The children visited Ryedale Folk Museum in anticipation of the school's 200th anniversary.

Headteacher Susan Chadwick said: "The children enjoyed dressing up in traditional costume and learning about what boys and girls did 200 years ago.

"They were surprised to learn just how many chores there were to do then such as laundry and animal care."

Sophie Knight (11) is a year six pupil.

She said: "I found the work in the washroom hurt my knees and back and the water we had to wash the clothes in was freezing cold."

The school anniversary celebration will involve the children travelling to St Mary's Church in Goathland by float.

A thanksgiving service will be carried out by the Bishop of Whitby and the schools 18 children will then enjoy a specially-prepared lunch of recipes from 1808.

The floats, which have been decorated with the help of the Heartbeat team, will then travel on to the village hall.

Maypole dancing and a play about the history of the school are also planned.

Past pupils, parents and governors are all invited to go along tomorrow from 10am onwards at St Mary's Church.

There will be an opportunity to view old photographs and a DVD spanning the school's past 20 years.

A map from 1808 will be raffled off on Wednesday as part of the celebration.

Dating from the year the school was founded it is a map in great detail – that is not to say accurate detail.

Many place names have different spellings and the coast seems to be curve in the wrong direction.

Tickets to win the map of the North Yorkshire coast will be sold on the day.