Social Science Trip

Our Social Science trip to Krakow this week was an incredibly enriching experience. We took 35 Year 11 and 13 students and I am so proud of them all for their positive, thoughtful, and reflective attitude throughout. The trip offered a perfect blend of cultural exploration and historical education, and the students embraced each moment with curiosity and respect.

During our time in Krakow, the students engaged with so many different experiences. They participated in a number of fascinating walking tours (with many stories along the way!), exploring the enchanting Old Town and the iconic Main Square amongst many other places. They also had the opportunity to try traditional Polish food, immersing themselves in local flavours – including a mystery “apple pie”, and enjoyed a lively folklore dance performance that showcased Poland’s rich cultural heritage.

Two key highlights of the trip were the visits, firstly to the Galicia Museum where we were able to meet with and listen to the inspirational personal account of a survivor, where she very poignantly explained the impact of the Second World War on her family (‘The Mutilated Tree’), and secondly to Schindler’s Factory Museum, where the students engaged deeply with the history of Krakow, World War II and the Holocaust, reflecting on the powerful stories of survival and resilience. The trip culminated with a poignant visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau, where the students approached the site with a profound sense of reverence, learning about the horrors of the Holocaust and honouring the memory of its victims.

Throughout the trip, the students exhibited a maturity and sensitivity that allowed them to absorb and reflect on the complex historical and cultural lessons we encountered. Their positive attitude and respect for the significance of each place we visited made this trip a truly memorable and impactful experience.

Our social scientists continued to make us all so proud, even when faced with hours (and hours!) of delays at the airport coming home, maintaining such a positive attitude and still treating it as “an adventure” as Mrs Taylor-Crooke said. We had TikTok dances, splits and gymnastic performances and myself, Mrs Taylor-Crooke and Miss Swords were even taught card games like ‘spoons’ when our true competitive streaks came out! The incredible attitude and resilience of our young people continued right up until the end when the cabin crew on our return flight stopped us to compliment each of the students for being so polite when exiting the plane.

I hope the students took a lot away from the trip, I am sure that they will have done and finally, I want to end by thanking them all for making my first school trip abroad such a fantastic experience, I am privileged to have been able to accompany them.

Mrs Bousfield (along with Mrs Taylor-Crooke, Miss Swords, Mr Crooks – because we could never do a trip without him! – and an honorary mention for Nigel our tour guide)