My first infant school was in a School Board for London Building. I believe I was four when I first started in 1916.

[…]

We all seemed happy to be there, and on Empire Days the 24^th May all the children wore some red, white and blue, either as a hair ribbon or perhaps threaded through ribbon holes at the waist. Those who had flags brought them to school and the children all joined hands, then, lead [sic] by a teacher, would wend their way in a long crocodile all around the hall, outside, then round the playground and back again, singing the while “There’s a long long trail awinding”. 

Later in the morning we would join the big girls and the big boys in the boys playground where there was a landing reached by a flight of stone stairs on either side before entering the upper school. On this platform would sit Britania [sic] resplendent in her white gown, helmet, shield and trident of gold cardboard.  Around Britania would be grouped children dressed in costumes to represent all the peoples of our far flung Empire.

The whole school would sing at the tops of their voices Rule Britania and all the other patriotic songs, ending, of course with the National Anthem, two verses.