- Challenging the misconceptions and inaccuracies that persist in common understanding of the Holocaust is of central importance to society. Our research identified entrenched misunderstandings and significant gaps in student knowledge leading to a step-change in how this history is taught in schools, nationally and internationally. This large-scale research involved more than 3,000 teachers in 2009 and 2019/20, and 10,000 students in 2016.
- Our teacher development programmes benefit thousands of English secondary teachers, transforming classroom practice, and enriching the knowledge and understanding of millions of students. Our research has also resulted in the production of the Centre’s ground-breaking school textbook, and led to the development of a pre-service teacher-training programme ‘Addressing Antisemitism in Schools’ for UNESCO, employed in more than 60 countries worldwide.
Impact
Impact
A national programme with international significance
Since 2009, our CPD programmes and educational research have had a major impact on Holocaust education in England. At the same time, through various international projects we have had a significant influence on teaching and learning about the Holocaust around the world.
Our Impact
We have worked with over 30,000 teachers since 2009.
In turn, our work positively impacts on millions of students.
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Impact on pupil outcomes
Hear from Beacon School alumni Jaya Carrier and Sara Sinaguglia in conversation with Ed Dorrell, Director at Public First and former Deputy Editor of the TES. This fascinating discussion was part of our recent Beacon Schools 10 Year Anniversary event at the Imperial War Museum.
Watch short film
Impact in the classroom
What we do is best understood when you see the impact in the classroom. Watch this short film following the story of one of our Beacon Schools – Manchester Enterprise Academy
Watch short film“Innovative … Impactful… Purposeful…Inspirational …Thought provoking … Committed”
Beacon School Alumni describe what the Beacon School Programme means for them
Acclaim and awards
As a Centre based within IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society, we make a significant contribution to maintaining the IOE’s reputation as the world-leading institution in education. We are proud of all that we have achieved since 2009. Here you can discover more about some of these achievements:
QS Reimagine Education Silver Award (2022)
In December 2022, the UCL Centre for Holocaust Education received the Silver award in the Nurturing Values and Ethics category of the QS Reimagine Education awards. Reimagine Education is a global conference and competition, open to educational innovators from all around the world, referred to as the ‘Oscars’ of Education. Judges were looking for programs that nurtured values and ethics in an innovative, measurable and tangible fashion. Programs were assessed on numerous domains and the Centre was one of seven projects across the world shortlisted for this award. The standard of the other projects was excellent, and we were honoured to receive the Silver award.
Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021
In May 2022, the results of the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF) were published. This is a system for assessing the quality of research in higher education institutions (HEIs), based on three elements including the quality of the impact of research. For this, HEIs submitted impact case studies to demonstrate the impacts of their research beyond academia. The UCL Centre for Holocaust Education was selected as one of UCL’s impact case studies, attesting to the magnitude of our work. The case studies were graded for quality and 92.3% of UCL’s impact was rated 4*, which denotes outstanding impacts in terms of reach and significance. The UCL Centre for Holocaust Education is extremely proud to have been selected as an impact case study, contributing to UCL’s fantastic results.
UNESCO/OSCE Addressing Antisemitism curricula (2020)
November 2020 saw the public launch of Addressing Antisemitism in Schools: Training Curricula – a set of resources developed by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and UNESCO with the support of the UCL Centre for Holocaust Education. This material responds to rising antisemitism in school environments by providing curriculum frameworks which can develop the competencies of trainee teachers and school directors. The curricula is now available for member states across the UNESCO/OSCE region.
British Educational Research Association (2020)
In late 2020, a College of Reviewers for the British Educational Research Association (BERA) announced that the UCL Centre for Holocaust Education had won the team prize for its Public Engagement and Impact Award. This prestigious accolade was awarded for the Centre’s work in supporting teachers to combat myths and misconceptions prevalent within the classroom.
Ofsted (2016)
In March 2016, an Ofsted update issued to all secondary schools in England (over 4,000 institutions) stated inspectors should be made aware of work being done with the UCL Centre for Holocaust Education. Inspectors can now draw on Holocaust education as evidence for curriculum content (across different subject areas), and use it as evidence of how the school is contributing to pupils’ learning, including personal development.
House of Commons Education Select Committee Holocaust education Inquiry (2015)
An inquiry into Holocaust education was launched in 2015 by the Education Select Committee. As part of this inquiry, the Committee collected a range of evidence from government officials, Holocaust education organisations, teachers and other stakeholders from within the United Kingdom and beyond. Many of those who submitted evidence which lauded the work of the Centre. This included commendations from teachers as well as the Imperial War Museums, the Department for Education, and UNESCO.
All Party Parliamentary Group Against Antisemitism (2015)
Findings from our research into young people’s knowledge and understanding of the Holocaust were used in 2015 by the All Party Parliamentary Group Against Antisemitism, as part of an inquiry into antisemitism. The Group championed the Centre’s work, stating: ‘we recommend that the government increases its grant for the evidence-based teacher training conducted by the Centre for Holocaust Education at the Institute of Education, with a view to expanding its work and the number of teachers it is able to train.’
Prime Minister’s Holocaust Commission (2014-2015)
In 2014, then Prime Minister David Cameron set up a Holocaust Commission. As the Commission gathered evidence, we provided consultation to the Commission and shared emerging findings from our study of students’ knowledge and understanding. When the Commission published its findings in 2015, our research was cited as evidence that effective Holocaust education is failing to reach young people. The influence of our research on the Commission was recognised by Prime Minister Cameron in 2016, when he stated in personal correspondence that: ‘early access to your report at the beginning of last year provided much of the evidence base for the recommendations the Commission made. The full final report will be a great help to the [UK Holocaust Memorial] Foundation.’
“It’s made me a better, more reflective and effective classroom practitioner, not just a better Holocaust educator. It’s given me the skills and confidence to tackle difficult and sensitive issues in the classroom ...”
History Teacher
