A PRIMARY school has joined forces with Bournemouth University to launch an ambitious history project as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.

Pupils are delving through the archives to see how much Kingsleigh Primary School in Hadow Road has changed over the years.

Each year group at the school has been given a theme, ranging from food to fashion and TV to Star Wars.

Pupils are researching how trends and habits have changed since the school was formed in 1968 and displays have been produced using pictures and objects which will be on display at the school until later this year.

The project, called The Happiest Days of your Life, was created by head teacher Richard Gower, who has also enlisted the help of history students at Bournemouth University.

He said: "As part of their third year course, history students are asked to look into how history has shaped and impacted local communities so I took the opportunity to enlist the help of some of these students with our project."

The students have produced a timeline showing the history of the school, and how it has developed within the community. A final part of the project involves the establishment of a website to record memories. Local people who have photographs or other memorabilia of Kingsleigh Primary School are invited to submit these to the school for inclusion on the website.

Mr Gower added: "We are thrilled with how the pupils have approached the project. The displays are brilliant and provide a real flavour of how life has changed since the school was formed.

"We have even been talking to ex-head teachers who have given their own memories of what the school was like. Kingsleigh Primary School has changed so much, with new facilities including the fabulous sports hall and new library. We have a truly superb staff and as a school we are set up perfectly for the next 50 years."