To mark Armistice Day, students and staff observed two minutes’ silence with the CCF at 11am in memory of all those who served and gave their lives in military conflicts.
Noah and Tiffany (Upper Sixth) read the Kohima Epitaph and ‘For the Fallen’ by Laurence Binyon, and Mrs Wells spoke, honouring the memory and sacrifice of all who have served in conflicts, sharing the story of an Old Sennockian, Herbert Bassett, who served in the First World War, and encouraging us to recognise the lasting impact that war has on generations of families and communities.
This year we honoured the Old Sennockian fallen with a new memorial on the Flat, where we laid a wreath. The memorial project was led by three of last year’s Upper Sixth: Bertie Turner, Sebby Kent and William Davis (OS 2026). Their aim was to create an open-air gathering point at the heart of the school, for remembrance, respect and reflection.
Created from Kentish ragstone in harmony with the Johnson Library, Swanzy and Old School, the plinth bears a memorial plaque which reads: Semper in memoria nostra vivetis. This memorial is dedicated to Old Sennockians who gave their lives or suffered as a consequence of conflict.
The project was made possible through the generous support of the Sevenoaks School Foundation and individual members of the school community, whose donations funded the creation of the memorial.
When Mrs Wells spoke, she reminded us that the people who have fallen were from our community: ‘They sat in classrooms here at this school, played sport on these pitches, made friends, had ambitions, and looked towards the future, just as you all do today.
‘As historians often remind us, remembrance is about people and lives, not simply battles and dates. Through the records of the school, we can glimpse the remarkable variety of lives led by Old Sennockians before they entered military service.’
Our older memorials to the Old Sennockians who served in the two world wars remain on the walls of the Johnson Library and St Nicholas’ Church.
Thank you to all involved in today’s act of remembrance.
‘When you go home, tell them of us, and say
For your tomorrow we gave our today.’
John Maxwell Edmonds
