Pupils at Horsted Keynes school put on special Remembrance Day assembly

They commemorated the local men who gave their lives in the First World War in an assembly.

Pupils at the school in Church Lane acted out scenes depicting under age boys trying to enlist, as well as scenes of parents receiving a telegram containing the often inevitable bad news.

In the most poignant moment, pupils also called the roll of the 33 local men who had died during the war.

A spokesman for the school said: “The service was the culmination of a project undertaken by Year 5 and 6 pupils which involved children working with their local community to research and document the lives of the men who had served.

“Every child in the school had made a poppy which formed a stunning display in the school hall.

“Local VIPs including members of the Royal British Legion came along to the event and over coffee looked at the research done by the children into the soldiers’ lives.

“Pupils chatted enthusiastically and confidently about the project and how it’s affected their understanding of WWI.”

Headteacher Hilary Douch added: “One of the amazing things about a village school is that the children can relate the devastation of the First World War directly to their local community.

“They know the homes where these young boys lived – some not that much older than them.

“We are all very proud of the work the pupils have done to represent the stories in such a powerful and thought-provoking way.

“I really feel they’ve come away with an understanding of the suffering and loss that the war brought.”

Burgess Hill Remembrance Day commemorations in pictures

Burgess Hill remembrance: Large crowds turn out for poppy lantern procession

Record numbers attend ‘moving’ Haywards Heath Remembrance Day service