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The Prime Minister's Holocaust Commission: keeping the memory alive

Call for Evidence:

1. What examples of Holocaust Education are you aware of? How effective are they and what evidence is there they work?

2. What more needs to be done to strengthen education or research resources and ensure they are relevant to future generations?

3. What examples of commemorative events, memorials and museums are you aware of? How effective are they in commemorating the Holocaust?

4. What more needs to be done to develop or create new commemorative events, memorials or museums and ensure they are relevant to future generations? Where and how should this be done?

5. Given that we will not always have the survivors with us, what more should be done to ensure their testimony is preserved for future generations?

*Please tell us anything else you think is relevant: (for example, if you are aware of innovative work in other countries or have specific views on remembering Britain's place in this part of history).

Setting the context:

Before addressing in turn the above terms of this open consultation, it is important to note the particular context of this evidence: this submission is made in response to the Prime Minister's Holocaust Commission’s call for evidence by Royal Wootton Bassett Academy1 (ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY).

Royal Wootton Bassett Academy is one of the largest secondary schools in Wiltshire with over 1,600 students aged 11-19. We challenge and inspire pupils to achieve beyond their initial expectations. We aim to equip our students with the skills necessary for life in an ever-changing, highly technological world to become the global citizens of the future able to make a positive contribution to society by providing students: this includes our whole-school cross curricular Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights Programme (HGP).

The predecessor school, known as Wootton Bassett School, was found to be Outstanding in all 27 categories during the Ofsted inspection in 2010 and remains rightly proud of the fact we are the only 11-18 school to achieve this under that framework: ‘This outstanding school prepares its students exceptionally well for their future lives’. Ofsted 2010. We converted to academy status on 1st July 2011 and now need to move beyond outstanding. Teaching and Learning is our highest priority and our success depends on the passion and skills of its staff. Students’ achievement is well above national standards: with Ofsted 2013 acknowledging students make excellent progress in a range of subject areas. Our large Sixth Form, currently of 254 students, achieves outstanding A-level results with the teaching across the Academy recognised as Outstanding in all Years by consecutive Ofsted reports.

The schools designation as a Teaching School in 2013 means we generate innovative opportunities to train new teachers whilst investing in on-going CPD to enhance existing provision and encourage leadership, specialism and excellence. Headteacher, Mr George Croxford, is a National Leader of Education and the school leads an alliance of 13 schools and works with schools and teacher training establishments in the region to train new teachers to improve the quality of teaching across the alliance whilst further developing professional skills and enhancing the school’s provision and on-going CPD – including specific Holocaust education CPD. As a Teaching School we are at the forefront of research and development into teaching and learning; whether embedding and responding to academic research or undertaking our own internal action research. The school is the senior partner in Challenge Partners and leads a hub with one special school and two primary schools. In November 2013 the Academy was again awarded Outstanding in every category under the new inspection framework.

We promote academic excellence alongside a values based holistic educational approach and strong community ethic. Students are very well prepared for the next stage of their lives. The iLearn tutor-led lessons provide excellent, structured opportunities for students to develop independent learning

1 For further information on the specific nature of the school, cohort and data see: Appendix 1Royal Wootton Bassett Academy, Lime Kiln, Royal Wootton Bassett, Nr Wiltshire, Swindon, SN4 7HG Phone: 01793 841900

Miss N Wetherall - Lead Practitioner for the Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights Programme (HGP)E-mail: [email protected]

Follow us on twitter @RWBAHOLOCAUST

mailto:[email protected]

skills. This emphasis on developing students’ personal skills ensures opportunities for taking on responsibilities which in turn promotes very high standards of behaviour and conduct. Correctly described as a ‘global school in a local community’, the school has extensive international links and promotes tolerance with a focus on enhancing the lives of others and the environment; for example fundraising activities which paid for a school to be built in a community in Tamu, Burma. Students participate in a range of activities including sports, music, arts, summer schools and house competitions. Personal skills are developed through global citizenship and the strong presence of community action; through trips to Sweden, the USA, France, Belgium and China and by participation in the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme, Harvest Festival, ‘chicken run’ and a range of local, national and international fundraising.

Royal Wootton Bassett Academy, Lime Kiln, Royal Wootton Bassett, Nr Wiltshire, Swindon, SN4 7HG Phone: 01793 841900 Miss N Wetherall - Lead Practitioner for the Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights Programme (HGP)

E-mail: [email protected] us on twitter @RWBAHOLOCAUST


1. What examples of Holocaust Education are you aware of? How effective are they and what evidence is there they work?

1a. Royal Wootton Bassett Academy: Despite the post war ‘Never again’ mantra the international community has continually failed to guard against prejudice, intolerance, human rights abuses and ultimately genocide. Racial hatred and crimes against humanity have sadly not become a distant historical fact as the conflicts of the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda and Cambodia. Indeed acts of mass violence, crimes against humanity and genocide prevail as international bodies seem unable or unwilling to make genocide socially unacceptable in Darfur, DRC, South Sudan, Syria, Burma and the like. Today, in our own society, despite significant changes in law, education programmes and the extraordinary work of committed organisations and individuals, racial and religious difference prevail, prejudices and a sense of injustice foster hatred; be that evidence with the playground bully or in tensions implicit or explicit within multi-cultural communities.

At Royal Wootton Bassett Academy the commitment to teaching and learning about the Holocaust, genocide and human rights comes down to the leaderships educational vision and their answer to: What do we want for our learners? The answer mirrors Aristotle’s contention that “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” The senior leadership team regularly encourage staff to reflect upon why it is they became teachers, which at a time when schools are constantly measured, students tested and results published and related to performance, tracking and data-driven, is refreshing: urging all to remember our sense of vocation.

The learner profile of the students we teach and wish to produce is one that combines academic excellence and emotional intelligence and Headteacher Mr Croxford is clear that it is that whole person approach to education that is key. This ethos impacts the learning environment, sense of community and atmosphere of the school and looks to instil belief that each student: ‘…be the best that I can be, not necessarily to always be the best’ and to see outstanding learning as risk-taking and dependent upon resilience, independence and a love of learning. Royal Wootton Bassett Academy postulates that ‘Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil’ and in its mission as a global school in a local community it lives out the meaning of its creed in its staff-student relationships, atmosphere and educational environment, principles and ultimately the calibre of young people who leave us. These attributes and qualities are only further enhanced by the Holocaust, genocide and human rights programme – with the following Holocaust survivor’s urgent request displayed in every ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY classroom:

“I am a survivor of a concentration camp.

My eyes saw what no person should witness: gas chambers built by learned engineers. Children poisoned by educated physicians. Infants killed by trained nurses. Women and babies shot by high

school and college graduates. So, I am suspicious of education.

My request is: Help you children become human. Your efforts must never produce learned monsters, skilled psychopaths or educated Eichmann’s.

