​York House School pupils honour war heroes with unique ‘human wreath’ artwork display

Pupils at York House, a local independent prep school on the outskirts of Croxley Green, have paid tribute to British war heroes this Remembrance Day with a unique artwork display to symbolise strength and unity. Pupils at the top of the school were asked to think about what poppies represent on Remembrance Day and to use their creativity to build a collaborative ‘human wreath’ using their own hands as a canvas for the artwork.

The children used body paint and fine brushes to delicately paint various artistic representations of the humble poppy onto their hands in a bid to highlight strength and the overcoming of adversity.

Elaine Fraser, Head of Art at York House School, explained: “Every year we look to create a piece of Remembrance artwork as a collaborative sign of respect from our school and community. This year, we wanted to do something different. Each pupil worked diligently on their individual designs which were painted onto their hands, before being brought together in a final unified piece to honour those who fought together in the face of adversity. We are proud and touched that our pupils recognised the privilege of exhibiting this artwork outside of our school entrance on Remembrance Day by choosing to stand silently ‘on guard’ in the cold, as a mark of respect to our fallen.”

The Remembrance Day service at York House also included a special assembly focused on the sounds of the trenches and a talk on why the Last Post is so important to our country’s remembrance events. The school also welcomed eminent guest Dr Kandiah, Chairman of a committee seeking to revolutionise the history curriculum across England from 2024 onwards.