The Remembrance Day ceremony at Devizes School will this year take on a special poignancy for many students who have been researching the background of First World War veterans whose names appear on the town’s war memorial.

Just before 11am on November 11, all of the school’s pupils, plus a number of youngsters invited from the town’s primary schools, will gather in the quadrangle for a wreath laying ceremony.

The area will be decorated with poppies that have been made by the students to create their own field of red in a similar style to the one at the Tower of London.

Head of history Tom Strickland said: “Students are making the poppies in their tutor groups so that we can particularly commemorate World War One this year.”

He said all of the pupils in Year 9 had been researching names on the Devizes war memorial next to St John’s Church.

Next year, when these teenagers go on the school’s traditional Year 10 visit to the war graves in France and Belgium, they will be looking for these particular graves.

He said: “This trip is always very emotional and seeing the graves has a powerful effect on the students.”

On November 11 students will take part in house assemblies before joining together in the quad.

Senior students will lay wreaths in front of a cross and a buglar will play the Last Post.