STUDENTS at West Bridgford School are to take part in a dig to discover Second World War air raid shelters.
It is thought that four of 12 shelters which were included on the site when the school was built in 1938 may still exist.
The dig will take place in October – just over 75 years since the Loughborough Road school opened.
"I'm really excited about this," said Fiona Garrahan, 17, one of 20 sixth-form students who will help out.
"We learn all about history in the classroom, but this really brings it to life. It is a great opportunity."
The students have been assembled by history teacher Ailish D'Arcy.
She only found out about the shelters when she was looking through old school photos and found an aerial shot of the site.
On the black and white image, dating from the late 1960s, the shelters can be seen around the edges of the rear of the school.
Most of the shelters were destroyed when the school was expanded in the 1970s.
But it is believed four may have survived.
Ms D'Arcy said: "Walking along the hedge it is possible to see lumps and bumps in the landscape which seem to correspond to the four shelters.
"We hope to find the footprint of the shelters and learn a little more about what it might have been like to be a student in the school when the air raid sirens went.
"It may just be the footprint we find, but it is a very exciting discovery. And the dig will coincide with the 75th anniversary of the opening of the site.
"We will look to conserve at least one and it will become a valuable resource not just for our school but for the area."
The school was founded in 1895 in Musters Road, near Trent Bridge cricket ground.
It moved to its current site 43 years later when England was on the verge of war, hence why it was felt the shelters were required.
The site is barely three miles from Rushcliffe Country Park, where the Ruddington Ordnance Factory was based during the war. The factory produced 500lb and 1000lb bombs for the RAF and was viewed as a target for German bombers.
The school, which has now converted to academy status, has called in county council archaeologists to help out.
They will run a training day for those taking part in the dig on October 2. The dig itself will be done during the October half-term break.
Ms D'Arcy added: "I hope our students can learn from this project how their history skills of dealing with documentary evidence can be supplemented by practical field archaeology to really bring the past alive, and in the process celebrate a significant point in the school's history."
Student John Maple, 17, will also take part.
He said: "My grandparents came to this school around the war time so I'll be able to see a bit of their experiences for myself."
Head teacher Rob McDonough said: "It is always great when you can bring history alive in this way and rediscover a bit of the school's own history is very exciting.
