On Thursday 12 February, a group of our year 9 and 10 students embarked on an exciting four-day school trip to Ypres in Belgium. The purpose of the trip was to learn about the history and legacy of the First World War.
During the visit, students explored a number of memorial sites, including Tyne Cot Cemetery, where they discovered the graves of soldiers from the Sherwood Foresters division (including some born in Hucknall). This was a sombre and poignant moment of the trip.
Students also visited Hooge Crater Museum, which houses a private collection of First World War artefacts, and were given a tour of a recreated trench by the owner of the collection.
A visit was also made to Langemarck German War Cemetery, a site where over 44,000 German soldiers are buried, enabling students to grasp the scale of the conflict. Throughout this part of the trip, students actively engaged with the history in front of them and were keen to ask thoughtful and pertinent questions.
On Saturday, students spent the day in the city of Bruges. They embarked on a tour of this historic city, visiting landmarks such as the Belfry of Bruges, the Basilica of the Holy Blood, and the Frietmuseum. Students were also given some free time on the main high street to do some shopping.
In the evenings, students enjoyed playing games at the accommodation, including table football, table tennis, pool, and even karaoke.
All students behaved impeccably throughout the trip and were a credit to themselves and to Holgate.
