All children had to know how to respond to an air raid and school air raid practice. As well as having shelters in homes, air raid shelters were also built in school grounds in case the air raid sirens sounded during school hours. In some cases, children were involved in building their school shelter.
There were also strict rules that children had to follow if the air raid sirens were heard. Once the sirens had sounded parents weren't allowed to collect their children from school and if children were in school, they had to stay there until the all-clear was given.
Despite everything that was done to try and keep them safe, sadly some children died in the war. Below is the death certificate of a twelve year old boy who died in the Leicester blitz, when he was buried under the wreckage of a bombed building.
Glossary
Air raid - bombing from enemy planes overhead
Blitz - period with lots of air raids
Death certificate - official record made whenever someone dies
Siren - alarm to warn people of danger
Wreckage - broken pieces when something has been destroyed