Two Year 13 students who took part in a national Holocaust education initiative have described their visit to the Auschwitz‑Birkenau Memorial and Museum as deeply affecting, using the word “eerie” to capture the atmosphere they encountered. The trip formed part of the Lessons from Auschwitz Project, run by the Holocaust Educational Trust for post‑16 learners across England, Scotland and Wales.
First‑hand encounter with a difficult past
Josh Bursnell and Bradley Petley, both former pupils at local schools in Lincolnshire, travelled to the Polish memorial as part of the scheme while in Year 13 at Boston Grammar School. The one‑day visit is intended to allow students to see the site and to reflect on the Holocaust’s contemporary relevance.
Both students described being struck by the setting and the emotional weight of the place. Bradley reflected on a sense of personal proximity when walking around the site, saying it was upsetting to realise that the routes they followed were the same as those taken by the victims. Josh said he found the experience hard to put into words and that it rendered him unusually silent.
“It was upsetting to know that the paths that we were walking on were the same paths people unfortunately would have walked on there.”
“I'm normally quite a chatty person. When I was there, I was silent. I couldn’t find any words.”
Curriculum, reflection and classroom impact
The Lessons from Auschwitz Project is aimed at students aged 16 and above and combines preparatory learning with a guided visit and follow‑up activities. According to the material associated with the project, the visit is accompanied by opportunities to consider individual testimonies and the broader historical context, and to explore how lessons from the Holocaust relate to contemporary questions about prejudice and human rights.
For the two students, the project included a final task: sharing what they had learned with others. Josh and Bradley contributed an article to their school newspaper, the Grammar Gazette, presenting case studies and reflections from their visit. Bradley, who has aspirations to teach, said the first‑hand encounter would inform his future classroom work. Josh, who had long been interested in the period, described the visit as bringing a historical chapter into sharper personal focus.
What the experience involved
Photographs taken during the trip, included as part of the students’ report, show emblematic features of the site such as the infamous Arbeit Macht Frei gate at Auschwitz and the Book of Names, which records the identity of many victims. The account emphasises the emotional resonance of encountering objects and locations directly associated with victims’ experiences.
| Element | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Pre‑visit learning | Prepare students with historical background and testimonies |
| One‑day visit | Offer direct engagement with the memorial and museum |
| Post‑visit activity | Encourage reflection and sharing of learning within school |
Implications for schools and teachers
Holocaust education providers and schools stress that such projects are not simply about transferring factual knowledge but about encouraging sustained moral and civic reflection. For students considering careers in education or other public roles, the experience of encountering survivors’ testimonies and sites of atrocity can shape how they approach teaching sensitive topics and how they encourage critical thinking among peers.
- Experiential learning: the trip provided direct sensory and emotional engagement with history.
- Peer dissemination: pupils consolidated their learning by producing written accounts for their school community.
- Professional aspiration: participation informed students’ future plans, including a desire to teach.
As the new academic year begins, initiatives such as the Lessons from Auschwitz Project continue to be a component of post‑16 history education in the UK, seeking to connect classroom study with tangible encounters that prompt reflection on the past and responsibilities in the present.
