As part of our ongoing commitment to Holocaust education and remembrance, students across the school have taken part in a series of impactful learning experiences in the lead up to Holocaust Memorial Day.

On Monday 26th January, 120 students participated in a powerful online workshop delivered by the National Holocaust Museum. The session focused on the roles played by collaborators and bystanders during the Holocaust, exploring how inaction, complicity and silence enabled persecution to continue. Students engaged with authentic historical documents, listened to testimonies from Holocaust survivors and took part in thoughtful discussions to help them evaluate the moral choices faced by individuals at the time.

The educator leading the workshop expressed how impressed they were with the maturity, knowledge and thoughtful engagement shown by our students. They highlighted the quality of the questions asked and the depth of understanding demonstrated throughout the session.

On Thursday 22nd January, 30 Year 9 students had the unique opportunity to hear directly from a Holocaust survivor and their son, in partnership with the Holocaust Educational Trust. Students learned about life in Hungary before the Nazi occupation, the devastating impact on the survivor’s family and community, and their experiences after the war. Pupils were able to ask their own questions, gaining a deeper understanding of the personal realities behind the historical events they study.

Our commemorative work will continue throughout this week during form time, where students will reflect on themes of remembrance, resilience and responsibility. We are also looking forward to welcoming historian Tom Palmer, who will be working with students to further explore the importance of Holocaust memory.

In addition, four of our Post 16 students will represent the school as part of the Lessons from Auschwitz Programme with the Holocaust Educational Trust, travelling to Auschwitz Birkenau on 4th February. Their reflections will contribute to our whole school understanding of why remembering the Holocaust remains so vital today.

These experiences form an essential part of helping our young people understand the consequences of prejudice, discrimination and hatred and the role each of us plays in standing up against them.