A virtual Remembrance Service was held at Sunninghill Prep in Dorchester.

The community school, which thrives on the daily interaction between pupils, parents and staff, put the online service together with the school unable to hold important community events in the traditional way because of the pandemic.

Sunninghill headmaster, John Thorpe said “One of the most poignant events of our community calendar is our Remembrance Service. We simply could not let this slip by without some form of community gathering and so we produced a virtual service for all to join on Wednesday, November 11."

Lecca Moss, head of music & drama and form 4 teacher, said: “No Sunninghill service is the same without the joyous accompaniment of song. As we could not sing together this year, we used the wonders of music technology and recorded each class individually from forms 5 to 8, complete with soloists and art work from form 2."

The 15-minute virtual service featured poignant readings by the school’s head boy and head girl, pupils reciting moving passages of poetry and one child from each junior prep class reading a verse from ‘Peace will Come’.

The creative video was produced by Lecca Moss and music co-ordinator Lesley Nolan Stone and featured extensive use of ‘green screen technology’ to produce a virtual backdrop to place pupils in a historical context. To complete the service, the Last Post was played by music teacher Kevin Penfold

The whole school returned to their tutor groups at 10.50am on Wednesday to mark Armistice Day, including standing for the last post, the laying of the wreath and observing a minute silence.

John Thorpe summed up the mood of the school: “The current Covid-19 restrictions paled into insignificance and we gave thanks to grandparents who gave their lives, for the sacrifices they made for us and for those that continue to do so.”

You can watch Sunninghill’s virtual Remembrance service on their YouTube channel, youtube.com/SunninghillPrep or on the school’s brand-new daily blog, notesfromasmallschool.org.