Become a Beacon School

Why apply for the Beacon School programme?

Deepens historical knowledge and understanding with a comprehensive programme of professional development provided by UCL
Develop a new or refined Scheme of Learning on the Holocaust within your subject area
Become more confident in your teaching of this challenging subject
Develop as a reflexive practitioner who is able to raise standards in your school and lead curriculum development with the opportunity to enhance your leadership skills
Enhance SMSC provision and create opportunities for young people to engage with contemporary issues and challenges in informed ways

What does the programme consist of and what will I be expected to do?

The Beacon School Programme is a sustained and immersive CPD experience. As such, it is in line with key aspects of the Department for Education’s Standards for Professional Development. In overview, Lead Teachers will be asked to:

Attend two expenses paid in-person four-day residentials in October 2024 and June/July 2025
Attend an online welcome event and regular online mentor meetings to support your progress on the Beacon School programme
Conduct a curriculum mapping exercise to identify what teaching related to the Holocaust is currently taking place in your school
Produce a Scheme of Learning informed by the programme
Initiate moves to embed excellent practice in your school
Stage an online or in-person CPD event to be delivered by UCL staff
Develop working links with other schools

For SLT links:

Attend four online CPD sessions across the year
Acknowledge the programme aims in the School Improvement Plan
Support the Lead Teacher in implementing whole-school change

Beacon School Application Guidance 2024-5

What is the impact on pupil outcomes?

Hear from Beacon 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.

Who is eligible to apply?

You do not have to already have an exemplary standard of Holocaust education in your school in order to apply. The Beacon School Programme is very much a process rather than an end point, and as such we do not expect you already be ‘beacons’ in Holocaust education.

To be eligible to apply for the Beacon School Programme, you do need to:

Have responsibility for teaching the Holocaust in your department
Be based in a secondary school in England including SEND, specialist and alternative provision institutions (colleagues in independent schools are welcome to apply, but the terms of our funding mean priority will be given to teachers in state-maintained schools)
Be committed to the principle of research-informed teaching and learning
Have the opportunity to either: a) develop the department’s existing Scheme of Learning; or b) create a new Scheme of Learning for the department that will be adopted during the course of the Beacon School programme
Have completed the UCL Centre for Holocaust Education’s online 6 Things course
Have completed the UCL Centre for Holocaust Education’s online Textbook CPD module
Have secured the support of the Senior Leadership Team who recognise the opportunities of the Beacon School Programme to support key priorities and agendas

Please note, we can only offer places on the Beacon School Programme to secondary schools located in England.

If you have any questions about the Beacon School programme, please email: holocaust@ucl.ac.uk or call 0207 612 6437

Find out more about the work of our existing Beacon Schools

The Centre’s Beacon School Programme in Holocaust Education is made possible through the generous funding of the Pears Foundation and the Department for Education.