In June 2025 we said goodbye to Ms Izabela Kośla's GCSE class, while students and parents enjoyed a ‘living history lesson’ during Family Day.
Participants learnt how people used to treat illness with home remedies, how clothes were washed and mended, and how preserves were made. At shared tables they washed fabric in bowls, darned socks and sewed, and also peeled and chopped fruit and vegetables. Some students tried onion syrup or sewed on a button for the first time in their lives. There was no lack of willingness to work and learn, and despite their lack of experience everything went brilliantly. It was a wonderful day, and everyone had a great time.
Onion syrup is one of the best-known home remedies for coughs and colds, passed down in Polish families from generation to generation. Likewise, preserves – pickles, jams and juices – allowed harvests to be kept for the winter for centuries. For young people growing up in the UK, activities like these are a chance to discover the everyday lives of earlier generations and to name them in Polish.
We are keeping our fingers crossed for all the students who sat their exams and wish them the very best results. More photos from the ‘living history lesson’ can be seen in the gallery.
