Act of Remembrance 2025
This morning, the Rupert House community gathered together for our annual Act of Remembrance, a moving occasion to honour those who gave their lives in times of war and conflict.
The service was introduced by Mr Armitage, who spoke about the importance of remembering those who have served and sacrificed for our freedom. Head of School, Josie W, then spoke about the origins of Remembrance Day, explaining that the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month marks the signing of the Armistice, on 11th November 1918, signalling the end of World War One.
Following this, Head of School, George D, reflected on the purpose of the service and explained the significance of The Last Post.
Jasper W then read the poem For the Fallen, before Mr Lamb played The Last Post on the trumpet to mark the start of the two-minute silence at 11am. The stillness of the moment provided a powerful opportunity for reflection, before the silence was brought to a close with a rendition of Reveille performed by Mr R-G.
We were once again joined by local historian Mike Willoughby, who spoke to the school about the importance of remembrance and expressed how much he values returning to Rupert House each year, describing it as the only service he attends to honour the fallen. He praised the school community for its continued commitment to teaching children about the importance of history and remembrance.
Year 6 pupil, Sophia H-P, introduced the poem In Flanders Fields, which was then beautifully read aloud by Thomas D. Father Jeremy from St Mary’s Church, led the school in prayer, after which Ottilie L performed ‘Abide with Me’ on the trumpet and the Senior Voices choir sang a reflective piece to conclude the service in the hall.
To conclude the morning, the Head Boy and the two youngest pupils in the school led the way to the Urn to lay the school wreath. They were followed by representatives from each year group, who placed the wreaths they had created as part of their class reflections on remembrance.
As always, we are grateful to Father Jeremy, Mr Lamb, Mr R-G, and Mike Willoughby for their contributions to this important occasion, and to all pupils, parents and staff for helping to make it such a respectful and memorable service.