Year 12’s engaged very well with our Careers-focused Enrichment Day yesterday. Advice was shared and support given about early entry applications to UCAS, apprenticeships, and admissions tests for the most competitive courses. Our budding medics also engaged in work experience with Health Hack; analysing Birmingham’s high infant mortality rate through the lens of public health.
Serving as the economic representative for South Korea at the King Edward’s Model United Nations was an immensely rewarding experience. The conference allowed for participation in sophisticated debates on the economic crisis in Yemen, A major humanitarian crises that all too often is overlooked. Working and collaborating with delegates from other schools was both a challenging and rewarding experience that pushed me to consider the perspectives of other nations while maintaining the economic stance of Korea. One of the most rewarding of the conference was the insight it gave me into international affairs, political processes, and economic issues. Although I already had some prior knowledge of the economic crisis in Yemen, the detailed analysis presented in the discussions improved my understanding of the complex issues involved in foreign aid, economic sanctions, and global cooperation. Such discussions revealed the harsh challenges faced by millions around the world and highlighted the important impact of economic policy on the lives of others. As well as the academic aspect of the event, I also appreciated the collaborative elements of the experience. Negotiation, argumentation, and coalition building processes with fellow delegates was a thoroughly engaging experience that forced me to push out of my comfort zone and build on essential public speaking skills. Although at first, the idea of presenting my arguments in a clear and compelling way to an audience seemed daunting, the experience allowed me to greatly improve my confidence. Overall, the conference was both enlightening and intellectually stimulating, allowing me to develop a deeper understanding of international economics while providing a forum for interaction with fellow students who share a common interest in international relations.
Chet Dhami
I participated in Model United Nations as the delegate of South Korea in the SOCHUM committee, which focused on intolerance, discrimination. I collaborated with other delegates to draft a resolution that emphasized the protection of freedom of expression and the need to combat online hate. The experience enhanced my public speaking, critical thinking, and diplomatic negotiation skills, and provided valuable insight into international policy-making processes.
Alina Warraich
🌙 Happy Eid! Eid marks the end of Ramadan, a time of gratitude, celebration, and charity. It’s a day to
come together with family, friends, and community. 🤝 The spirit of collaboration and care shines through, reminding us that together we can achieve great things, especially when we share joy and generosity. #EidMubarak #EidAlFitr #Gratitude #Celebration #Community #Collaboration #HGSCares
Outline of the Project
On 2 February, we attended our first seminar, where we were taught mainly about pre-war Jewish life and were given a few case studies on real life examples of Jewish families before the war. Furthermore, we had a wonderful meeting with an actual Holocaust survivor who detailed her plight from the Nazi regime in Poland – quite an eye-opening experience.
We visited Poland on 7 February, equipped with the details of the trip from the orientation seminar, and took a tour around various Holocaust-era sites such as Auschwitz I, Auschwitz II-Birkenau, and we were also meant to visit Oświęcim but our schedule was too tight for that stop. However, our tour guides still gave us the sufficient knowledge about the town so that we could understand the roots of Auschwitz (Oświęcim renamed by the Nazis). At the end of the Poland trip, we took part in a memorial ceremony, where numerous other students lit candles for the victims of the Holocaust, and listened to our tour guide Rabbi Shaw’s speech on the event.
On 11 February, we attended an online follow up seminar, which helped us reflect on our day visit to Poland. We engaged in break-out rooms with students from other schools, and it was an interesting experience collating our knowledge and feelings on the topic. We were also given details about our Next Steps project which involved creating a “medium” in which we could present what we had learnt to our wider community. Our Next Steps project involved some presentations to Year 10 GCSE historians, and we believe that we have developed a more Holocaust aware group of people within our school.
