Students at The Lakes School researched the ‘Windermere Children,’ 300 young orphan survivors of the Holocaust who were brought to Windermere from Prague in 1945 after the liberation of Nazi death camps. The children came to the Calgarth Estate, the site of what is now The Lakes School.

Learning about local history meant that the pupils could feel a deep connection to the survivors and their lives after the Holocaust. Particularly the remarkable resilience of those 300 children who, on the very site of the school, found the strength to build new lives.

By being able to handle actual artefacts excavated from their own school grounds, the students had a once in a lifetime chance to examine items such as toothpaste, money and toys. To mark this experience, a film with audio commentary was created, along with a poignant recreation of a photograph of the original ‘Windermere Children’.

The powerful images and film of their experience were shared with the wider community through social media and directly with parents. This has reinvigorated local awareness of the Windemere Children and the part played by the town in welcoming them.