We are delighted to announce our 24th Quality Mark Beacon School: Nottingham University Samworth Academy (NUSA). Our Quality Mark review process confirms the schools’ quality provision for and evolving specialism in Holocaust education. Holocaust teaching and learning is effective and contributing positively to policy, curriculum, pedagogy and practice. As a UCL Beacon School offers Nottingham University Samworth Academy learning experiences that are research informed and result in outcomes that are empathetic and insightful, where students have been inspired and empowered by knowledge and understanding of the Holocaust and, in partnership, NUSA has innovated and fast become a true ‘Beacon’.

Nottingham University Samworth Academy (NUSA) 11-18, mixed gender, non-selective secondary school in Nottinghamshire.

The UCL Centre for Holocaust Education extend heartfelt congratulations to Headteacher, Mr Matthew Turton, and the whole school community on this prestigious achievement and take this opportunity to recognise the close cooperation with colleagues from across the school that enabled a wide impact on teaching practice in diverse spaces and with diverse pupils. This was underwritten by the commitment of the then[1] headteacher Ms Emma Howard, and Mr Adrian Rollins, then SLT Link, who were highly supportive of the Lead Teachers and schools pioneering work and network-building as a Beacon School.

The Quality Mark identifies and celebrates many examples of best practice and innovation at Nottingham University Samworth Academy and recognises areas for ongoing development and internal reflection, but we highlight here, by way of summary, 6 key strengths and areas of best practice following a highly successful, positive and enjoyable review process:

1. The Academy’s quality provision for and evolving specialism in Holocaust education is contributing to a curriculum that informs, engages, empowers, and inspires its learners, resulting in meaningful outcomes, both academic and in terms of personal development, character, safeguarding and civics.
2. The intent and implementation of the History curriculum, and, increasingly, across a range of subject areas, bares many of the hallmarks of deep thinking, planning, innovation and quality curriculum design. It’s focus on developing student literacy through the ‘everyone reads’ and ‘everyone writes’ initiatives in the lessons, designed to develop student ability to grapple with more complex texts including some of the testimony used during the scheme was impactful. Interleaving of knowledge was also a strength, contributing to strong student recall and ability to apply learning.
3. The Beacon School Lead Teacher’s passion, commitment and dedication for the business of effective, quality provision for and experience of Holocaust T&L – it is rare to find someone whose biography, values and lived experience is so authentically manifest in his pedagogy, practice, leadership and relationships – he has found his purpose, and is reflective and humble enough to look to ways to continue to grow and develop – a role model, respected colleague, a skilful and gifted classroom practitioner.
4. Beacon School status is supported by Senior leaders and increasingly embedded within and seen as integral to the Academy’s values, educational vision, and culture, but also recognised and shared across the Trust. They recognise the need for continued professional development to invest in staff and thereby further equip their community of practice and build capacity to ensure this work embeds, adapts, and flourishes over time. They are rightly proud of all that has been achieved to date, but acknowledge the Quality Mark is not a destination, but an ongoing journey.
5. The scheme of learning is robust and engaging and respectful to its disciplinary intent. Its ‘Educating a community: why should the Holocaust not be lost from living memory?’ enquiry question demands a range of historical thinking, and affords opportunities to explore causation, continuity, significance and interpretation, but also speaks to the culture and values of the school – and the sense of shared educational vision that is rooted in the community and context is serves – that includes Holocaust education, both academic and holistic.
6. Teaching and learning about the Holocaust is informed by research and embedded in UCL Centre pedagogic principles, and where possible the school embraces opportunities to outwardly engage – for example, working on ‘The Holocaust, Their Family, Me and Us’ project – and to share best practice, such as staff contributing to Centre’s #ABC sessions, the Beacon School residential and speaking at the ‘Empowering Young People to Change the World’ teachers conference.

We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge one uniquely distinctive feature of NUSA’s provision and practice: its inclusive commitment to access for all, and, in particular, the contribution of its Focused Provision Unit. The Centre’s Corey Soper reflects:

“One innovative aspect of NUSA’s Beacon School journey was their development of a Holocaust vocabulary for British Sign Language, which had previously been missing – allowing a wide variety of pupils who communicate chiefly with BSL to easily communicate concepts like “genocide” or “ghetto”. This work was done in concert with the Focussed Provision Unit at NUSA, the local deaf community in Nottingham and UCL colleagues, working to ensure signs were expressive, appropriate and accurate. This has subsequently been brought into the renewed scheme of learning, where the seldom explored positionality of the deaf Jewish community during the Holocaust is now being explored. Additionally, this became part of how the school honours Holocaust Memorial Day in a way that is more accessible to the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.  This pioneering work speaks to the inclusivity of NUSA’s Beacon School journey and the extent to which it is embedded in school culture.”

In addition to these strengths and those which will be cited in the full report, we would like to take this opportunity to recognise Lead Teacher, Mr Dominic Townsend. Of Dominic, mentor Corey Soper said:

“Throughout the programme, despite his considerable workload managing two departments, Dominic was a committed and highly engaged Beacon School teacher, attending a variety of CPD in addition to several ‘optional’ ACPD opportunities, and reflecting fully and well in mentor meetings with his fellow mentees. Dom was clearly proud of the opportunity to develop Holocaust education in the area where he grew up and was driven by a social conscience that wanted to make a positive impact in Bilbrough and the opportunities available there. A particular strength of Dom’s was his ability to engage with a wide variety of figures from SLT, to the local deaf community, to institutions like the Nottingham Justice Museum, to local politicians, which led to the development of a community-focussed Beacon School journey and outcome that had deeps roots in the locality.”