Reading, writing and arithmetic are important only if they serve to make our children more human.footnote 2

The school leadership champions the notion of ‘ACT as IF’ which translates to encouraging young people to be positive in their thinking and actions: ‘By acting as if you are a certain type of person, you become that person’ or by acting in a particular way you can make that situation become a reality. This principle is used to foster resilience, active engagement and a sense of empowerment and the potential for change. It supports the idea of personal and historical reflection as: ‘The past is a place of reference, not residence’. But, in the current educational climate there are significant obstacles to taking such an educational vision that embraces the development of the whole person: ‘The gap between vision and current reality is also a source of energy. If there were no gap there would be no need for any action to move towards the vision. We call this gap creative tension.’

In the face of such challenges (the many current issues, competing priorities and curriculum needs facing secondary schools) strong and determined, independent leadership is required. ROYAL




WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY Headteacher and senior leaders are invariably constricted and concerned to ensure outstanding teaching and learning takes place (as perceived and demonstrable to Ofsted’s latest framework) and that assessment demonstrated progress, through targets, tracking, monitoring and ultimately examination results. The SLT have wrestled with the implications of EBac and Progress8 in their curriculum review of time, resources and in marking, all at a time when qualifications and courses are in a state of great change and confidence in results have taken a knock. With a leadership team concerned with national priorities focusing upon literacy, boy’s underachievement and the like could, or should, less obviously measured aspects of the curriculum (ECM, Citizenship, ilearn, behaviour and expectations) be expected to be supported? At ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY the answer is YES and we believe that Nelson Mandela was right to argue: ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world’.




Despite uncertainty as to “…what does the Government want us to be teaching?...What aspects are they wanting us to teach? What is the focus?... What is the outcome they want us to have with the students that we’re teaching? Learning from the past or what we can learn in the future? …Or is it that they just want us to teach the facts and figures?” We reject the latter and are certain that our Royal Wootton Bassett Academy students should be aware of the world around them and be exposed to the lessons of the Holocaust. We remain committed to the need for Holocaust education and memorialising in the school and wider community – a chance to authentically and historically engage with the past, reflecting upon the horror of those days in a modern age of genocide that draws upon the whole person, including the affective dimension. We are convinced that remembering the Holocaust should not be considered a specifically Jewish catastrophe (despite the uniqueness of their persecution by the Nazis) nor merely as a historical event to be recalled – but that the suffering of Jews, Roma and Sinti, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Homosexuals, the disabled, political opponents and Poles should act as a reminder to all peoples for the need for remembrance, vigilance and action.

Inspired by Holocaust survivor and Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel’s words ‘For the dead and the living, we must bear witness’ and in light of the above commitment to remember (Royal Wootton Bassett Academy has, since 2009, developed a whole school, cross-curricular Holocaust, genocide and human rights programme (HGP) that has garnered national and international recognition for its unique holistic approach and innovative teaching and learning. The programme holds a principle of outreach: ‘Only guard yourself and guard your soul carefully. Lest you forget the things your eyes saw, and lest these things depart your heart all the days of your life, and you shall make them known to your children, and to your children’s children’. Deuteronomy 4:9

Royal Wootton Bassett Academy’s Holocaust, genocide and human rights programme has evolved to combine the best of academic and historical vigour, survivor testimony, expert speakers, creative tasks, innovative and risk-taking teaching and visits; manifesting itself in programme of study that serves to: commemorate and educate through an illuminate, innovate, co-operate and disseminate approach.

Illuminate: In-keeping with our values and Academy ethos, we believe that is our role to expose our students to the Holocaust and to provide them the skills to explore the evidence, raise questions and form their own informed opinions through independent and critical thinking. We feel it our responsibility to show respect to the past – through memorial and commemoration - as a debt to the dead and to support the survivor’s goal of ‘never again’ so that students are not ignorant of this past, its legacy and its impact and relevance today. In doing so we aspire to best practice in teaching and learning based upon research and external verification (Ofsted, HMI, ASDAN, Challenge Partners Reviews, expert visits) plus our own evaluation and reflective practices (Quality Assurance: Lesson Plans, observations, learning walks, student feedback, pre-post online student Knowledge, Understanding and Attitudinal survey).

Innovate: Teaching and learning that aspire to illuminate demands innovative teaching approaches, in schools where responsible and inspirational leadership supports forward-looking, risk-taking opportunities with a ‘can do’ attitude. The confidence to innovate and take a chance with engaging, creative, substantive, relevant and responsible lessons must come from the top – and has ensured that we have the drive, ambition and commitment to ensure the highest standards in Holocaust education. At Royal Wootton Bassett Academy we recognise that the emergence of best practice is generated in partnership with other colleagues and leadership and thus the resulting programme ensures teaching and learning are exceptional and we play a significant part in fore fronting best practice in Holocaust education across the country – recognised by the IOE Centre for Holocaust Education as a ‘Beacon School.’

Co-operate: We feel our HGP pedagogical aims can only be achieved in co-operation with our partners; fellow staff, IOE Centre for Holocaust Education, link schools, external agencies, local, national and international organisations and bodies. Such collaboration has provided mutual benefit and stimulated the programmes development.

Disseminate: With such a commitment to outstanding teaching and learning in this area comes a desire to share best practice with colleagues - through CPD, link schools – Beacon partnership networks (we currently lead a hub network of 53 schools), Challenge Partner colleagues and through the Teaching School Alliance. We also champion family and




community learning opportunities as we foreground our outreach commitments in a range of afterschool workshops and evening events.

At Royal Wootton Bassett Academy we recognise that the Holocaust is an essential and dynamic part of our student’s education; enabling young people to deepen their understanding of the significance of the Holocaust to the modern world and be able to ask intelligent, complex, but appropriate, questions of the narrative or evidence. Thus we regard Holocaust education and our own HGP to be a journey of collaboration and reflection; a process rather than a destination.

As Holocaust Memorial Day 2014’s theme noted: Some journeys we choose: they can excite and inspire. They epitomise change and, like an educational journey, encourage development. Other journeys are unwelcome, forced upon us and endured.




Royal Wootton Bassett Academy has, as part of its Holocaust, genocide and human rights programme developed and adapted strategies to deliver holistic Holocaust and Genocide lessons that engage students in a learning journey. Exploring such a complex topic can be challenging - combining the best and worst of humanity. Holocaust education and genocide prevention is complex – but armed with proven teaching strategies and a thorough knowledge of students, we believe teachers can deliver responsible, age-appropriate, memorable and innovative learning opportunities which promote global citizenship, foster higher order thinking and challenge through the stimulus of the past. It can be a catalyst for high quality cross-curricular, community and family learning opportunities. Here are seven approaches for the classroom that epitomise our approach:

Individual stories: The core of Holocaust and genocide education is that it’s about people. Thus lessons should ensure dignity of victims (no dehumanising images) and revolve around the stories of real individuals, families or communities. It is vital that victims voices are heard and that through careful questioning and discussion generalisations and stereotypes are challenged. Exploring individual stories can cater for all learning styles thorough archival documents, case studies, survivor testimony, audio-visual and interactive programmes. Many include examples of someone the students own age fostering empathy and engagement.

