Recently sixth form ambassadors from Alsop High School’s Sixth Form joined 150 students from schools across Liverpool and the North West on a visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland.

Mrs Jemma Johnston, Head of RE and Social Sciences accompanied the four students on the visit which was part of the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Lessons from Auschwitz Project.

Mrs Johnston comments: 

“Recent rises in anti-Semitism highlights just how important the work of Holocaust Educational Trust is. Alsop student’s commitment to learning lessons from Auschwitz is a real testimony to their desire to foster social cohesion and harmony in their own communities. The visit provided an insightful and important experience our students will never forget.”

Students visited Auschwitz I to see the former camp’s barracks and crematoria and witnessed the piles of belongings that were seized by the Nazis. Students then visited Auschwitz-Birkenau to witness the ruins of the crematoria and the pond of ashes. At the end of the visit over 150 students stood at the end of the railway track, next to the memorial and listened to the Shofar being blown and the Rabbi recite the Shoah reflection which remembers the millions of Jews slaughtered during the Holocaust.

One of the student ambassadors writes: 

“There was a silence as people reflected, but the enormity of what went on here means that it would take 11-and-a-half years to remember each individual person with a single minute’s silence.”

Mr James Kerfoot, Executive Principal writes:

“We would like to thank Ms Johnston and our student ambassadors for participating in this study visit. The day was emotional, as expected, but the students were completely respectful and showed great compassion throughout the day. We look forward to seeing their presentation and hearing about their visit when they lead our collective worship to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day 2026.”