Studley High School has been awarded the status of `Beacon School in Holocaust Education’ for 2018-2019 academic year.
The accolade comes from the Centre for Holocaust Education, which is part of the highly-respected Institute of Education (IoE), one of the world’s leading university in the field of education .
A Beacon School is committed to the view that the Holocaust is a critically important part of young people’s education while appreciating the complex challenges it raises as a school subject. Only 15 secondary schools in England are chosen for this scheme nationwide each year, which will put the Studley High History department at the forefront of the latest teaching and research about Holocaust Education.
This award reflects the confidence that UCL has in the school with regard to the quality of the education it provides and its commitment to developing students’ understanding of the Holocaust. A major part of this award is a place for our Lead Teacher of History, Mr Hobbis, on a comprehensive training programme of the very highest quality by UCL and the Institute of Education. The programme includes, for example five days of intensive training in London and four days in Poland looking at sites of the Holocaust and how these can be brought into classroom experience.Through standout training, Beacon Schools such as Studley can draw upon UCL’s unparalleled expertise and resources in Holocaust education.
The programme is not just about the history of the Holocaust – it is also about developing students’ understanding of the Holocaust in other ways and is very much cross-curricular. It will cover,issues of ethics and morality, the geography of the Holocaust, Holocaust literature, the complicity of business in the Holocaust and much more. The aim of the programme is to develop students’ independent learning, a vital attribute transferable to all subjects. The programme will also establish Studley High School as a Beacon School for Holocaust Education in the region, with responsibility for not only teaching our students but also for leading many other schools in the area.
One of our key aims as a UCL Beacon School is to build a network for teachers of the Holocaust in local schools from across a variety of curriculum departments. We will facilitate thinking and practice on Holocaust education and share outstanding teaching materials and high quality professional training. We also want to hear from colleagues in other schools and colleges about your own practice, successes and challenges, to work together, and to offer support to colleagues – deepening knowledge and understanding of this complex and deeply disturbing history.
We anticipate exciting things ahead – not just in the History Department but for all departments at Studley High School.
