Only 15 schools get selected and we are one!

Yearly, up to 15 secondary schools across England are selected to join the programme. This opportunity to partner with the world’s top-rated university for education can help raise the quality of learning and expectations, and help pupils become more engaged in their own learning and more independent, critical thinkers. UCL Centre for Holocaust Education combines extensive research into classroom needs with a teacher development programme and effective educational resources specifically designed to meet these challenges. 

Furthermore, with the help of the programme, the school will become a dynamic hub serving a network of local schools and will partner with the Centre to improve teaching standards, raise pupil achievement, and strengthen SMSC provision. The school will commence their programme in September 2022.

Teacher, Sharon Boyd-Gibb, who applied for the highly esteemed programme commented:

"We are thrilled and equally humbled to be 1 of 15 secondary schools in England to be selected for the Beacon School Programme. This will provide plenty of insightful opportunities for pupils and staff to learn more about the Holocaust, and will further develop the skills of our pupils as they become critical thinkers and explore a topic with multiple layers." 

In addition to this, Sharron is also working on a smaller project about families affected by the Holocaust. Here she has further detail:

"This is a programme run by Dr Nicola Wetherall MBE (Royal Wootton Bassett Academy, Swindon).  It is based on a BBC programme called ‘My Family, The Holocaust and Me’ and follows five second or third generation British Jews on a journey to discover the Holocaust related past of their families. The programme was fronted by Robert Rinder, also known as ‘Judge Ringer.’"

She continued:

"The project allocates one strand or story from the series to each participating school. There is a workbook of materials and links, challenges and activities to explore with pupils, which we do each week as part of a school club. Throughout the project, pupils with the support of staff immerse themselves in the story, the activities and the associated opportunities, and then towards the end of the project , we come together with each school presenting and showcasing their work. There are opportunities to have zoom meetings with the participants of the programme as well as having access and support from the filmmaker and director, along with a range of other expertise that will be revealed as the journey unfolds. We have already had one zoom meeting with Bernie Graham in which our students were able to put forward questions to him.  Our pupils were very excited when he was presented with their questions."

Well done!