THE schools programme for the Chalke Valley History Festival has been launched.

The seven-day festival in Ebbesbourne Wake brings together the brightest minds in history along with academics, MPs, journalists, broadcasters, authors and people who have played their own part in history.

This year it runs from June 27 to July 3 with the schools programme running on the first three days: Year 6 pupils on Monday, Year 10 on Tuesday, and Year 12 on Wednesday.

Year 6 students will have the chance to take part in a Horrible Histories workshop with Martin Brown while this year will be an even bigger year for the festival's Living History displays.

Experts will be on hand to show and explain the secrets of the past - encouraging students to learn and to get involved too.

Throughout the day there will be Living History displays of Anglo-Saxon settlements, Celtic tribesman, Roman legions, Viking combat, archery demonstrations, Tudor music and dance, musketry in the American War of Independence, Second World War weapons and uniforms, Nelson's Navy, the trench experience and falconry.

For Year 10 students, the programme includes A History of Britain with Chris Lloyd, The Somme with Dr Peter Caddick-Adams, Violence and Terror in the French Revolution with Dr Andrew Flack and New Perspectives on the Vietnam War with Professor Kendrick Oliver.

For Year 12 students the programme includes The Crusades: Reason & Religious War with Professor Christopher Tyerman, American Foreign Policy after The Cold War with Dr Christopher Fuller, History’s Great Empires with James Heneage and How Ideas Change: The Evolution of Everything with Matt Ridley.

For bookings visit cvhf.org.uk or call 01722 780793