Overton Grange School

🇵🇱 Krakow 2026 – Day 3 🇵🇱

After another early start, our Year 10 students checked out of the hotel and headed to one of Poland’s most remarkable attractions – the famous Wieliczka Salt Mine.

Descending deep underground, students explored an incredible network of tunnels, chambers, lakes and sculptures, all carved from rock salt. With a history stretching back over 700 years, the mine has played a hugely important role in Poland’s development and is now recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The sheer scale of the mine was difficult to comprehend, with students walking through vast underground caverns and learning about the lives of the miners who worked there for centuries.

The visit certainly left a lasting impression. Students were amazed to discover that everything from the walls to the floors, chandeliers and even parts of the artwork contained salt. In what is undoubtedly a first for an Overton Grange trip, many students couldn’t resist testing this for themselves by licking the walls – and in some cases even the floor – to check that it really was salt!

The stunning underground chapels, intricate carvings and the immense size of the mine left students genuinely wowed and provided a fascinating final experience before our journey home.

Following the visit, we travelled to the airport for our flight back to the UK. We arrived at Overton to find parents waiting eagerly to welcome back their extremely tired, but very happy, children.

The trip has been an unforgettable experience, providing students with powerful opportunities to learn about history, reflect on the past, and experience another culture. We are incredibly proud of how they conducted themselves throughout the visit and would like to thank all staff, guides and parents who helped make the trip such a success.

🇵🇱 Kraków Trip – Day 2 🇵🇱

Yesterday was undoubtedly one of the most powerful and thought-provoking days of our visit to Poland.

Our Year 10 students spent the day visiting Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau, learning about the horrors of the Holocaust and reflecting on the experiences of the millions of people who suffered and lost their lives during this dark chapter of history. The visit provided an invaluable opportunity to bring classroom learning to life and encouraged students to consider the importance of remembrance, tolerance and challenging prejudice in all its forms.

Throughout the day, our students conducted themselves with maturity, respect and compassion. Many were deeply moved by what they saw and heard, and it was clear that the experience left a lasting impression on them. We were incredibly proud of the thoughtful questions they asked and the sensitivity they showed throughout the visit.

A special thank you must go to our guides, whose knowledge, professionalism and ability to share such difficult history in an informative and engaging way helped make the experience so meaningful for everyone involved.

Following an emotional and reflective morning, students enjoyed lunch before taking a relaxing boat trip along the Vistula River, offering a chance to unwind and take in some of Kraków’s beautiful scenery. After a short period of free time, the group headed out for dinner before returning to the hotel.

It was another memorable day, full of learning, reflection and experiences that our students will undoubtedly carry with them for many years to come.

🇵🇱 Year 10 Krakow Trip – Day 1 🇵🇱

After a very early start yesterday morning, our Year 10 students set off from Overton Grange and travelled to Stansted Airport before catching our flight to Krakow.

Following our arrival, we dropped our bags at the hotel and headed out for a well-earned lunch before beginning our first educational visit of the trip.

In the afternoon, students visited Oskar Schindler’s Factory, one of Krakow’s most significant historical sites. The museum provides a powerful and moving insight into life in Krakow during the N**i occupation and tells the remarkable story of Oskar Schindler, whose actions helped save the lives of over 1,000 Jewish people during the Holocaust. Through immersive exhibits, original artefacts, personal testimonies and reconstructed scenes from wartime Krakow, students were able to deepen their understanding of this important period in history and reflect on the experiences of those affected.

Following the visit, we enjoyed a walk back through the historic city, taking in the sights of Krakow’s beautiful Old Town before arriving at the Main Market Square. Students then had some free time to explore the area, soak up the atmosphere and sample some local food and culture.

We returned to the hotel for the evening and are looking forward to a busy and thought-provoking day tomorrow as we continue our exploration of Krakow’s history and heritage.

A massive thank you to our amazing student, Aidan! 🌟When Aidan won the prestigious Jack Petchey Award, he chose to invest his prize money right back into our school community by donating it to the D&T Food department. Thanks to his generosity, we’ve been able to upgrade our kitchen with brand-new food processors, rice cookers, and kettles!