Before Before, After After (BBAA): Encouraging a holistic learning experience using film or image for studying an individual, period or event, this technique can be applied in a variety of subject areas or contexts including the Holocaust (for example, using the film ‘Pigeon’). Encourage students to speculate on an image’s context by placing it at centre of a BBAA grid (as pictured) – to stimulate student’s observation and curiosity ask who, what, why, where, when, how? Responses could be individual, in pairs or in small groups. Students explore what might have happened immediately before the picture. Having annotated ideas they are prompted to consider and record what, in the longer term, may have led up to the event. Students repeat the process, exploring the immediate aftermath and the ‘after after’: long term consequence or impact. This works well as an introductory activity, applying and assessing prior knowledge or as a revision tool. It can culminate in a ‘reveal moment’.

KWL grids: KWL (Know, Want to know, Learn) grids are transferable tools for assessing prior knowledge and demonstrating pupil progress within a lesson or series, irrespective of subject specialism. This could be used at the beginning of a unit on the Holocaust as a starter task where pupils record what they already know (K) before considering what they would want to know; framing questions to develop their own understanding (W). This can inform teacher planning, encourage pupil reflection on learning and be adapted to include colour coded confidence of what students know (green =confident, yellow secure). KWL grids provide excellent plenaries as students have the time to reflect upon what they have learned (L); they demonstrate progress and are useful revision checklists. In the wider context of teaching about genocide they offer a visual comparative and evaluative tool.

Distillation: A large funnel and beaker picture displayed on a PowerPoint or poster provides visual stimulus for any lesson. In the case of teaching about genocide, all information, facts and figures placed above the funnel can be justified, evaluated or evidenced. The key ideas or concepts must end up in the beaker – a great group speaking and listening activity, either in small groups or whole class. Questions should be student-generated; formulating a criterion for ideas to pass through the filter encourages higher order thinking and communication skills.

Colour Coded Characters: Each student is assigned a colour and an individual story and undertakes independent research of their assigned person; this could be through a pack of written texts, range of sources or web-based research. Students discuss whether the colour of their name card relates to a label used in Holocaust education: was the individual a victim, bystander, perpetrator or rescuer? A display could follow with an inquiry question. Students should then consider how that question applies to their individual – an excellent plenary, or a “Think, Pair, Share” activity.

Responsibility pools or cross-sections: Enabling young people to think through ethical and moral dilemmas for themselves, based upon sound knowledge and understanding of context, is essential when teaching about the Holocaust or genocide. Situation cards, based upon real examples encourage students to consider responsibility for actions; were they passive or proactive, positive or negative? Use an axis or grid to visually represent each case and allow students to change their mind during discussion. Students justify their decision to




the class eliciting further possible movement. This works well for all genocides and allows patterns in behaviour to be recognised. That certain conditions foster genocide results in students understanding it is not fate, but rather, planned and preventable.

Empower young people to change the world: Given that young people are impressionable and we have a duty of care towards them, it is vital that we do not shy away from the fact that genocide is not inevitable. With a responsible, well planned and creative lesson or series of lessons exploring such matters it is likely some students will want to make a difference: not all students are galvanised but many are and we have a responsibility to ensure that they are empowered and have real pathways for action should they wish to affect change.




As a Teaching School, ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY is recognised as an outstanding school able to take a leading role in training and professional development of its own staff and those entering the profession. Teaching Schools were conceived in order to raise standards (2010 White Paper, The Importance of Teaching) and the aim of this change in policy is that by 2014-15 to have 500 outstanding teacher school alliances for quality professional development in an effort to drive up standards and improve attainment of every child. The structure of the Teaching School is focused upon the ‘Big Six’; ITT, P2P support, identification of leadership potential, provide support for other schools, designate and broker deployment of SLEs, R&D (with key performance indicators attached to each) and at ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY we harness all aspects in maintaining and developing our HGP provision. The Teaching School agenda was envisaged to encourage, celebrate and share best practice, facilitate and back innovation and CPD investment to improve overall progress; but all this depends upon the definition and measure of progress. Like Beacon Schools, the Teaching School mandate allows for networking and is supportive of CPD that will enhance teaching and learning outcomes – these combined opportunities have secured the role of HGP in our Academy and is making a significant contribution to other schools in our Hub partnership.

The status of this programme and its impact upon the Academy was recognised in 2012 by the creation of an Accelerated Learning Bursary which enabled Miss Wetherall2 to further embed her programme in the ethos of the Academy, formalise her role and SLT support for the programme by giving the time and resource to back it. The aims of this role we stated as:

To develop and embed HGP across the school (cross curricular/interdisciplinary approach) To improve the quality of teaching and learning experience of HGE across the school To support creativity and innovation locally/nationally in resources and teaching/learning

strategies of HGP To devise a methodology for monitoring attitudinal/values changes as result of pupil

participation

The Bursary was originally offered for a 1 year term; recognition of the organisation and hard work involved in developing and sustaining such a programme – but in 2013 this was amended and Miss Wetherall is now a recognised Lead Practitioner (on par with Citizenship co-ordinator, Subject (not department) Lead – and pay scale reflects this. ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY has developed this role as a means of internal promotion in recognition of this achievement and its emerging prominent contribution to ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY life. ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY would recommend that such leaders are identified in schools and that such roles be made available to them – within a Teaching School environment this may lead to SLE (specialist leader in education) status.

We appreciate the complex challenges and opportunities that teaching about the Holocaust raises as a school subject but believe that Holocaust education is possible for all if lessons are outstanding; well planned, age and development tailored, differentiated and made relevant. We believe that Holocaust education captures opportunities for holistic, academically vigorous and authentic interdisciplinary work, drawing upon different skills, ways of understanding and knowledge: this is what ensures we are illuminating the past for young people and they are best equipped to engage with this complex and challenging past. As a teaching and learning environment we understand that pupil progress and achievement cannot simply to be levelled and examined – as educators it is our job to ensure well rounded learners and that young people can flourish and excel in all areas of life; thus personal, holistic, attitudinal and behavioural development is important; teaching and learning about the Holocaust is ideally suited to this model. This is in-keeping with our ethos, values education and pastoral principles and thus the cognitive, emotional, attitude and behavioural all fuse to ensure the students have a sense of they are able to do in light of having studied this subject.

2 Miss Wetherall developed the HGP in light of her academic research at Lancaster University, PhD studies and personal commitment to Holocaust, genocide and human rights education. Her expertise is much sought be a range of organisations and she now works part-time as Schools Network Coordinator for the IOE Centre for Holocaust Education and has contributed to a range of national and international conferences and consultations on the subject.




