School’s red (and green) poppies

LARKFIELD Primary School pupils have created an artistic, environmentally friendly way of marking the 100th anniversary of the end of WWI.

A eye-catching poppy cascade has been attached to a tree at the front of the school on Preston New Road.

The poppies are made out of recycled plastic bottles, brought in by the children.

Every child made a poppy, meaning that there are more than 300 in the display.

Janice Kenrick, the year 4 teacher at Larkfield, said: “It’s just awesome to see people stopping and looking at it as they go past.”

Debbie Rawstorne, the year 3 teacher who, along with Mrs Kenrick, thought of the idea, said: “All the children brought into school plastic bottles, we chopped the bottoms off, shaped them and then all the children painted them, turning them into poppies to make the display.”

Mrs Kenrick said that the children have been learning about WWI in class along with their artistic endeavours.

She said: “We’ve been doing comprehensions and PowerPoints so they’ve the history behind it and know the significance of this centenary and how important it is.

“The children have also learned how people viewed things differently, it was a very different lifestyle all those years ago, I don’t think they had really thought about that so that’s come out in conversation.”

The children have also been raising money for the Royal British Legion with great success.

The two teachers added that the children have been moved by what they have learned, and have been able to relate to it better by finding more about their own family experiences.