The Seminars & Visit to Poland
This project was an eye-opening experience, with us attending several seminars, and getting the rare occasion to speak to some survivors of the Holocaust who held eye-witness accounts of the tragedy. We were told about her perilous plight of evasion from Nazi-occupied Poland and the tense confrontations with both friend and foe, all culminating in her escape to sanctuary, away from her war-torn hometown. Along with this meeting with the survivor, we were assigned into break-out rooms where we’d discuss topics such as pre-war Jewish life and the preservation of Holocaust sites such as Auschwitz-Birkenau. To truly visualise the information given to us during the seminars, we were sent on a trip to Oświęcim (the location of Auschwitz) in Poland where we saw buildings such as the Death Gates of Auschwitz II-Birkenau and the “Arbeit Macht Frei” (Work Sets You Free) sign leading to the entrance of Auschwitz I. The weather was bitterly cold and that truly encapsulated the experience of Jews held in captivity in the Auschwitz camp. We met people such as Rabbi Shaw who gave us an overview of what it was like in these camps, and at the end of the trip, there was a ceremony commemorating the lives lost in the Holocaust.
Next Steps Work in School
We would like to think that the follow-up presentations we did with the Year 10 classes were informative and somewhat interesting. We had many enthusiasts about the topic at hand, and we were engaging with a very lively audience that questioned us on some unclear aspects of the Holocaust, which challenged us as we had to really bring out our A-Level History analysis and evaluation skills to answer them to our fullest potentials. For example, we discussed the reasons why this genocide was not stopped by the international community. We believe that these presentations helped further our communication skills as Holocaust Ambassadors, preparing us to bear the torch to enlighten future generations on the tragic events of the genocide.
Reflections
Participating in the Lessons from Auschwitz Project was a transformative experience that expanded our understanding not only of the Holocaust but on the wider impact of key events in history. We are grateful for this experience as it has allowed us to see the long-lasting impact of the Holocaust and why it holds such a strong sentimental value in society. One of the most significant moments on the trip was when we saw the belongings of the Jewish people such as their pots and pans, suitcases, the hair of the women and girls, prosthetic legs, and shoes of the Jewish people. This was particularly significant to us as it showed how de-humanising and atrocious the Nazi actions were, this is because from all the years of learning about the Nazis in lessons nothing quite puts it into perspective like this did on how brutal it was. The belongings allowed us to relate and to somehow connect to the victims as they have so much in common yet were treated like aliens.
History and the Holocaust
This trip has helped us further understand the importance of history, as the time-tested theory that, “those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it” has been demonstrated through numerous catastrophic events similar to the Holocaust. Many dismiss history as an archaic subject with little relevance to modern society, but this could not be further from the truth. Studying events such as the Holocaust teaches us about the human experience of suffering, resilience, and the consequences of intolerance. By learning about these tragedies of pure human evil, we not only honour the victims but also recognise and combat hatred in all its forms. History fosters empathy and encourages us to build a more tolerant and peaceful society, ensuring that future atrocities like the Holocaust never resurface. As historians and as a wider society, we must not let key historical events like this fade into the recesses of our minds; it is crucial to follow up on the lessons taken from the Holocaust and actively work to prevent such prejudices from occurring again. We, as a society should aim to create a world where such crimes are not seen as “permissible” or “tolerable” – a world where hate is stamped out at the source, so that atrocities such as the Holocaust never happen again. This project has strengthened our understanding of this horrific event and reinforced our commitment to opposing intolerance, helping us contribute to a society free from hatred.
This image serves to show us as a society, that victims are just like us – they feel pity, they feel joy, they feel rage. They should be treated with the same courtesy as the rest of us. Not to be demonised because they are portrayed as monsters, such as in the case of the Holocaust.
Arvind Mann (12KBE) & Tinron Chan (12ASO)
Our Sixth Form Computer Scientists were thrilled to participate in the CyberFirst Outreach Event, held at Accenture’s Birmingham city centre offices. As a global leader in professional services, spanning strategy, consulting, digital, technology, and operations, Accenture boasts an impressive annual turnover of $64.9 billion.