Over the years we have enjoyed significant support from survivors, educationalists, experts in the field and a range of public figures and such public and private encouragement has reinforced our commitment to Holocaust education, genocide prevention and championing of human rights. This in-school work, outreach and mission led Mukesh Kapila to comment: ‘Royal Wootton Bassett – you are inspirational. Your programme is unique and you have embarked upon a vitally important mission. You need to transfer your experience globally. No child anywhere in the world should leave school ignorant on genocide prevention’.

As an Academy we take the view that the Holocaust is explicable – as a human event with human causes that is open to study and understanding. We believe that despite the complexity of this difficult, most challenging and sensitive subject matter deep learning, both cognitive, emotional and affective is possible and indeed desirable revealing the full spectrum of what human beings are capable of from the most terrible and inhumane cruelty and hatred to the most inspiring stories of courage and examples of extraordinary resilience. But in order to teach and learn about this subject matter demands vigour, passion, leadership, planning, clear pedagogy, differentiated and responsible resources and time; it places emotional and cognitive demands on young people – sometimes very vulnerable and disturbed students or those with significant needs or a direct link to these issues and times, as well as of staff who often invest much of themselves in this learning experience.




Schools do have a duty of care to both students and staff – and this is no less the case when considering our approach to teaching and learning about the Holocaust. For example, we have made a conscious decision to move beyond shock tactics in the classroom and use of atrocity images upon the basis that they are educationally and ethically unsound and have ensured that everything we do is in-keeping with most current research in the field and that our work complies with The Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance, and Research (ITF) guidance and recommendations.

This has been recognised in our tracking of the Year 9 cohort of students since 2009 through the development of a knowledge, understanding and attitudinal survey3. This was completed online by each student at the start and again at the end of year 9. It has served as tracker for improvements in students’ knowledge of key historical facts, check for emerging understanding of this past and also changes in student’s attitudes and perceptions. This has enabled us to respond to areas of confusion; addressing misconceptions. This means we are meeting the needs of our students and is reflected in our Quality Assurance procedures when we review schemes of work, events. For example, in 2009 students were asked about resistance and essentially the survey revealed students perceived Jews as passive victims. As a consequence of this survey we adjusted our schemes of work and contacted survivors whose story included time with the resistance. Thus the programme is constantly evaluated and adjusted, able to respond to emerging challenges and embrace innovation and new opportunities.

Prior to 2009 Holocaust education at Royal Wootton Bassett Academy was limited to a few lessons within the required History curriculum in Year 9, possible reference to the Holocaust in RE and English. But in 2009 we launched Year 9 Holocaust Day; this was a Humanities driven development to foster greater cross curricular links and to demonstrate the viability of further change in the way we taught about the Holocaust. Cross curricular approaches include the debating, the HGP Reading and Discussion group, memorials task and textiles ‘Hana’s Suitcase’ task which have fostered greater staff cohesion (rather than working in isolated faculties), greater appreciation of specific teaching and learning strategies and facilitated the establishment of an ethos of shared purpose and identity for the programme. This multi-disciplinary ‘working together’ approach ensures a layering of understanding and complexity, but is exemplified in the principles driving and underpinning the upcoming ‘Empowering Young People to Change the World’ conference – a chance to train and share, for our own staff, fellow local and national teacher colleagues from a range of subject disciplines, school contexts and specialisms and bringing together academics, research, educationalist and experts in the field. Ultimately this is a trailblazing opportunity to empower teachers with the confidence, knowledge, skills and resources/support so as they can inspire, engage, inform and ultimately empower young people.

At that time of the audit, only one member of staff, had any specific CPD or training about teaching the Holocaust and so this day was driven largely by the passion and commitment of non-specialist Holocaust teachers; reflective of the IOE Centre for Holocaust Education’s teacher research; 94.7% of teachers considered it important to teach about the Holocaust with 47% believing it difficult to teach effectively. Few teachers had any specialist form of training to teach about the Holocaust with 82.5% considering themselves entirely self-taught and 77.5% indicated they would be interested in attending a workshop for related CPD.4 Following this successful day an opportunity to develop this further came about with the support of the Academy’s senior leadership team during a review of the school curriculum. We undertook a subject audit as a means of assessing the potential and pitfalls of developing a whole school programme centred upon Holocaust education, genocide prevention and support for human rights. Opinion was divided amongst staff as to the need for such a programme; but chief among concerns was the impact upon curriculum time and the need for training. Through a whole school subject audit we were able to see when, if, and in what subject the Holocaust was being studied directly, and similarly where it was merely alluded to or used as a case study. The resulting grid ensured that we could co-ordinate our approach, that areas of study were not replicated, that the study of the Holocaust was developmental and layered the complexity and range of understanding across the year groups.

3 For a blank copy of the online student Holocaust and Genocide knowledge, understanding and attitude survey see: Appendix 2, or the Appendix 3 black folder.4 Please refer to IOE Centre of Holocaust Education, teacher study ‘Teaching about the Holocaust in English Secondary Schools’ 2009, page 11




The audit demonstrated that in 2009 Royal Wootton Bassett Academy was truly reflective of Holocaust education delivered in England’s secondary schools5; that teaching about the Holocaust did occur across all compulsory secondary education with a clear concentration and focus in Year 9 and that it would typically be delivered in Year 9 history but would also be encountered within a range of subject areas; religious education, English, citizenship/PSHE, drama, art and the social sciences. The audit enables us to co-ordinate our delivery and has encouraged a great cross-curricular awareness and range of approaches each bringing with it a unique dimension and depth to a student’s overall understanding of the Holocaust. This approach also facilitated the development of a school-wide working group to monitor and develop our programme which includes a member of the Academy’s leadership team; further evidence of the presence and need for leadership support for such an approach.

5 Please refer to IOE Centre of Holocaust Education, teacher study ‘Teaching about the Holocaust in English Secondary Schools’ 2009, page 9-10




With the audit complete and working group meeting termly we are able to ensure a comprehensive whole school approach to Holocaust education (and genocide prevention and human rights) without encroaching upon already precious and fiercely protected curriculum time; we have just thought smart and innovatively about our delivery within subject areas and made connections were opportunities arise; through ECM collapsed timetabled events and supplemented evening events featuring visiting speakers, family learning workshops supporting the traditional curriculum in its delivery of this material.

We recognise the importance of bearing witness – ‘You are my witness’ Isaiah 43:10. As such, whilst we still are able to, Royal Wootton Bassett actively seeks to ensure our students have the opportunity to hear from a survivor. Since 2009, a range of survivors have visited with us and have become annual contributors to our programme which means that 6,128 students have encountered directly a Holocaust survivor’s story; indeed Mr Freddie Knoller alone has spoken to 1,600 Royal Wootton Bassett Academy students since 2009: the impact of such visits is epitomised by the number of books he sells and signs, the wonderful and deeply personal messages included in student thank you cards, the photos with students posed for and the following student responses: it was Freddie that ‘…made [him]: realise the real impact of history. All those facts and dates mean something now… I understand how they impacted on one person, one family’.

