushers" and "bring out the bunting" for the royal wedding has clearly captured the imagination of schools up and down the country. They are organising hearty celebrations – including mock weddings and garden parties – that could surely melt the heart of even the most diehard republican. Here, Education Guardian takes a look at what Britain's schools are doing to mark the big day. Grove juniors, Stoke-on-Trent A day before William and Kate walk down the aisle at Westminster Abbey, another bride and groom will be surrounded by crowds of admirers. But, despite being the oldest in their school, Ryan "Prince William" Miller and Courtney "Kate Middleton" Pomerri are a still a lot younger than the royal duo. The year 6 students have been picked alongside a best man, page boy and bridesmaid for Grove school's mock wedding. The local vicar will be dressing up as the archbishop of Canterbury, and there will be a buffet lunch for the whole school. The big event follows weeks of royal wedding-related work, from geography lessons researching different honeymoon destinations, to history classes on royal weddings of the past and royal family trees. There have also been debates looking at the pros and cons of marrying into the royal family. In literacy lessons, the children have written letters to Kate and William giving them tips for the wedding. One girl wrote telling Kate to think long and hard before going ahead, asking: "Do you really want to have to answer to someone else for the rest of your life?" An empty classroom has been converted into a wedding planner's office and the children have made their own waistcoats, ties and accessories and designed a wedding cake, which is being made by the local bakery. "We've been inundated with support from local businesses," says Janet Blackhurst, deputy head at the school. "A car hire company has provided a real wedding car to collect our 'Kate', and bridal companies are providing the dress and groom's outfits." ACS Cobham International, Surrey Most of the children at ACS Cobham International school are from overseas and attend for an average of three years before moving abroad, so music teacher Bill Noce wanted his pupils to create something "that would help them remember being in England when the wedding happened". "The song follows the chord pattern of Jeremiah Clarke's Trumpet Voluntary, which is often played in bridal processions and we're hoping will be used for Kate's," he says. A performance of the song has been uploaded to YouTube and a copy has been sent to Clarence House as a gift. "Several of the children are expecting to be invited to the wedding because of this," Noce laughs. Noce, himself a US expat, adds that the song-writing led to some interesting discussions about the monarchy. "The royal wedding adds another element to their English history lessons," he says. "For many, Kate's story is like a Cinderella tale for the 21st century, but one of the American boys asked why America didn't have a king, and that led to a long discussion about the idea of a head of state and a head of government, and the different ceremonial roles – it has been a brilliant project." The Royal Wedding song Hey Kate, we think it's great And so on your wedding day we're gonna celebrate! Hey Will, I mean your royal highness, Oh heck, we're gonna call you Will! Hey Will, it's such a thrill a modern day fairy tale, it's all so brill! Your highness dressed up in all your finest and Kate as well will be dressed to kill. He so handsome, she so pretty, rocking out in London city, Giving us a grand occasion, and a day off for the nation. Hey Will, we know until you ascend that throne you're gonna work your fill We know your highnesses both will be pluses not minuses on that very modest civil list. And when we think of it, our eyes all mist So we wish you lots of wedded bliss. We wish you all the best! Westbury Leigh CE primary, Wiltshire Pupils will be arriving at school in their "wedding finery" on Thursday and their year 5 teacher, Nicky Newbury, is expecting to see a fair number of Cinderellas and Snow Whites dressed for a fairytale wedding. The children will be greeted with a wedding breakfast, and spend the day doing royalty-themed lessons. There will be "wedding maths" on the curriculum – making spreadsheets for wedding costs and budgeting, and geography lessons will chart the matrimonial procession through London and the landmarks en route. In English, the pupils will be writing wedding speeches. "We're also looking at what the royal wedding means to the UK," Newbury says. "Our class will be divided up, and each group will take roles such as the tourist industry, the media, or retailers, to look at the different points of view and the pros and cons of the wedding. We want the children to become more socially aware of the financial, moral, historical and social significance of the occasion." Oakengates nursery, Telford Children at Oakengates nursery will be learning how weddings take place around the world. The nursery is also hosting a street party for parents and neighbours on Thursday. In preparation, the children have made wedding bunting, invitations and cakes. "To help the children understand different kinds of weddings, a Sikh parent and a local vicar are coming in to talk about various ceremonies," says Sam Chamberlain, business manager at the nursery. "The children are only young, but it's important to foster an awareness of big events in society. Our students come from diverse backgrounds – we're classed as in an area of deprivation, with some children having access to free childcare, and some coming from Poland, and from various religious backgrounds – so the royal wedding is something that unites all the children." Ashville college, Harrogate When William and Kate start the first of their two wedding receptions on Friday afternoon, staff and boarding students at the independent day and boarding school in Yorkshire will be throwing a red, white and blue-themed garden party. It won't be all fun – those taking GCSEs and A-levels face a morning of revision sessions – but then the school is hosting a hog roast, bouncy castle, wedding trivia quiz, and guessing games with photos of staff in their wedding outfits. "We're going to show the wedding on a big screen in school, and everyone's dressing in red, white and blue – although I'm a Scot so I might wear a Scottish tie," says the headteacher, Mark Lauder. "Half of our boarders come from overseas, so they're really excited about watching British royalty." And it isn't just about partying, he says. "Students are always bursting with questions related to the news, so I'm expecting to be asked things like: 'What's the point of the monarchy?', 'Why is the Queen head of state?' and 'Will Camilla ever become Queen?'" From The Guardian