Our academy community came together on Friday 11th November, Armistice Day, to commemorate the anniversary of the end of the First World War and remember the sacrifices made in war.

Throughout the week, students had been reflecting on the contributions made to the war effort from soldiers and civilians across what was then the British Empire. Mrs Hodgkins, our Head of History, described both their immense role in the First World War but also the injustice of the 116,000 mostly African and Middle Eastern casualties from World War One “were not commemorated by name or possibly not commemorated at all” after they died fighting for the British Empire.

When you go home, tell them of us and say,

For your tomorrow, we gave our today.

The Kohima Epitaph

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.

Members of our student council and Co-op Young Leaders programmes used their free time to sell poppies on behalf of the Royal British Legion, with hundreds of pounds being raised.

On Armistice Day, we came together for a short service before marking the national silence. The academy was represented at the Burslem War Memorial by Mrs Tatton, who laid a wreath on behalf of everyone in our community.