Another commented that: ‘There are only a few times I myself have been told something truly amazing in my short 13 years so far and I can definitely say you topped them all. You had the good times and the bad in a roller-coaster of events, but through it all did you ever doubt anything, loose your sense of humour, give up hope, feel sorry for yourself? With due respect, you must have been brave and you must have an extremely strong mind, body and spirit to witness… as soon as I walked into the School Hall I knew that we would be told something remarkable from someone equally as such - you. Thank you.’

One pupil reflected: ‘Through your tale I saw bravery, inspiration, courage, and an infinite number of noble qualities throughout. It was an honour to have the chance to hear from you’.

The impact of survivor testimony is also evidenced in our internal evaluation documents for all speaker events and through the student online survey previously discussed.6 Mrs Eva Clarke has addressed a similar number of our students and such visits have been invaluable to the HGP success in school and wider community and have been the bedrock of Holocaust education in its formative years. The passage of time invariably means Holocaust education is approaching a crossroads and must address its future direction and shape in a world with fewer and fewer able to share their stories, and ultimately, no survivors. For Royal Wootton Bassett Academy, this is a significant challenge and we are pleased to be involved in this consultation as an opportunity to thank the survivors who visit our own Academy and tirelessly travel to schools across the country, for their contribution to Holocaust education but to also be part of the reflection and planning for the time when we cannot use direct survivor testimony in our work. It is vital all those in the field engage with this issue now and that those of in schools maximise our voices to ensure as much of the survivor testimony is recorded in some way. Royal Wootton Bassett Academy recommendations with respect to survivors and point 5 of the Commission brief can be found below in Section 5. But we know that students engage with survivors in a unique way – that transcends textbooks or other activities, video testimony or visit. A survivor’s story is a personal experience and encounter: everyone takes something different from the opportunity. The breadth and impact of survivor experiences is remarkable.

Royal Wootton Bassett Academy considers remembrance and memorialisation to be necessary and appropriate. In 2009 within the Humanities Faculty we have launched a memorial task. Students are asked to design and create any memorial to the Holocaust that they deem appropriate, informative and a fitting commemoration. Students complete an A3 design planning sheet to explain their thinking, its name, materials and symbolism and this sheet accompanies the model, artwork or any other form their memorial may have taken. Over the years we have received some quite extraordinary designs – such thought, sensitivity, time, creativity – see below a range of the memorials received, others are available for viewing on the school website.

6 Please see internal RWBA HGP evaluation and student feedback data and documentation in Appendix 3




A range of the artwork, models, designs, poems and CD of music produced in response to the Holocaust memorials task by Royal Wootton Bassett Academy Year 9 students since 2009.

Memorials include a ‘The world Should have been Watching’ mobile

eye, a glasses model, memorial garden plan, destroyed museum relic monument, ‘A life lost in a suitcase’ exhibit, memory books, ‘I am a name not a number’, full sign genocide signpost, and ‘Stones

of respect’







Following the success of the inaugural Year 9 Holocaust Day, Royal Wootton Bassett Academy instituted a commemorative and awareness memorial evening, featuring survivors, expert speakers, students presenting their work, performing their music and in exploring the Holocaust in drama. This evening is open to students, staff, parents and members of the local community and annually attracts an audience of 150-280+. In keeping with Royal Wootton Bassett Academy’s remembrance tradition (Remembrance Day, the repatriation ceremonies in the town’s High Street) a variety of Holocaust related anniversaries are acknowledged, marked or honoured on our HGP webpage on the ‘portal’, in a range of in-school displays, assemblies

and iLearn (tutor time) activities.

Murrow stated: ‘One shoe, two shoes, a dozen shoes, yes. But how can you describe several thousand shoes’? Here at Royal Wootton Bassett Academy we emphasise individual stories; people over statistics. Such vast numbers involved in the Holocaust are beyond imagination and comprehension for many and thus personalising the story is imperative. The individuals, families and communities experience of the Holocaust is what we focus on and thus with a survivor willing to share such an horrific story with humour, courage, dignity and optimism, has contributed to a learning experience that our students will never forget - an opportunity to engage and think about the present, future and not simply the past. It has greatly assisted us in our on-going work towards ensuring our students grow into balanced and informed global citizens and it continues to be our pleasure to welcome you on these very important and special occasions and is reflections upon such testimonies that regularly come up in students discussions about what they remember about their time at ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY – it provides such an affective and lasting learning experience. We know that Holocaust education will inevitably be less rich in world without survivors – but is there a way to maximise their stories and make the most of the invaluable insight they have to share even in their passing?

What we have found in student survey data since 2009 in the formalising of this programme, and in its predecessor form, that there are two areas that dominates teachers coverage of the Holocaust; the period of persecution in the 1930s (the rescinding of rights and the consolidation of Hitler/Nazis power ) and a focus upon Auschwitz-Birkenau. This is very much an approach which focuses upon what the Nazis did to their victims – reinforcing the passive ‘sheep to the slaughter’ victim view of Jews and others – and this dehumanises all involved. As such in the quality assurance and annual review process the HGP has been adjusted in order to promote and encourage deeper historical knowledge, understanding and empathy through greater use of individual stories, opportunities to explore pre-war Jewish life (ensuring students have an understanding of the rich, diverse and complex history of Jews and anti-Semitism), study of variety of acts of resistance (allowing students to explore how this could be physical act of fighting back and violence or the maintaining of faith or your radio despite the situation and laws that enveloped you) and the greater inclusion of references to other types of camps. At Royal Wootton Bassett Academy we have tried very hard to personalise stories and restore the importance of the human story – and the victim’s voices. Victims must be presented and explored as ordinary people – complex people as we all are – faced with the most difficult circumstances in the most extraordinary of times. We have also worked hard to ensure we rehumanise the different people associated with the Holocaust; the perpetrators, collaborators, bystanders and rescuers. We believe this is an essential part of our exploration of this past, of human nature and vital if such a study is to help us understand and identify causes, stages and warning signs that may aid future efforts towards genocide prevention. Each individual faced choices and decisions which they faced in the context of their time and thus we must not stereotype and create evil Disney villains of the Nazis and glorify all ‘good, poor victims’ – all people are complex and we must not do them or our students a disservice by such easy and misleading simplification. People are individuals, not statistics and their study demands, as Kinloch noted, careful, authentic, vigorous academic, historical study and skills.

The HGP has also had a considerable positive impact upon the pastoral system and continues to inform student’s views and aid students on making positive choices. Students have the ideas of justice and human rights imbedded into their curriculum from Year7. This evolved into a focus in Year 9 on the Holocaust and in KS4-5 (Years10-13) more recent and current genocides and its prevention. At Royal Wootton Bassett Academy we value the principles behind Restorative Justice and many pastoral




issues are dealt with successfully through this method. Staff received specific training as emotional coaches by external agencies helping them to deal with conflict and support student in deescalating situations. It also allows us to view the holistic education of children and not just focus on curriculum areas. Our support methods are all focussed upon breaking down barriers whether that is related to individual attitudes to learning or building successful relationships. As a result of all of these methods and our school vision, students at Royal Wootton Bassett Academy have a huge sense of pride for themselves and the community. They are tolerant and curious to learn from the past so as to make positive informed decisions in the present and for the future.

