🌺 Honouring Courage: How School Design Can Inspire Reflection on Remembrance Day
Every November, schools across the UK pause to remember — to honour those who showed courage, discipline, and selflessness in times of conflict. It’s a moment to reflect on history, but also to think about the values that continue to shape young people today: respect, resilience, and community.

In many schools, these values aren’t just taught — they’re built into the very walls. Through design, colour, and storytelling, schools can create spaces that help pupils connect with Remembrance in meaningful, lasting ways.
🎖 1. Creating Spaces for Reflection
- Remembrance Day is more than a date in the calendar; it’s an opportunity for learning, empathy, and gratitude. A thoughtfully designed corridor or display can provide pupils with a place to pause — a space that encourages quiet reflection and conversation.
- Using rich tones, silhouettes, and symbolic imagery, schools can transform blank walls into living tributes. The design might include:
- A visual timeline showing key moments in history.
- Inspirational quotes that link courage and kindness across generations.
- Imagery that celebrates teamwork, service, and hope for the future.
- When design invites stillness and pride, pupils begin to see Remembrance not as something distant, but as part of who we are today.
🪖 2. Celebrating Modern Service and Character
- For schools with Combined Cadet Forces (CCF), military-linked academies, or leadership programmes, wall graphics can go beyond Remembrance — they can showcase pride in service, discipline, and teamwork.
- Murals featuring training, adventure, and camaraderie help pupils see these values in action. They communicate confidence, responsibility, and a sense of belonging. A display might include:
- Core values such as Courage, Discipline, Respect, Integrity, Loyalty, Selflessness, and Commitment.
- Visuals of pupils learning fieldcraft, navigation, or teamwork.
- A section for student reflections or quotes about leadership and resilience.
- These environments remind pupils that Remembrance isn’t only about the past — it’s about carrying those principles into everyday life.

🔴 3. Linking History with Hope
- The best Remembrance-themed designs balance reflection with optimism. Alongside the stories of sacrifice, there’s space to celebrate progress, peace, and unity.
- Designs might show:
- The symbolism of the poppy represents both Remembrance and renewal.
- Scenes of community service, environmental stewardship, or international cooperation.
- Words and images that connect historical learning with modern citizenship.
- By linking history to hope, schools show pupils that Remembrance is also about building a better world — one rooted in empathy, understanding, and courage.
- Curriculum links:
- History: World Wars, peacebuilding, and national service
- English: Poetry and reflective writing
- PSHE: Values, respect, identity, and personal growth
🕊 4. Turning Values into Visual Learning
- A robust wall design turns abstract values into visible, everyday reminders. Pupils don’t have to read a policy or attend an assembly — they see courage, loyalty, and teamwork every time they walk down the corridor.
- At Cubed Creative, we’ve seen schools use this approach to:
- Reinforce behaviour and leadership values
- Celebrate student achievements within cadet and sports programmes
- Create visual focal points for Remembrance assemblies or services
- When young people can see the values they’re learning about, they’re more likely to understand and live them.
🌹 5. Lasting Impact Beyond November
- While Remembrance Day is a moment in time, the lessons behind it should live on all year. Permanent displays help keep that conversation open — about bravery, compassion, and service to others.
- From cadet training rooms to history corridors, these designs remind pupils daily of what it means to stand for something bigger than themselves. It’s a quiet but constant nudge toward character, leadership, and gratitude.
💬 Final Thoughts
- Remembrance is about reflection — but it’s also about inspiration. Schools play a vital role in helping pupils connect the courage of the past to the character of the present.
- Through powerful visuals and storytelling design, Cubed Creative helps bring those messages to life — ensuring that every pupil who walks those corridors feels part of something proud, respectful, and enduring.

🌺 Let’s design a space that honours courage and inspires character — this Remembrance Day and every day.







