A CITY school is preparing to host its own Service of Remembrance.

Year 8 and 9 pupils at Chamberlayne College for the Arts have been preparing for the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day, by making wreaths and preparing elements to deliver in a church service.

Veteran of the Armed Forces, and now teacher Simon Poland has organised the whole service with his students to pay tributes to the many who sacrificed their lives in the First World War.

Mr. Poland said: “It is important to teach our children the lessons of war, peace and Remembrance, and designing and laying wreaths has really inspired the students to ask more questions.

"Every year the number of veterans who proudly turn out in their uniforms and sparkling medals get smaller and smaller, but every year there are more and more people, especially young people, turning up to pay their respects.

"Local schools and community groups will all be sending their representatives to our service and this year as the 100th anniversary of World War I, the service takes on an added poignancy, as well as ‘remembering’, this will be a fantastic opportunity to bring our community together."

Headteacher, Nick Giles who also served in the armed forces stated: “Simon has done a superb job bringing remembrance, humility and reverence to young people in our school as we know these attributes are so important for fruitful futures.”

The service will be taking place at Weston Church today, and everyone will meet at the church at 10.30am for a 10.45am start.

The service, which finishes at 11.30am, will be followed by an opportunity for students to lay wreaths which they have designed and made, as well as delivering parts of the service.

Mr Poland, who was awarded the Queens Commendation for Bravery in 2003, has sent invitations to many of the public services across the community, as he feels his students will benefit from the exposure, and is also hoping to see many veterans from across the community attend.

The church is relatively small, but they are hoping to fill it up, with over 50 of their own students and students from the local primary school, as well as veterans and community figures.