We regard our HGP as making a unique and distinctive contribution to this learning atmosphere and experience at Royal Wootton Bassett Academy; allowing students to explore the complexities of human nature at its best and very worst and the opportunity to emerge themselves in a range of moral, historical, issues in creative, responsible, engaging and challenging ways – whilst championing the best in innovative teaching and learning; critical and independent thinking, close examination of a range of evidence and use of learning styles and differentiation that ensures access, engagement and challenge for all.




Thanks to the subject audit and a creative, innovative and cross curricular approach we have not reduced individual subject time in order to deliver components of our HGP; instead, through Values, Ethos, Citizenship, PSHE, ASDAN, CoPE, the behaviour policy, attitudes, emotional intelligence, Learning2Learn and self-talk we are able to embed these values as truly ‘whole school’ and whole person.

Along with citizenship, PSHE, internationalism, the Duke of Edinburgh Award, our local, national and international charities initiatives and so many other components that make ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY an outstanding ‘global school in a local community’, the HGP at ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY plays its part in the delivery of the ECM; Every Child Matters agenda. This postulates being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieving (getting the most out of life and developing broad skills for adulthood), making a positive contribution (to the community and to society and not engaging in anti-social or offending behaviour’ and economic well-being; thus ‘Every Child Matters’ and this is the outcome of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). This charter ensures that everyone under the age of 18 has all the rights stated and means that all ‘…organisations concerned with children should work towards what is best for each child’ – reiterating the need for truly personalised learning, an approach to education that is both academic and holistic, where individual need is recognised and responded to in order to ensure personal growth and development. In addition the charter enshrines children’s rights ‘…to express freely their views and to take account of children’s views’ – and this has been embraced at ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY in Student Voice, and the Sixth Form Leadership Team, student Ambassadors where students are able to experience rights and responsibilities, making a genuine contribution to our school community, developing transferable life skills and becoming role models.

At the Academy we champion excellence in all areas and opportunities for SMSC are promoted and epitomise our ethos. In many ways the HGP contributes to this not least because irrespective of subject background teachers most commonly identified with broad overarching moral of civic objectives for teaching about the Holocaust rather than distinct, subject specific teaching aims. Of course, in many schools the Holocaust is deployed to teach universal lessons about the dangers of man’s inhumanity to man, the evils of racism and the need for a more tolerant society. These are noble aims and are causes with which ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY would agree, but do we really need the Holocaust to demonstrate their value?

Racism is wrong, not because of the gas chambers of Treblinka, but – intellectually – for its weak and faulty view of human beings, and – morally – for the widespread injustice and suffering it causes every day. If we simply turn the Holocaust into a metaphor for the ‘lessons’ we wish young people to learn, then we deprive students of the opportunity to ask their own challenging and difficult questions that come from the specificity of the event itself and their own developing understanding . How was it possible that not long ago, and not far from where we live, people collaborated in the murder of their Jewish neighbours? Why didn’t people do more to save them? How does the genocide of European Jewry relate to the other atrocities committed by the Nazis: the genocide of the Roma and Sinti (or Gypsies); the mass murder of disabled people; the genocide of the Poles and Slavs; the persecution and murder of political opponents, Jehovah’s Witnesses, homosexuals and others? How did the victims respond to, and how far did they resist, the unfolding genocide?

We believe that through challenging, age-appropriate, creative, responsible and respectful teaching and learning resources students can discover that there is no record of anyone being killed or sent to a concentration camp for refusing to murder Jewish people, while there are cases of people refusing to murder who were simply given other duties or even sent back home. They learn that, while Nazi anti-Semitic ideology was the driving motivation of many decision-makers and killers, others participated in mass shootings because of peer pressure, ambition or a warped sense of duty. They find examples of rescuers who were anti-Semitic but who still risked their lives to save Jewish people, while others with more enlightened views did nothing. Their understanding becomes layered, nuanced and reflective in shades of grey, more complex, sophisticated and, their own. We believe within this climate – especially when encountered throughout the school, that the past is complex - therefore, possibly more unsettling – then first thought – this in itself is a radical challenge to stereotypes, issues of racism and intolerance and reflects the complexity of being human: indeed the past reveals a shocking truth: you do not need to hate or kill anyone to be complicit in genocide.

Royal Wootton Bassett Academy considers the Holocaust to be a lens through which we can study any number of things relevant in our world today. BBC journalist Fergal Keane stated in an ROYAL




WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY assembly to Sixth Formers that: ‘If just one or two of you students take an informed passion and commitment for others into the world, your skills and talents into the workplaces of the developing world and beyond, or continue to advocate as passionately for human rights as you have today, recognising your own responsibilities and shared humanity – then what a tremendous contribution that will make! What a role your ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY education will play!’ It ultimately comes down to our understanding of what education means to us and the contribution, impact and significance we believe Holocaust education can make.

ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY recognises that in teaching about the Holocaust comes great responsibility to the subject matter, the students and staff. We do not shy away from challenge and complexity and thus within the HGP we make clear that there are no simple answers and that the process of enquiry will be challenging and unsettling. We believe that ‘history is made easier at the price of making it less significant’ and understand that HGP issues raise profound questions, have important implications, often difficult conclusions, for religious education, citizenship, and the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of our students. We know that young people are impressionable and that we cannot manipulate their emotive responses to this history – it is inevitable that students will draw moral lessons, as Illingworth notes, and it is right they should – but they should come from the students, not be exploited by messages being artificially forced upon them.

So what constitutes Royal Wootton Bassett Academy students experience of Holocaust education? We believe that high quality teaching and learning about the Holocaust demands a range of questioning skills and opportunities that encourage independent thinking and critical thinking skills. Royal Wootton Bassett Academy takes the view that when exposes to a range of historical evidence, discussions, encounters with survivors and use is made of technology, social media and film, students can think independently to find meaning and lessons in the content. At ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY we believe that ‘The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior demonstrates. The great teacher inspires’: therefore, it is not necessary for the Academy or its teachers to preach ‘The Holocaust is a terrible thing’ or ‘Thou shall not commit genocide’ – this would be obvious and manipulative. Instead the evidence should be allowed to speak for itself, thus valuing the significance of the historical event, encouraging young people, who’s thinking skills and store of knowledge is still very much in development, to think through the emerging issues in their own way – finding their own relevance. Such an IOE’s Centre for Holocaust Education informed approach responds to individual pupil needs, empowering each student with the confidence that to better understand why and how Holocaust happened they should apply vigour to any evidence or source and draw their own conclusions. We have found this a beneficial approach as relates to media awareness and thus reduces student exposure to manipulation and misinformation, encourages the recognition of bias and raises issue of e-safety. We feel an obligation to encourage students are equipped to explore the nature of evidence and understand how it is we know what we know and thus within the Humanities faculty staff adopt an approach that is historically rigorous and embraces the complexity of the material record, ensuring students have a strong understanding of what, why and how the Holocaust happened.

