WE will remember them.

A pledge for the millions who died in the Great War and one that's now been made by ten and 11-year-olds following a two-year project.

The culmination of their research will see bespoke poppy plaques placed on the homes of the 75 soldiers who served and died in the conflict and who attended their school.

The children at North Primary School in Colchester have researched the former pupils, as well as identified and photographed their homes.

Many of the houses are close to the school and include Albert Street, Causton Road, Bergholt Road, Crowhurst Road, The Workhouse, North Hill, Burlington Road, Hamilton Road, St Peter's Street, Northgate Street and Manor Road.

Their plans were officially launched at the school last week.

Alan Garnett, headteacher, said: “This project has given the children a unique opportunity to understand how world events can shape and change communities. They have learnt so much, but more than that, they have been profoundly moved by their learning. These plaques will remind them of this project and it will remind them and everybody in our community of the human cost of war.”

Colchester's High Steward Sir Bob Russell has also been heavily involved, having a had a personal connection to the school.

His four children attended the school and Sir Bob's granddaughter and youngest grandson are now also pupils there.

Sir Bob had also been thinking of having the poppy plaques made and sketched a design which his son Andrew, now 48 and an artist, designed.

Funding was then secured to make the design mould into the ceramic plaques.

Artist Peter Jones has now taken the project forward to create these plaques at his Cuckoo Farm Studios in Colchester.

Sir Bob said: "I am deeply impressed with the way North School is commemorating the former pupils who lost their lives in The Great War.

"In most cases the houses where they lived are still there. The streets which they walked along 100 years ago are the same streets as those which children today walk along, and the original school buildings from the end of the 19th century and into the 20th century remain visually unchanged. The project has involved a lot of research. I congratulate all involved.”

Another strand to the project will see a 'digital portal', created.

This website will contain historical information corresponding to each house.

The idea is people will be able to literally walk in the former pupils’ footsteps.

At each location there will be an online image of the house and information about the family who lived there, such as details from census records, how many were in the family, their jobs, and to incorporate the pupils’ writing and poetry.

The website is currently under construction.

Laura Davison, the project manager said: “We Will Remember Them has been a hugely successful project which the pupils are extremely proud. We now aim to share the project with the people of Colchester and wider public through the poppy plaques and a ‘digital portal’ which will contain all the research and information about the former pupils. We hope that residents will support the project and give us permission to display a poppy plaque on their home.”

The project has been made possible by funding from Heritage Lottery Fund, Essex County Council and an individual donation from Sir Bob.

It has also been featured in Colchester's Firstsite art gallery and a roll of honour has been put up at the school containing the former pupils’ names.

The project was inspired by an entry headmaster John Harper made in the North School Log Book on July 23, 1915.

He wrote a Roll of Honour was installed in the school hall in honour of fallen pupils.

The Roll has been lost, but pupils set out to make sure the memory of their forebears’ heroism will remain.

Over the last two years, pupils have visited archives, collections and memorials – including the town’s Hollytrees Museum, Colchester’s War Memorial, Colchester Library Social History

Archive and Essex Record Office to develop individual case studies of soldiers, writing about their homes, families and jobs.

They photographed and mapped where the former pupils lived and worked with creative writer Baden Prince to produce poetry, songs and epitaphs dedicated to the soldiers.

The poppy plaques project, web site and historical walks will be launched on Friday July 1, on the centenary of the Battle of the Somme.