Children at an Eltham primary school have succeeded in getting a local war memorial listed by Historic England.

Eltham Church of England Primary pupils laid a wreath and the Eltham War Memorial on Remembrance Day last Friday (November 11).

They also researched the lives behind the names on the war memorial that appeared on their school roll of honour.

The work was undertaken as part of the heritage schools programme run by Historic England which aims to list 2,500 war memorials by 2018 to mark the centenary of the First World War.

Year 6 students worked with Margaret Taylor, a retired teacher and former archivist at St John the Baptist Church in Eltham, to research the names of former pupils who fought in the war.

Joshua, a student at Eltham CoE School, said: “We really enjoyed finding out about the pupils of Eltham who served and died in the war. It was incredible to think that they were part of our school, and helped us realise the sacrifice that they made.”

Greenwich Council agreed to help fund the appeal and put forward £9,000 for the memorial to be restored and for the names to be re-inscribed.

Councillor Denise Hyland, leader of Greenwich Council, said: “We are incredibly proud of the work the children at Eltham Church of England School have done to protect this much loved memorial to the Eltham residents who died in the war a century ago.

“It means we can now ensure that those who sacrificed their lives for the nation can be remembered for many generations to come.

“The project provides a brilliant opportunity for young people to really engage with the history of their community and understand the value of their local heritage.”

Clive Efford, MP for Eltham said: “I congratulate the pupils of Eltham CoE Primary School for what they have achieved on behalf of our community.

“As those who experienced war first hand pass on the duty of remembering, it is very important for young people to understand what they stood for and why it was so important.

“What these pupils have achieved will be remembered for as long as the memorial remains, which will be a very long time.”

Deborah Mayes, head of listing at Historic England, said: “This memorial will gain a place on the national heritage list for England to tell the story of this country’s sacrifices a century ago and this will help ensure their future safety.

“It’s brilliant that schools are getting involved: all generations are taking a close interest in the centenary.”