Remembrance was a key feature to learning and worship at St Peter’s last week as the nation marked 100 years since the Great War Armistice.  In the week running up to Friday 9 November, pupils’ curriculum work focused especially on History in readiness for a ‘Deep Learning Day’ on a range of Great War topics on the Friday.  To start the History Deep Learning Day, a teaching assembly centred on the work of the Royal British Legion and the significance of Remembrance, noting the fact that well over half of the pupils are in uniformed groups that take part in local war memorial parades and services.  The learning focus for the younger years especially was on the power of peace overcoming conflict, and reconciliation being the way to lasting peace.  Older pupils in the school worked particularly on the personal experiences of those in the conflict on the Western Front, and how their lives were relayed in letters, poetry and news reports.  Each year group got to present their work to the rest of the school in a special assembly.  I must thank all colleagues for constructing their learning around the Remembrance theme, and especially Miss Allen for coordinating the History week events.

The culmination of Remembrance at St Peter’s was a whole school worship on the Monday after Armistice Day, beautifully led by Mrs Pearson.  Alongside the prayers, candles and poems, the most moving part was a reading of The Beatitudes by pupils from Year 6.  This was shared in the style of ‘call and response’ for each line by pairs of pupils in different parts of the hall, such that the Word of the Lord was truly circulating within the pupil congregation and throughout the school community.

Mr R Cunningham

Headteacher