The event brought together 60 aspiring computer scientists from sixth forms across the city, fostering an atmosphere of excitement, innovation, and curiosity.
The day provided an immersive introduction to Cyber Security through a series of interactive activities. Students explored career pathways in cyber and technology, engaging directly with industry professionals from BT, Microsoft, Accenture and keynote speakers with civil service experience. The event kicked off with a dynamic 40-minute Q&A networking session, where experts shared invaluable insights and addressed thought-provoking questions.
A standout moment was the hands-on session with Sphero, a leading name in edtech programmable robots. Through games-based learning and educational STEAM activities, students enhanced their STEM skills, programmed Sphero robots, and tackled engaging challenges. Another highlight was the Boardroom Battle, where we harnessed Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) to outmanoeuvre opponents by identifying global locations.
Our sixth formers made a lasting impression, actively contributing to discussions and posing insightful questions about AI and pathways into cyber and technology careers. The event offered a deep dive into the cybersecurity landscape and an inspiring glimpse into future career opportunities.
Overall, the experience was both highly informative and incredibly engaging, leaving us inspired and eager to explore the rapidly evolving world of cyber security.
A huge thanks to Mr. King, the CyberFirst team, Accenture, and all the industry professionals who made this experience possible.
Written by Daniyal Mehmood – Head Prefect.
Well done to the Year 7 Football Team who won the Aston Cup on Monday 2-0 against Windsor Academy.
Well done to the Year 9 Football Team who won the Aston Cup on Tuesday 4-0 against George Dixon.
On Monday, years 9, 10 and a few students had the pleasure of having a talk with the renowned author best known for his crime novels. He wrote the Wyndham and Banerjee series set in the British Raj era in India.
First, for context, he taught us about the significance of the British Raj and how history can influence the exhilarating narrative of crime and thriller. The ideas of finding your narrative within the past can help you shape your future, your identity and culture your interests. In Mukherjee’s case, the colonial history of Britain, specifically in India, helped prompt best-seller storied like the crime thriller “A Rising Man”. Altogether, Mukherjee expanded on the vast assortment of knowledge and understanding of humanity and our cultures we have, our history.
He then later focused on his life story, which interested me as he told us he worked in finance for 20 years before pursuing his dream of becoming an author. Although he was comfortable, earning a good wage and didn’t have much to lose, his ‘spark’ wasn’t present. Hence, he strived for the tedious task of making his first book. Night after night, draft after draft, Mukherjee spent hours crafting his story and as a result he won the Telegraph’s Harvill Secker Crime Writing Competition. Ultimately, he taught us that despite where we are in life, what age we are, and how comfortable we are in a day job, when you take all opportunities thrown at you to fulfill your dreams and if you approach every situation with a winning mindset, you WILL be successful.
After this, we curiously asked him several questions, allowing us to delve into the captivating career of being an author. He happily answered all our questions, ultimately allowing us to find our way in a future, requiring us to learn from the past to strive for innovation. Whether that will be through writing best-seller books, being a savvy software specialist or pursing any other career of our dreams. Abir Mukherjee showed us that this is possible; you only need to take those first steps.
Written by Daniel Alloh & David Akanihu (11N)
HGS was thrilled to welcome best-selling author Abir Mukherjee to school on Monday 3rd March as part of our work to celebrate World Book Day.
Abir has sold more than 400,000 books worldwide and is known for his bestselling Wyndham and Bannerjee series, as well as Hunted, which is currently Waterstone’s thriller of the month. Abir spoke movingly during packed assemblies for Year 9 and 10 students of his experiences in Scotland in the 1980s and his search for his identity growing up between the Indian culture of his family and the British culture of his schooling. His thought-provoking talk saw our HGS students asking insightful questions. Later on, Abir delivered a workshop to our Year 11 students where he encouraged and guided them in their writing with some excellent advice!
We are immensely grateful to Abir for giving up his time to come and work with our HGS students, and to our boys for getting involved in the day and making him feel so welcome in our school community.
