VE Day (Victory in Europe Day) commemorates the end of World War II in Europe following Germany’s unconditional surrender on 7th May 1945. Radio programmes on the evening of 7th May were interrupted with an announcement that a national holiday had been declared for VE Day on 8th May. Churchill formerly announced the end of the War in Europe with a speech broadcast from Downing Street at 3pm on 8th May.

VE Day 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the War in Europe with celebrations and commemorative events taking place across the country.

Schools can sign up for Our Shared Story, a collection of education resources to help students connect with the stories and experiences of all those affected by the war. The resources include:

• I’ll Remember: Discovering the Stories of VE and VJ Day: A collection of resources for pupils of all ages from the Royal British Legion. They include a new song composed by Simon Haw MBE for children to learn and perform as well as a docu-drama and Q&A film series with accompanying learning resources that allow pupils to explore VE and VJ Day through first-hand accounts.
• Learning From Letters: A learning resource aimed at KS2 pupils that explores the end of WWII through personal stories and items from the Imperial War Museum’s collections. Each of the twelve items comes with questions to consider and there is a workshop activity to encourage children to connect with the events and emotions from 80 years ago.
• The Next Morning: A year-long, nation-wide creative writing and oracy programme from the National Theatre that aims to connect the stories and hopes of young people from 1945 with those of young people today. The programme is aimed at pupils in KS3- 4 and will launch on 8th May. The project includes in-school workshops and assemblies led by National Theatre practitioners, free teaching resources, a platform for student voices and subsidised tickets for performances of Dear England in local theatres.
• VE Day 80 Immersive: A web-based augmented reality experience that will transport students back to 8th May 1945 to experience history firsthand.
• VE Mail: A letter-exchange activity open to all UK schools. Schools can sign up to receive a personal letter from a WWII veteran sharing their experiences of the war and the lessons they would like to pass on. Pupils are then invited to write back with their own thoughts and reflections. The deadline to register has been extended to 15th August (VJ Day).
• Bunting templates.

Cost: Free with registration.