Student plays the Last Post before Northampton school falls silent to remember World War One

Almost 2,000 staff and pupils at The Duston School commemorated the 100th anniversary of Armistice that marked the end of the First World War.
Lead Cadet Emerson Parker, Year 11, read out a war poem before he conducted a drill. He is seen (pictured) with the wreath he laid before an art piece of a Tommy Silhouette the school made. Pictures: Kirsty Edmonds.Lead Cadet Emerson Parker, Year 11, read out a war poem before he conducted a drill. He is seen (pictured) with the wreath he laid before an art piece of a Tommy Silhouette the school made. Pictures: Kirsty Edmonds.
Lead Cadet Emerson Parker, Year 11, read out a war poem before he conducted a drill. He is seen (pictured) with the wreath he laid before an art piece of a Tommy Silhouette the school made. Pictures: Kirsty Edmonds.

During the course of the week running up to Sunday, November 11 pupils at The Duston School have been hearing about the ultimate sacrifice made by soldiers in this country as five million lives were lost during the four years of the Great War.

On Friday (November 9) nearly 2,000 students and staff fell silent as they watched Year 11 pupil and lead cadet Emerson Parker lay a wreath before pupil Kim Sheriff played the Last Post.

The Last Post was played by Year 11 Kim Sheriff to a silent crowd of onlookers at the Duston School at 11am yesterday morning. Pictures: Kirsty Edmonds.The Last Post was played by Year 11 Kim Sheriff to a silent crowd of onlookers at the Duston School at 11am yesterday morning. Pictures: Kirsty Edmonds.
The Last Post was played by Year 11 Kim Sheriff to a silent crowd of onlookers at the Duston School at 11am yesterday morning. Pictures: Kirsty Edmonds.
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Principal Sam Strickland said: "I personally feel that it is important to teach our pupils this topic as it is so easy to forget the sacrifice made by those who fought in the war.

"I want our pupils to honour and value the freedoms and rights that they have and to be thankful to previous generations for ensuring that we, today, are in the extremely lucky position that we are."

In tutor times the school has also focused their lessons on war stories, diaries and poems, which were read aloud to the students and the pupils were also a part of a poetry competition.

Mr Strickland added: "We undertook today’s observation because this is the Friday before Remembrance Sunday and, as a school community, I wanted, as its principal, to ensure that we came together and observed this together.

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"I am also very mindful that not all students will be given this opportunity on Sunday and, as part of our educating our students, felt that honouring those who have fought for this country or who still are is important."