Whilst Dominic has led and driven the schools’ Beacon work, in particular, the development of a scheme of learning, innovative collaboration with colleagues in the Focused Provision Unit to ensure inclusive, quality and researched informed provision for and experience of Holocaust teaching and learning – the success of the programme and its impact upon student knowledge, understanding, experience and outcomes, is thanks to a dedicated team – whom he is rightly humbled by and proud of. It was entirely appropriate upon a successful Beacon School review a delighted Lead Teacher was full of praise for #TeamNUSA:

“I am humbled and grateful to have been awarded Quality Mark status, an accreditation that truly touches me internally following my own personal journey in life. For the school and my very own community in which I have grown up and serve, this award is only the beginning of what can be achieved as we build a legacy through Holocaust Education that can have a truly positive impact on generations to come. Behind me in every step of the journey is my wonderful team and colleagues who have contributed to and supported my every decision and to them I say a special thank you. We can rise and collectively move forward as a Beacon School that signifies the great and good of this world and to inspire each other to become better practitioners and role models for each other and most importantly, a Beacon School that can educate a community and ensure the Holocaust is never forgotten from living memory”.

Colleagues buy-in from across the school, with support of former and current SLT Links, Mr Adrian Rollins and Ms Claire Backhouse, and senior NUSA colleagues, always underpins successful and sustainable Beacon Schools. It was evident throughout the review that senior and middle leaders understood the potential rich benefits of integrated curriculum opportunities for Holocaust teaching and learning in supporting ongoing school development, and in opportunities to share best practice across a Trust and network of schools and partners. Nova Education Trust CEO Mr Ashfaq Rahman and Quality of Education Lead Ms Sandy Paley said:

“The work of our UCL Beacon Schools has enabled us to develop a deeply moving curriculum experience for all of our children. The knowledge and understanding of the Holocaust combined with the deliberate teaching of empathy and moral responsibility is transforming our children’s outlook on their own lives and the contemporary world. Our UCL Beacon Schools have begun their journey to share practice amongst all of our schools through our trust’s subject networks and they look forward to seeing the impact of this trust wide.”

This was echoed by Headteacher, Mr Turton insightful reflections on the process and all is represents:

“NUSA are delighted to have been awarded with the quality mark award for Holocaust Education. Awarded to only a very small number of schools nationally, it’s testament to the work of leaders across the school, especially Mr Townsend, who passionately believe in ensuring that students, nationwide, are educated in the events of the holocaust in order to prevent similar events taking place ever again in our world. In line with our school value of “purpose”, we actively provide opportunities to upskill students at NUSA, and beyond and this quality mark is the symbol of that education being of the highest possible standard.”

The Centre’s team commend all at Nottingham University Samworth Academy for their evolving innovative and engaging provision and practice in Holocaust education, their desire to embed research informed practice, commitment to ongoing professional development, pastoral care and safeguarding, civics and leadership – their pursuit of values of ambition, courage and excellence is lived, not laminated.

Becoming a Beacon School at any time, is a significant undertaking at any time – to do so within a context of a tough and ongoing post-pandemic world, and a time of immense challenge and stress within the education system, and to pursue, successfully, is even more impressive and commendable. Successful accreditation is testimony to sustained hard work and innovation. Quality Mark Reviewer, Nic Wetherall remarked:

“It was a privilege to spend time immersed in the innovative, principled, impactful provision and practice for Holocaust teaching and learning at NUSA.  I left, informed and inspired, particularly by the students, Dominic’s work and that of his colleague Miss Abbygail Field. Whilst remembering, teaching, talking and learning about the Holocaust is uncomfortable, as individuals, professionals and as a community we must, today and every day, build social courage to ensure “Never Again” and tackle all forms of hate and work towards a safer, more inclusive world and society. NUSA’s successful Quality Mark process offers a timely reminder of what a school, a teacher, and a community can do. It was a pleasure to see all that has been achieved to date, but also refreshing to hear reflective, ambitious and innovative educators and reflective committed leaders consider next steps to ensure provision and practice continues to meet student and community evolving needs, they recognise the importance of this work and are keen to continue the developmental journey in partnership with UCL – and we stand ready to walk alongside. Congratulations to all involved and special thanks to the students who represented NUSA wonderfully, and whose insights truly enriched the process.”

The full Nottingham University Samworth Academy 2024 report, featuring extensive details of their strengths and identification of suggested developmental action points, will be available soon.

The UCL Quality Mark scheme is a great way to celebrate and share best practice and is both developmental and forward looking. Beacon School alumni considering undertaking the Quality mark process should contact Nicola Wetherall or read more here.

[1] Both Ms Howard and Mr Rollins, have moved on from NUSA since the Beacon School year, and have taken something of their Beacon School experiences and insight to their respective new Headships at Swanwick Hall and Heath Park School. We thank them for their contribution to the Beacon programme and ongoing commitment to this work.