Remembrance Day 2025

Throughout this week, our pupils have led, laid wreaths and attended remembrance events throughout Breckland, with one of our pupils also being lucky enough to lay a wreath on behalf of St John Ambulance at the Cenotaph in London on Sunday. 

The armed services are particularly important to the community in and around Wayland Academy. Watton was once home to the RAF Bomber Command and after WW2 also home to the US Air Force. Many of our families are service men and women and as such a significant number of our pupils attend uniformed cadet services. 

There are also a number of refugees at Wayland and as part of this Remembrance we thanked our armed services for making our country one in which people can seek refuge from war torn countries. Watton was twinned with Zhovkva in Ukraine last year.

Our junior leadership team and principal attended Watton's Remembrance service on Sunday. 

At Wayland, we reflected and remembered through a collective whole-school remembrance service led by Ms Austin, Principal. Ms Austin reminded pupils and staff of the history the armed forces have in Watton and the surrounding areas and reminded the community of the importance of the sacrifice these servicemen and women have given to their country. 

Following this, Mr Jackson, Teacher of Music, played the last post, and a 2 minutes silence was held. Former Serviceman and Head of Geography, Mr Read, addressed the school as part of the remembrance event.

The school recognises the impact on the education of pupils whose families are in the armed services. As such, there is an armed forces support network to ensure that staff and students get the support they need, not just during times of family deployment, but throughout their time at school.

Lucy Austin, Principal, said "I have been really struck over the past few days the extent to which forces are a part of our community. We are a school at the heart of our community and it is events like this that help to bring us together"