At the end of March, the history department invited the Holocaust Educational Trust into school to do a workshop with Year 9 on remembering the Holocaust.
Year 9 learned about the persecution of Jews in Nazi occupied Europe during the Second World War through the story of a Holocaust Survivor, Bobby.
Members of Bobby's family gave a highly emotive talk about her life experiences and this also included her time spent at Auschwitz, the concentration camp in Poland. In particular, students learnt about how Bobby was only 15 years old when she was deported from Hungary to Auschwitz. She survived alone under the most horrific conditions in the shadow of the furnaces that devoured her entire family. The following year in the freezing winter of 1945, the Nazis marched the prisoners out of the camp on the infamous Death March towards Bergen Belsen.
Year 9 participated in a debate over accountability in the Holocaust and in modern day genocides. Our visitors were really impressed with our Year 9s and commented on the many 'thoughtful, mature and inspiring answers' they gave.
The talk has supported their Holocaust unit of work in history, which has been further reinforced by cross-curricular activities in English.
The Holocaust speakers also commented on the respectful and attentive manner in which our pupils behaved. Well done year 9!