Students from Saint John Houghton Catholic Voluntary Academy enjoyed a once in a lifetime trip to Rome, Sorrento and Naples.

Thirty-two Year 9 students, accompanied by four staff members, flew to Rome and visited the Colosseum, the Palatine, the Pantheon, Trevi fountain and the Spanish Steps.

The group also visited the Vatican, St Peter’s Basilica and Pope Francis’ final resting place as part of the theological trip which was centred around the content of the students’ Religious Studies GCSE.

Students then spent two nights in Sorrento where they toured lemon groves and learnt how to make margherita pizzas. A brief stay in Naples was next where students toured caves 40 metres below ground which were most recently used for shelter during the bombing raids in World War Two.

Amelia, 13, said: “Rome was really beautiful and we were given a tour of the Colosseum which was interesting. My favourite part of the trip was visiting Pope Francis’ tomb, which was very simple with just a flower and a cross.”

Caitlin, 13, said: “It was my first time in Italy and I’d expected it to be nice but not as beautiful as it was and the trip was a lot of fun. It was interesting to experience a different culture. Sorrento was really nice, we went to Pompeii and we walked around the lemon groves and made pizza. We walked halfway up Mount Vesuvius, it was so big. I’ve never done anything like that before.”

Alura, 13, said: “My favourite part of the trip was going to St Peter’s Basilica.”

Katelyn, 13, said: “It was a once in a lifetime trip, just walking around the streets in places that were completely different. None of us wanted to go home at the end!”

Jonathan Cudworth, RE teacher at Saint John Houghton, in Kirk Hallam, said: “We were looking at the trip in relation to all of the key parts of the RE syllabus and it was about bringing these to life. The students who visited Pope Francis’ tomb found it a very spiritual experience and they prayed by the tomb. It was very emotional. There were also elements of History and Geography and students also experienced the food and the culture. It was a very successful trip and we had lots of compliments about our students and how they showed great respect.”