VIDEO: School creates moving tribute to our war heroes

High school pupils have created an emotional tribute to the borough’s war heroes with a stunning poppy display.
Deputy headteacher Tom Kearns with Year Ten pupils at Westleigh SchoolDeputy headteacher Tom Kearns with Year Ten pupils at Westleigh School
Deputy headteacher Tom Kearns with Year Ten pupils at Westleigh School

Students at The Westleigh School have produced a “river of poppies”, made of more than 1,000 red acrylic flowers, designed by the school’s design technology department.

Each pupil and staff member at the Westleigh Lane academy has written their name and a message of remembrance on each poppy.

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The display has been draped from the school roof on camouflage netting, and sits in front of a silhouette of a First World War soldier. Some of the poppies have also been engraved with the names of local men who died during the war.

Pupils proudly posed next to the display which was installed last week ahead of Remembrance Sunday.

Deputy headteacher Tom Kearns said pupils had relished the challenge of putting together the display, and that it was a reflection of the school’s British values.

He said: “The display was created from the students. The whole idea is that every single one of us remembers this important time of year. So every single child has a poppy, their name is on the poppy. And on the back the poppies we are remembering some people who we’ve lost. It was an idea that we came up with as staff, and then our design technology department ran with it, particularly out DT technician Mrs Faulkner who produced the poppies.

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“Our form tutors as a team worked with the students on getting the poppies signed.

“And then again, our DT department produced the mat, with the poppies on, to be put into the installation, so it’s a whole school effort really.”

Mr Kearns added: “Remembrance, naturally, is really important for us, and it’s something that makes us British. Our British values at Westleigh are really important, therefore I think this time of year it’s important that we always remember. As a school we always have Remembrance in our wider curriculum.

But this year we’ve really pushed that curriculum, and our students have enjoyed it.”

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