In January, we ran an essay-writing competition for the Sixth Form. The title of the essay was ‘What is the benefit of Holocaust Education?’. The two winners of the competition would be given the opportunity to travel to Auschwitz Birkenau in February with the Holocaust Education Trust, and would have the chance to hear a Holocaust survivor speak at a pre-visit conference in London.

The essay competition was hotly contested, with lots of superb essays submitted. This year, the winners of the competition were Zara Nimmo (Paull’s, Year 12) and Emmanuel Omale (Kennedy’s, Year 12), both of whom had only joined the Sixth Form at the beginning of this academic year. This week Zara and Emmaunel bravely stood up in front of the whole School and talked about their experiences. The presentation was exceptionally moving and showed how much they had gained from this life-altering trip. To help raise awareness of the Holocaust, Zara and Emmanuel are running an art competition for students across all year groups, allowing them to portray their own understanding of the Holocaust in an artistic way.

We are exceptionally proud of the maturity and sensitivity Zara and Emmanuel have shown. We plan to make this trip an annual occurrence and that future pairs of Aldenham students are able to gain as much from this experience as Zara and Emmanuel have done.