These brilliant new tools will give our Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 students the chance to elevate their culinary skills and cook up an even wider variety of fantastic dishes.We are incredibly grateful for Aidan’s thoughtful contribution and can't wait to see what our future chefs create.

A school that cares, and a place where you can shine. ✨

We are incredibly proud to celebrate our three latest Jack Petchey Achievement Award winners: Aidan (8SG), Eva (7AO), and Lucy (7AO)!

The Jack Petchey Award recognises outstanding young people who go above and beyond, and these three truly embody the warm, inclusive, and supportive spirit we cherish here at Overton Grange.

Here is why they were chosen:

Aidan (8SG) was awarded the award for his outstanding work ethic in Food Technology and his wonderful commitment to acting as a supportive buddy to help new students settle into his form.

Eva (7AO) was awarded the award for overcoming her initial shyness to become a confident student who patiently and voluntarily supports a classmate with communication difficulties every single day.

Lucy (7AO) received the award for her incredible kindness and dedication in supporting her peer both socially and academically, even giving up her tutor time to attend extra maths interventions alongside her.

At Overton Grange, academic success goes hand-in-hand with empathy, community, and looking out for one another. Aidan, Eva, and Lucy—you are all absolute superstars and we are so proud to have you representing our school.

Checkmate!

After weeks of incredible focus, strategic mastermoves, and some seriously intense matches, the results of the Overton Grange Chess Competition are officially in!

We have seen an amazing turnout this year, with students from across different year groups stepping up to the board. From tense opening gambits to brilliant endgames, the level of sportsmanship and critical thinking on display has been absolutely fantastic to watch.

A massive congratulations to our tournament champions:
Yuval (10SG), Dijor (8AO), Ridhima (9EO) & Patrick (7SG) Taking home the title against such tough competition is a brilliant achievement—you both showed true grit, patience, and strategic thinking under pressure.

A huge well done must also go to everyone who took part and made the competition such a success. At Overton Grange, enrichment activities like chess give our students the space to challenge themselves, build new friendships, and discover just how far their focus can take them.

Supporting Your Teenager With Emotional Difficulties and Self-Harm

Being a teenager isn’t easy, and as parents and carers, watching them navigate those big emotional ups and downs can be just as tough. We want you to know that you don't have to figure it out alone.

The NHS Education Wellbeing Service is hosting a free, supportive online webinar: Supporting Your Teenager with Emotional Difficulties and Self-Harm. This session is designed to give you practical tools to understand emotional regulation and help your teen build healthy coping strategies during testing times. No judgement, just real support.

📆 Choose a time that works for you:

Wednesday 10th June | 1:00pm - 2:00pm

Thursday 18th June | 7:00pm - 8:00pm

📍 Location: Online via Microsoft Teams

🎟️ Cost: Completely free

Click here to book: https://tinyurl.com/48ay2c3h

Let’s work together to give our young people the tools they need to shine.

The end of an era—and what a way to go out!

Our incredible Year 11 students officially began their study leave this week, but not before giving themselves (and their school shirts!) a proper send-off. From intricate drawings to heartfelt messages, the creativity on display today was unmatched.

To celebrate their hard work, the school and Head of Year Mr. Chandler treated the year group to a fantastic full spread of food. Students then gathered to hear some moving words, final reflections, and advice from the Head, their form tutors, Mr. Gorley (Deputy HOY), and Mr. Chandler. It has been a truly fantastic day filled with laughter, memories, and a few tears! We are so incredibly proud of the resilient, ambitious, and kind community this year group has built.

Good luck with the remainder of your exams, Year 11. The hard work continues at home, but remember—you’ve got this!

Checkmate! Our Inter-House Chess Tournament ♟️

There’s been a buzz in the air this week as students from across all year groups went head-to-head in our Inter-House Chess Tournament!

It was fantastic to see such focus, strategy, and friendly rivalry on display. Huge congratulations to all of our house winners who thought three steps ahead to secure their victories.

A massive Overton Grange thank you goes to Mrs Buxton, who gave up her lunchtimes all week to organise the boards, coordinate the fixtures, and referee the matches. Enrichment events like this simply wouldn't happen without the dedication of our incredible staff.

We love seeing our students challenge themselves, try new things, and support one another. It truly shows what our community is all about.