DOMINIC Casserley from Year 11 of St Mary's RC High school, Blackpool, writes:

THIRTY one Year 11 history students from St Mary's High School recently attended a GCSE revision conference at the Dance House Theatre in the heart of Manchester.

St Mary's was just one of many schools from around the North West to participate with the aim of improving examination techniques as well as benefiting from a different approach to learning history.

The conference was divided into two main parts, the first of which was an exam-busting lecture delivered by a chief examiner for history.

This gave pupils an insight into how to gain good marks on GCSE papers and generally improve performance.

The second part of the day was a mock trial of Adolf Hitler.

The audience played the role of the jury.

Professional actors took the parts of well known political figures of the time such as Winston Churchill, Josef Stalin and Benito Mussolini.

The trial was designed to help the pupils develop their understanding of the use of evidence, causes of the war and increase their ability to analyse historical arguments.

Surprisingly, the jury acquitted Hitler!

He may well have been let off the hook, but the history students will still have to sit their exams.

Thanks to the course they may just get some higher grades.

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