On Wednesday 22 March, three Year 12 students accompanied Miss Cambio and the Holocaust Educational Trust to take part in the Lessons from Auschwitz Project. This was an invaluable opportunity for students to learn outside the classroom.

The students started their day in the town of Oświęcim (Auschwitz) where they visited the local synagogue. Here they were able to see pre Jewish life in a town that had a high percentage of Jewish people and understand the vibrant background of a group that has been persecuted for years. They then continued to Auschwitz 1, receiving a tour from a historian and Rabbi, visiting cell blocks, the execution post and seeing exhibits of possessions - the proof of these atrocities.

Students were able to enter the gas chamber and crematorium at Auschwitz 1, the only remaining crematoria on site. The experience was hard hitting and difficult at times, but the students understood the significance and importance of visiting such sites. The focus was on humanising the Jewish people who suffered at Auschwitz and telling the forgotten story.

We then moved onto Auschwitz 2 where students saw the vast site of Birkenau, with 1.5km of wooden barracks, stretching as far as the eye can see. Our students at this site focused on the testimonies of the survivors and all three students took part in reading out these testimonies to the group. The day finished with a ceremony lead by Rabbi Eckstein, who sang the holocaust memorial prayer in Hebrew. Students lit a candle during this ceremony and laid it at the end of the railway line. A significant day for students, who now have been given the task of creating a project to continue the education of the holocaust further to our school community.

The Visual Art department arranged a school visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum and Tate Britain in London, on the 12 January, for 64 of our Year 11 Textiles, Fine Art and Photography students. The aim of the visit was to give students the opportunity to start their contextual research for their Externally Set Assignment (Exam project). Students have chosen their own exam theme from a range of given themes, by the exam board AQA. They spent the time in the two museums sourcing art works that relate to their chosen theme, which they can then draw inspiration from, to help them develop their own ideas. The trip was very successful and gave students a real kick-start to their exam project. Students are now evidencing this trip in their folders/sketchbooks and are using the drawings and photos that they took. Once again, our students were exemplary on the trip.

We are delighted to be able to, once again, offer these extra-curricular enhancement activities, which give the students a much fuller and broader educational experience. We have sent out a letter to all parents of Year 11 Fine Art and Photography students with dates of exams and deadlines for both exam projects and coursework. During the exam project, which students will complete towards the end of April, we are offering after-school sessions on Mondays and Thursdays for all our KS4 students to catch up on or extend their learning, and we sincerely hope students take advantage of this offer.

Please do check out the photos below to see some of the wonderful pieces of artwork students had the chance to view during the trip.

- The Visual Art Department

After breakfast, we headed off to the Autostadt in Wolfsburg. It was a 15-minute walk which took us 25 minutes because we took the scenic route (out of the hostel, turn right, to the bottom of the road, turn round, past the hostel again, and then on to the Autostadt!) When we got there, we were given a tour of some of the highlights. Mrs Husband saw the car that Mr James is going to buy her for Christmas. It only costs around 1.6 million euros. Towards the end of the day, some of us went to the Designer Outlet shops and some of us went ice-skating. (A few students managed to get on the ice but, unfortunately, time ran out, and some students didn't get chance.... They weren't 'frosty' about it and maintained the positivity we've seen from them throughout the entire trip.) Well done kiddos. After dinner, a few students had shopping withdrawal and popped back out for more retail therapy. The rest of us hung out at the hostel and played table tennis. The weather has been -7, and we have seen increases in the layers staff and students have been wearing throughout the trip. I'm sure a few students are attired in the entire contents of their cases. 

We set off in the dark to much excitement, today was our day in Disneyland Paris. With many on the coach donning Mickey Mouse ears, the excitement was tangible.

We arrived as the park was opening, and after a brief stroll through security (happy to report no incidents!) we made it into the park, and went off in groups to enjoy the fun.

On the way back to the hotel, we stopped off at a 'Hyper Market'/Mall, which has to be one of the biggest shopping centres many of us have ever been in.

A late return to the hotel, with everyone tired and ready for bed. Tomorrow, we visit our final Christmas Market in Arras before catching the ferry home!