Pupils from Years 10,11,12 and 13 had a great trip to Prague and Krakow. Everyone enjoyed the beauty of Prague 
despite the cold weather!
We were intrigued by the story of the assassination of the Nazi commander in Bohemia (Reinhardt Heydrich) and then moved by the terrible consequences for the Czech population as the village of Lidice was destroyed along with the inhabitants.
As well as gaining an insight into the dark recent history of the area, we had the opportunity to taste some delicious Czech cuisine and watch a very bizarre experience at the Dark Light Theatre.
We then moved on to Krakow in Poland where we were again impressed by the beauty of the city.
This was in stark contrast to the story of the holocaust, which was explained to us by the excellent guides.
The visit to Auschwitz was an incredibly emotional day, where all of the pupils gained a deeper understanding of the nature of the atrocities and many of us were moved to tears by the experience.
The pupils were exemplary in their attitude and it was especially touching to see them offering each other support as the day became too much for some. On the following afternoon we met Josef, an 85 year old Polish holocaust survivor.
This was the highlight of the trip as it gave us a chance to hear some stories first hand and to ask some important questions. Again, the pupils made us proud with their respectful approach and with the thoughtful questions they asked.
To complete the trip we explored the Easter markets to hunt for souvenirs and visited the amazing salt mines just outside Krakow.