Students at Whakamarama School are learning about what school was like when their parents and grandparents were young.

At the school today, students are dressed in clothing as their elders once would have, are enjoying a picnic of old fashioned food and have had a visit of vehicles from the Rotorua and Tauranga vintage car clubs.

Sarah Carter, Ryder Anderson, and brothers Jack and Chris Bryan.

The day is part of the term two programme for the school's 44 students and its acting principal, Kevin Corney, says it is a good culmination of what has been learned.

'It really ties in well with the study,” says Kevin, who notes that the subject is not just for the children.

'It is a great opportunity for parents to interact with the school.”

Among the activities undertaken by the students this term was to have them write a letter to their grandparents asking them to write back with a description of what school was like in their day.

These letters were then read by the children aloud in class.

Students were able to test out the vintage cars.

Alice Firth, Arwen Thamm, Rylee Jeffrey and Rachael Carter.

Teachers and parents dressed up for the event.

Timothy, Ethan and Joel Croucher enjoyed looking at the cars.