Children and staff across Defence Children Services (DCS) Schools and Settings came together with their communities to mark Remembrance 2026, honouring the courage and sacrifice of those who have served through moving acts of reflection, creativity and commemoration.
From crafting poppies and creating peaceful spaces for reflection, to sharing poetry and music, pupils of all ages played a meaningful role in keeping the spirit of Remembrance alive.
Rest of World Schools
At British Forces School Naples, preparations began in October, when pupils raised funds to purchase an archway for the school’s planned Garden of Reflection. Children and members of the wider community joined forces to create handmade poppies to decorate the arch, transforming it into a striking centrepiece for the school’s commemorations.
Classes worked together to craft handmade wreaths, which they laid during the Remembrance ceremony on Armistice Day, 11 November.
Serving personnel from Joint Force Command (JFC) Naples joined the school community for the service, which featured a bugler from the United States Naval Forces Europe and Africa Band. Serving personnel and pupils came together to share poetry and readings as part of the service, contributing to a moving act of remembrance and reflection.
In Brunei, Year 6 pupils at Hornbill School proudly led the school’s Remembrance Service in their Reflection Garden on 11 November. The event was attended by members of the wider community and featured musical support from a bugler and piper from 2nd Battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles (2RGR). As part of the commemorations, the school’s Arts Leader worked with pupils and parents to continue Hornbill’s tradition of creating a community artwork for Remembrance Day.
Cyprus Schools and Settings
In Cyprus, pupils from Akrotiri School supported the annual 457 March on 7 November. The march is held in memory of the 457 UK service personnel who lost their lives during operations in Afghanistan. Lining the streets, the children stood in respectful silence before applauding those taking part in the commemorative march, paying tribute to the fallen.
In the lead up to Remembrance, pupils also explored what remembrance means to them through their own poetry and prose, which was later shared at the RAF Akrotiri Station Remembrance Service on 9 November. Their words offered a poignant contribution to the commemorations and ensured that the voices of the younger generation were heard as part of the wider community’s act of remembrance.
At Queen Berengaria School, pupils explored the meaning of Remembrance through assemblies, classroom learning and creative activities. Every child handcrafted a poppy, and pupils studied wartime poetry and reflected on themes of courage, sacrifice, loss and hope. Activities culminated in a whole-school service on 11 November, featuring music, poetry readings and a two-minute silence, alongside contributions from Reverend David J Thom and Lieutenant Colonel Tim Wildish.
Pupils from Episkopi Primary School and St John’s School joined together for a moving Remembrance service, supported by the Cyprus Music Service on 11 November. The commemoration featured poetry readings and a collective performance of Voices of the Trenches, performed by Year 5 pupils from Episkopi Primary School and pupils from St John’s School, demonstrating how children of different ages can come together to play a meaningful role in acts of remembrance and commemoration.
Even the youngest of our children took part in the commemorations, with Episkopi Early Years children walking or travelling in pushchairs to the “tank roundabout” at the entrance to the garrison, where they laid a Remembrance wreath on 11 November. Proud parents lined the streets to support their little ones as they made their way along the route. The wreath laying is a long-standing tradition, supported by the Garrison Serjeant Major.
ESBA Early Years brought families together through a poppy-themed workshop on 6 November, with parents creating Remembrance inspired crafts using wooden logs while children aged 0 to 3 took part in age-appropriate activities, including making poppy pizzas. Designed to strengthen community connections and introduce the concept of remembrance at an early age, the activities provided families with an opportunity to learn, create and reflect together.
Head of Defence Children Services, Leigh Drummond said:
“Remembrance provides an important opportunity for children and young people to reflect on the courage and sacrifice of those who have served. Across DCS, pupils of all ages have taken part in Remembrance using poetry, music, creative activities and community commemorations to help ensure the message resonates with them regardless of their age. In doing so, they have demonstrated that Remembrance is not only about honouring the past, but about ensuring that the stories and sacrifices of those who have gone before provide an understanding about what it means to serve in the Armed Forces today.”
