Based in Waterlooville, Hampshire, Oaklands is a community where we encourage all students to adopt an active response to the Catholic faith in the community.

Following studies in the holocaust and the events and effects of the Rwandan genocide, our students wanted to take a further step. One particular group were inspired by a ‘paper clip’ campaign in the USA, and consequently thought of their own initiative that would link to the local community and the issue of genocide. Their plan, which has become a reality, was to collect buttons – a symbol of dignity and diversity, which would then form the basis of a reflection garden in the school grounds. Since beginning, the students have had over 1.5 Million buttons donated from the local community, many with personal stories and connections to the holocaust.

The students ultimately led us as teachers to consider ways in which we could develop the way we teach about the holocaust, and we joined a Beacon School network based in Southampton in 2012. The network was a fantastic way to quickly share experiences that other schools were having in teaching about the holocaust, and in particular, how other subjects were addressing the issue.

Since joining the Beacon School program, the seminars, and in particular, the study visit to Warsaw has provided us with much to think about in terms of how we plan to develop our teaching and learning regarding the holocaust, and how we can incorporate and share resources and ideas with partner network and Beacon