CHILDREN from Cockfield Primary School have created a ceramic poppy bouquet mounted on a wooden base, which they plan to give to their village church to commemorate the centenary of the end of the First World War.
The school, which has its own kiln, made headlines when they were inspired by the poppy display at the Tower of London to create their own river of ceramic poppies to mark the centenary of the start of the conflict in 1914.
Now they have gone a step further to mark 100 years since the armistice to create hundreds of plastic poppies which they have put on the trees at the entrance of their school and have used their pottery skills to help teacher Alan Petty create the commemorative artwork for St Mary’s Church.
Headteacher Kathryn Hetherington said the ceramic poppies, which have a dedication plaque on its wooden base, would be handed over during a Remembrance assembly on Friday, November 9.
She added that children needed to know about the sacrifices people made during the war.
“It is really important. We are doing a lot of work in school about the war,” said Mrs Hetherington
As part of this the school invited Kevin Richardson, of Evenwood and District History Society and a former soldier, to talk to pupils last week.
The history group’s documentary In the Pink, about the contribution made to the war effort by people from the Gaunless Valley, was shown at the school.
In addition the school has a special First World War exhibition on display in the assembly hall.
