Today at 11.00 all in school, pupils and staff, assembled on the school field.

Mr Frith addressed us all:

‘On the 11th of November each year this country, along with many others, takes a moment to stop what it is doing and conduct a very important act of remembrance, and in doing so it continues a tradition that has now been in place for 100 years. That tradition is to observe two minutes of silence in memory of those who gave their lives in the 1st and 2nd World Wars. Many of those who died were little older than our senior students. They made the ultimate sacrifice to protect the things that we value so highly as a society; things like freedom, democracy and peace. As the poem states: ‘for our tomorrow, they gave their today.

As the years go by and the great wars become an increasingly distant memory, it would be easy for us all to forget about the sacrifices that were made for our benefit. That should never be allowed to happen. So, in a moment we will observe two minutes of silence together and use that time to think about those who gave their lives and how fortunate we are because of it. But I would like us all to take the opportunity to broaden our thoughts to all those around the world whose lives are made worse by the horror of war, and to those men and women who continue to make the ultimate sacrifice to uphold the values and freedoms that we enjoy today.‘

As tradition dictates, the observance ran as follows:

The Exhortation was recited by our Head Boy:

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning;
We will remember them.

The Last Post was sounded by our Head Girl.

The Two Minute Silence was observed by the whole school.

Reveille was sounded.

All in attendance agreed that the observance was most appropriate.