As teachers there are two unequivocally true things we learn about young people: the first is that young people are just extraordinarily impressionable; the second is that young people have the savvy to cut through insincerity, to assess the truth of a situation in a clear, if naïve, black and white way – combined with capacity and the desire, perhaps more than anyone else, to change the world. So beside the subject knowledge, understanding and skills we teach, can we not also encourage young people to care about one another? Can we not also urge them to serve one another, to see beyond themselves, to lend voices to the voiceless? Can we not urge them that to consider it a moral obligation to stand up for what is right (whatever they believe that to be) and defend those who can’t defend themselves? Can we not combine a historically vigorous study of the Holocaust to contemporary examples of genocide, mass violence and human rights and pose relevant moral and behavioural questions in our classrooms? At ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY we absolutely CAN.

At ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY we absolutely DO. As an Academy we cannot be value-free. We support in principle the view of Elie Wiesel that: ‘Young people want to learn, they are thirsty for knowledge, they want to understand and remember. The main thing is to teach them where not to go. Oppression, not to go: dictatorship, not to go; racism and prejudice, absolutely not to go.




This is a moral plan.’ From Headteacher down the Academy hold certain values dear and sets the environment for the highest standards so that young people are immersed in a community of caring, learning, responsibility, respect and discipline. Whilst we strongly view Holocaust education as encompassing a range of complex ‘lessons from’ the past, relevant to our present and vital for the future (as above), we do not provide the lessons – rather we illuminate. We actively encourage students to think independently and provide the environment whereby students make meaning for themselves. This deep learning process challenges stereotypes, myths and misconceptions; enables students to ask their own questions and follow their own lines of enquiry; and develops a critical mind-set that will foster a humane, reasonable, and enlightened way of interpreting the world.

The Holocaust is the most extensively documented and intensively researched genocide in a long history of human atrocity, revealing the full range of human behaviour, from appalling acts of hatred and violence, through the dangers of apathy and conformity, to extraordinary altruism, resilience and courage. The Holocaust now occupies a near-mythic space in our collective memory, the mass media and public discourse, and is used in the service of diverse political and social agendas. It is very much teacher’s responsibility to ensure that young people have the skills and confidence to navigate this space and able to evaluate critically the diverse claims made: ‘are all opinions, all interpretations, all representations of the past equally valid?’ If not, how do we distinguish between them? These are important ideas for all young people to grapple with. How do we weigh different truth claims?

This is a clear educational imperative and relevant to a range of subject areas and topics, but in the case of genocide, knowledge is especially precious, and especially fragile. Our HGP presents the story of genocide as largely a history of forgetting after all, on the eve of the Holocaust Adolf Hitler famously asked: ‘Who today remembers the Armenians?’ For centuries, communities have written out of the historical record their deliberate destruction of other human groups. This selective forgetting of our past has occurred largely because the victims do not survive to tell their stories. Only the perpetrators remain to choose the stories that they tell about themselves.

According to Gregory Stanton – a great supporter of Royal Wootton Bassett Academy’s Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights Programme -attempts to hide material traces of mass atrocities always accompany such crimes, and constitute the final stage of genocide; denial. In this context, the disciplinary question – how do we know what we know? – takes on new meaning. First, we have the huge amount of written evidence that the perpetrators failed to destroy – a surviving copy of the Wannsee Protocol; written orders and directives; reports by the killing squads giving detailed accounts of their mass shootings; and millions of pages of other captured documents.




Then there are the confessions of the perpetrators themselves, the reports of eyewitnesses, the archaeological evidence that remains despite the attempts to remove all traces, the blueprints for the construction of the crematoria and the photographs of mass murder. In short, the defeat of the Nazi regime ensured that vast amounts of material did survive. Furthermore, even while the murders were taking place, many of the victims resorted to history as their means of defiance, determined that the crimes perpetrated against them would not disappear without trace. They risked their lives to document and record their experience of persecution and to show subsequent generations what happened to them. They hid diaries, clandestine photographs, drawings and manuscripts in the ghettos and the camps in the hope that one day these would be discovered.

We understand our students are unable to change what they encounter in the past, but they are not altogether powerless. When studying the Holocaust, in the very act of historical enquiry, in struggling to learn and in their grappling to understand, students make common cause with the people in the past and join with them in an act of resistance against the desecration of memory. We argue that the pursuit of historical knowledge is itself an ethical and moral endeavour, given attempts by the perpetrators to destroy the evidence and the risks taken by the victims to document and preserve it. We know also know that Royal Wootton Bassett Academy our students, having recognised stages in the process that enabled the Nazis to kill six million Jews, that there are patterns or warning signs to human rights abuses, mass violence, and atrocity and thus are more alert to the issues facing our world now. As previously stated, we know that the Holocaust is today widely used and abused in the service of diverse agendas; honourable and otherwise, so accurately understanding the event is therefore essential to young people’s educational literacy. If they are to be in a position to weigh for themselves the claims that invoke the memory or imagery of the Holocaust – we must give them the knowledge, understanding and skills that they can responsibly and safely search the internet for Holocaust information or know how to respectfully but strongly challenge an example of anti-Semitism or Holocaust denial. This was recognised in our becoming an IOE ‘Beacon School’.

In spite of this ‘Beacon School’ status and the recognition achieved to date, the work of the HGP is not done – we have an excellent model that meets our vision, aims and student’s needs. Through quality assurance and constant evaluation and reflective practices we review, adapt and innovate; it is not fixed or static. Rather it is responsive and evolving. What works and is unique or special about ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMYs programme may not necessarily translate to our schools – but elements of it might. It may inspire others to explore how Holocaust, genocide and human rights education is possible in their schools – but challenges remain.

Even with massive increases in student’s substantive knowledge – their facts – the contextual understanding of some students is an area to further develop. This higher order thinking and making connections is something we continue to strive for – and it is likely this is will be reflected in the IOE Centre for Holocaust Education’s student research. With pressure on curriculum time and other logistical elements in schools – it remains challenging to ensure our students have the thinking and reflective time to develop the understanding we all wish them to have. This means teachers have to make tough decisions about what to teach in the limited time – which of course explains gaps in knowledge, misconceptions and simplification – but through a multi-disciplinary, layered, cross curricular approach, ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY will continue to work tirelessly to ensure students develop a rich understanding of the past that will enable them to deal with the complexity by encountering the Holocaust in a range of curriculum areas and learning opportunities over 5-7 years at the Academy.

