They decided which youngsters’ designs would make the final stages of the ‘Football Remembers’ competition. Schools across the country were asked to enter designs for a permanent memorial to the famous football matches played on the Western Front during the Christmas Truce, December 1914.

The design, pictured below, by Nathan Jones – who was representing Sandhurst School – was among those shortlisted for the national final. His design featured a British and German soldier, rifles on back, shaking hands over a football adorned with a cross and poppies, to signify the friendship on that day.

Debbie Smith, headteacher of Sandhurst School, said: “We are delighted and very proud that our entry, designed by Nathan Jones, has been shortlisted.

“Many of our students are from service families, many with links to The Royal Gurkha Rifles and so we have close links to the Royal Military Academy and some of our parents are in active service.” The shortlisted designs are on display at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire before the winner is announced next month. The chosen design will be made into a permanent memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum.