November 2, 2016 3.10 pm This story is over 88 months old

Sleaford school to create memorial plaque for students killed in World War One

Pupils will unveil a memorial plaque to remember 72 pupils from a Sleaford school who died for their country in World War One. Project 72 is a community based history project aimed at tracking down the names of the children who attended William Alvey School and then went on to fight in the war. Their names were…
The children at William Alvey School looking through old school log books.

Pupils will unveil a memorial plaque to remember 72 pupils from a Sleaford school who died for their country in World War One.

Project 72 is a community based history project aimed at tracking down the names of the children who attended William Alvey School and then went on to fight in the war.

Their names were originally written on a special scroll that was unveiled at William Alvey School on May 24, 1922, but was then lost.

The proposed plaque. Click to zoom

The proposed plaque. Click to zoom

The current Alvey children have cross referenced church and civic monuments with the old school registers and found the majority of the names, which will be placed on a plaque outside of the school.

Stephen Tapley, headteacher at William Alvey School, said: “The children have been working with artist David Mackie to produce a permanent memorial that has been given permission to install at the front of the school.

“There is a day to day aspect to the project.

“All our parents wait outside the school gate adjacent to the proposed plaque site.

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A photo of the school circa 1895.

“ArtsNK are planning to develop the ‘interactive’ aspect of the plaque.

“The associated scroll which has already been funded, will be displayed in St Denys’ and linked by ‘QR’ code to some more detailed background information.”

The project will also form part of a larger art trail, ‘When in Sleaford’ which is being put together by ArtsNK and funded by a grant from the Sleaford Renewable Energy Plant and Eco2.

The plaque will be the central focus at the school’s Remembrance Day ceremony.