History teacher Mr Leigh had an important message to impart at this morning’s Assembly, when he talked about the power of words, particularly in relation to Holocaust Memorial Day (27th January) – and how it reminds us to use the lessons of the past to challenge discrimination today. The Holocaust – like all genocides – targeted a particular group of people for destruction, just because of who they were: not only Jews, but also Roma (Gypsies), people with disabilities, Poles, Afro-Germans, Jehovah’s Witnesses, homosexuals and more. Mr Leigh pointed out that this type of discrimination starts with people in power pushing an “us versus them” agenda to divide people – and it is important for us to maintain vigilance against empty, disruptive words, and to challenge discrimination when we encounter it.

As part of the Assembly, Four Sixth Form history students told the remarkable story of Henry Wermuth, a Polish Jew, who survived not just Auschwitz, but also eight other concentration camps. Henry now lives in the UK and his remarkable story has been told in his book “Breathe Deeply, My Son”.

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