Royal Wootton Bassett Academy (RWBA) had the honour of hosting celebrities as part of their Holocaust Memorial Week, including personalities from the BBC docuseries ‘My Family, The Holocaust and Me’, such as Robert ‘Judge’ Rinder MBE, Actress Louisa Clein, and Bernie Graham.
These individuals, representing second and third generations affected by the Holocaust, have inspired a nationwide project titled ‘The Holocaust, Their Family, Me and Us’, now embraced by over 240 secondary schools across England, impacting over 10,000 students.
Dr Nic Wetherall, a dedicated teacher at RWBA, orchestrated the emotionally charged week and spearheaded this innovative national initiative.
In the lead-up to Wednesday, students engaged in a range of music, drama, and art activities aligned with the themes of the Holocaust. They crafted memory boxes in tribute to Louisa’s family and collaborated with peers from Highfields School, Trinity Catholic School, Hanham Woods Academy, and The Wellington Academy, alongside RWBA students.
Dominic from Nottingham University Academy, RWBA’s project partner school, invited students to participate in their British Sign Language Choir, capturing the performance for online sharing. Robert, Louisa, and Bernie shared their poignant bio poems and delivered heartfelt speeches, while students reciprocated by presenting them with their reflections of the day.
Bernie Graham, a Psychologist and Director of Mental Health Support Training and Consultancy, expressed gratitude towards the students and organisers, saying “This is an incredible day. I would like to give thanks to all the students for honouring my family and the film. I have got so much gratitude towards Nicola Wetherall, she’s an incredible woman but also to Charlotte and Royal Wootton Bassett Academy for hosting this.
“This is all about the past, but it’s also about the future, in all its forms different types of racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, homophobia, transphobia, discrimination against disabled people, whoever it’s about, choose love over hate.”
Robert Rinder, a British Barrister and Television Personality, went on to say “It was so often told that in the darkness, people are forgetting that the number of survivors dwindle. That’s a particular problem, but this program demonstrates what is possible, and the light that when you have a group of committed teachers and educators that come together through the powerful, prism of stories and enable and help young learners, peace them back together it has the most extraordinary impact on every aspect of learning from heart in Literature, History to going into the world as more courageous citizens, who have the limitless power to change their communities, and if ever there was an example of a program that best delivers that, it is this.
“This is what education should be about. At it’s very best it questions how we can enable our citizens to go into our communities with more courage to stand up to hate, in all of its forms, and this program best empowers young learners to do that, and that’s what makes me so proud to be alongside it.”
Dr Nic Wetherall extended appreciation to all involved, acknowledging the support of the BBC, UCL, and Pears Foundation for enabling this opportunity.
Mrs Anita Ellis, Headteacher of RWBA, underscored the school’s commitment to providing a holistic education that intertwines historical understanding with broader curriculum themes.
She praised Dr Wetherall’s leadership and expressed gratitude to the guests and supporters for their invaluable contributions to the school community, “A massive thank you also to our visitors for sharing their stories with us but also to the BBC, Pears Foundation and UCL for enabling this remarkable opportunity to take place at our school.”
