Two sixth form students from Queensbury Academy in Dunstable, part of Anthem Schools Trust, travelled to Auschwitz for a day to learn more about what happened in the Nazi concentration and extermination camps.
Thanks to the Holocaust Educational Trust, two A-level history students in Year 12, Jakub and Oliwier, were able to make the trip to Poland.
The students are learning about the causes and consequences of war as part of their A-level study.
The pair left the UK on a very early flight from Stansted Airport and were met by a coach which took them to Auschwitz.
The students were given a guided tour of the site and the day culminated with a ceremony led by a Rabbi who was honouring his grandparents, before they headed back home.
It was a very long day for the two youngsters, but they found it a deeply moving and emotional experience.
Jakub and Oliwier said: “The history of Auschwitz is overwhelming. The scale of the suffering is unimaginable. Visiting the gas chamber was a sobering and emotional moment.”
Helen Palmer, Headteacher at Queensbury Academy said: “It was a great privilege for our sixth form students, Jakub and Oliwier, to visit Auschwitz.
“This trip enabled the students to gain a profound understanding of the Holocaust and to foster a deeper comprehension of the events there and their implications.
“We are very grateful to the Holocaust Educational Trust for making this trip possible.”