Women In The Army

The Women in the British Army resources help students aged 11–16 to explore the varied contributions of varied women throughout the history of the British Army.

The resources include materials for an assembly and a lesson. The assembly presentation provides an overview of the history of women in the Army from the 1800s to the present day, including profiles of women who served in different ways during the two World Wars, such as Captain Flora Sandes, the only woman to fight on the front line of WWI, and Adelaide Hall, a jazz singer who entertained troops in WWII and was the first Black performer to be given a long-term contract with the BBC. The lesson offers interactive tasks to help young people consider the wider context of the women’s changing roles in the Army and to recognise and challenge harmful stereotypes and prejudice both at work and in society as a whole. Both the assembly and lesson also feature a video interview with current serving female soldiers that highlights the importance of exploring past contributions and can broaden students' understanding of life and careers in the Army today.

The Women in the Army resources could be used as part of your school’s activities for Remembrance, International Women’s Day or as part of general curriculum learning – with links to key aspects of PSHE/Health and Wellbeing and related curricula, alongside History and Citizenship. The resources also align to the Gatsby Benchmarks for careers education, creating space for discussion of careers and workplaces through curriculum learning.