Residents of Langley Haven Dementia Care Home sit in on school lesson

A trip back to school was enjoyed by residents of Langley Haven Dementia Care Home who sat in on a lesson St Bernard’s Catholic Grammar School on Tuesday.

The Rambler Lane care home’s ‘Seniors Back in the Classroom’ initiative aims to stimulate the memory of people with dementia by helping them reminisce about their school days, triggering long-term memories.

It also gave a chance for visitors at the Langley Road school to see how much the country’s education system has changed.

Talking about the teachers, resident Royston Barrel said: “In my time, they were very intimidating.

"Today I notice how fearless and confident the children are to approach them, and this makes learning much easier.”

Residents attended a year seven religious education class for an hour and helped design posters reflecting the miracle of Christmas.

Langley Haven activities coordinator Roxana Chirita said: “Our residents enjoyed a lot to work in collaboration with their young colleagues, to respond to the teacher’s questions, or to share memories from their school days.”