The importance of teaching our pupils the meaning of Remembrance cannot be ignored. Remembrance Day marks the end of World War I at 11 am on 11th November 1918. It is a day to remember those who served and are currently serving. It is a day when we remember those who have been lost to us in service and to respect their memories. In short, it is a day to remember, to keep memories to the fore and to hope and pray for a peaceful future. Our future leaders are our children, and in learning about Remembrance we hope they will both understand the past and work to shape a peaceful future.
It can be difficult to know how and what to teach our young people on a topic that is both very real and can be fraught with emotion. At St Wystan’s our teaching isn’t once a year; instead in it incorporated into our curriculum through our ongoing work on the British Values: Tolerance, Respect, Individual Liberty, Rule of Law and Democracy. These areas are revisited in our assemblies throughout the year, as well as in our taught PSHCEE curriculum, and quite simply in the conversations we have on a day-to-day basis around school.
Each year, on 11th of November at 11am, we come together as school, from youngest to oldest, for an assembly that guides our youngsters through the concept of Remembrance. We talk about service roles and what it means to be in service, about the qualities of people in service and the concept of ‘selflessness’. We share the stories of people in service and why it is important to remember them – to say thank you to those who serve/served, to remember the risks they take and to remember that people who serve are keeping us safe. We observe two minutes silence whilst listening the bugle call. We ensure there are opportunities for our children to share their thoughts, feelings and any questions they may have. And we hope that, through this annual gathering, the British Values are once again reinforced, and our children have an opportunity to apply them, learning something new and to reflect upon their learning.
Kara Lebihan
Headteacher