Assessment – whether formative or summative – remains a challenge in many schools in terms of teaching and learning about the Holocaust; should factual knowledge be tested, levelled in order to demonstrate progress? If arguing, as ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY does, for a more holistic affective Holocaust educational experience then such traditional approaches are inappropriate. Innovative and creative, pragmatic responses are required, but this remains a challenge that the Working Group considers and explores regularly. We think of contribution, active engagement in the learning, ability to speak out, behavioural and attitudinal changes as significant indicators of the learning and of progress. But how do you measure that? Is it appropriate to try? Is measurement, attainment targets or other formulas necessary for data, parental reporting or student feedback, necessary? These remain challenging questions but the Working group continues to explore the opportunities and possibilities that may emerge as alternative approaches.




It is said that ‘A vision without a task is a dream – a task without a vision is drudgery – but a task with a vision can change the world’ – and this is very much what the HGP stands for at Royal Wootton Bassett Academy. We postulate that fundamental issues and challenges in the field of Holocaust education can be effectively addressed and teaching and learning transformed. We believe young people want to know about the past and the present: We believe young people want to act and make a difference in the present and future. As ‘A global school in a local community’ our students champion human rights and seek to prevent or raise awareness of global acts of mass violence, crimes against humanity and genocide. In light of a visit by a Burmese refugee students took responsibility by approaching the head to raise money to address the issue of ensuring an orphanage in Tamu, Burma has access to education. In less than a year this student led initiative had raised £15,000 to build and equip a school for some 200 students; testimony of our students being engaged and learning their own wide ranging global citizenship and life lessons.




Ultimately the ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY Holocaust, genocide and human rights programme serves to provide an encounter with the Holocaust past that is respectful, commemorative, informs, engages and empowers young people to be a catalyst for change – able to make a responsible, positive and active contribution to society in the present and in the years to come. The HGP came about in response to a gap in existing educational provision: the empowerment of young people to safeguard the future by learning about the past. But it is ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMYs response and our model may not be suitable to needs and context of every school – but it can well offer an adaptable model that could be used to inspire others, or at least show what is possible. We are regularly told by survivors and expert visitors in the field that what occurs at ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY is special and unique – in a sense that is undoubtedly true and a huge compliment as there is something distinctive about our approach – but in a sense such a claim is a cop-out for schools lacking in vision, leadership and the desire to act. It is reflective of an unwillingness to change, adapt, reflect and ‘make possible’.

From the knowledge, understanding and attitudinal survey we can demonstrate that Holocaust education as undertaken at Royal Wootton Bassett Academy works: it is effective!

We can evidence the impact and legacy of this whole school HGP upon participating students, staff who deliver and led aspects of it, parents and wider community has been monitored since 2009 and with detailed quality assurance measures since 2010.7 Copies of these reports have been made available to the commission in Appendix 3, however in addition to the above ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY’s internal Holocaust education key findings include:

Since 2009, ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY has closely considered structural issues with regard to delivering high quality teaching and learning about the Holocaust (e.g. curriculum time, support from SLT, supply cover for teachers) and subsequently a programme has emerged that is innovative, sustainable and has significantly impacted upon the academic and holistic progress of our students.

Since 2009, substantive knowledge of the Holocaust has improved upon participation year on year in the HGP by between 48-78% (this is further supported by internal, discreet subject area assessment data on this topic)

Since 2009, 6,128 students have heard directly personal testimony from at least one Holocaust survivor

Since 2009, 87-99% of students agree that hearing directly from survivors has increased their knowledge and understanding of the Holocaust in a way no other teaching and learning resource ever could.

Since 2009, 92% of staff involved in delivering an aspect of the ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY HGP regard student encounters with a survivor as transformative in some way: a unique moment of ‘awe/wonder, epiphany/connection, significant/inspiration.’

Since 2009, 82-96% students have argued that teaching about the Nazi extermination of the Jews during the Second World War should be required in British schools.

‘All roads – Darfur, Bosnia, Cambodia, Rwanda and Auschwitz – converge on ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY. You shame the world for its silence and inaction. You give us strength to build a safer, fairer future. Young people affecting change, finding their voices, making a difference. Your programme is something we should all be proud of and aspire to. What a remarkable group of young people – inspired, extraordinarily committed, informed and inspirational staff! You must keep this going. You must continue and spread the word.’ – Mukesh Kapila, CBE

Since 2009, 50-73% students have stated the Holocaust should be studied at aged 14-16 Since 2009, 52-78% rejected the view that the Holocaust should be taught only in History. This

demonstrates that students appreciate that whilst this subject matter demands vigorous historical understanding that it is best delivered cross curricular or holistically so as to gain a layered, complex and greater knowledge and understanding of the issues. Similarly, 73-85% rejected the view that the Holocaust should be taught only in Religious Education.

7 Copies of these reports have been made available to the commission in Appendix 3




Since 2009, the HGP at ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY has successful engaged otherwise ‘hard to reach’ students.

Since 2009, 64-97% of students advocated that ‘The Holocaust and more recent genocides should be taught across the school, where appropriate, so different aspects of it can be discussed appropriately’.

Since 2009, 79-99% of students recognise the HGP in school and are aware of its work and aims.

Since 2009, 80-96% of students state the Holocaust and Genocide programme in our Academy is ‘necessary and important’ and subsequently their knowledge and understanding improves.

Since 2009, boys have outperformed girls in terms of substantive knowledge of the Holocaust by some 17% through this HGP. With girls still making excellent progress in their factual and historical understanding of the period. This raises issues of pupil progress and ‘challenging the gap’ in terms of boys’ underachievement or engagement – a significant ‘way in’ for many disaffected boys.

ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY HGP teachers consistently report increased engagement and enthusiasm from students: “The pupils have been keen to learn, much more engaged and have produced work to a much higher standard.” Another remarked that students “…have been more engaged, enthusiastic and at times moved by the materials. I sense a passion with some of them when doing the activities.”

Since 2009, girls have significantly out-rated boy’s responses to the programme in terms of empathy and its affective elements, personal development, reflective nature and opportunities to explore complex moral dilemmas. Girl’s reactions rating 34% more highly than boys – indicative of emotional intelligence and revealing further work needed to address a holistic balance.

To date, ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY’s has received and been subject of over 2,000 letters and cards from a high profile public figures, survivors, individual experts and organisations including President Clinton, Gregory Stanton, Elie Wiesel, Angela Merkel, Terry Waite, John Roth, the Archbishop of York, Kitty Hart-Moxon, Tony Blair, Maureen Lipman, David Suchet and Stephen Fry; actors, sports personalities, religious leaders and others all supporting Holocaust and genocide education/preventions importance and/or the unique approach taken here at the Academy.

ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY staff and students regularly enjoy support (in the form of school visits, whether to speak, offer workshops, or observe and plan with the Lead Practitioner and Senior Leadership Team) from a range of public figures, survivors, organisations – many becoming ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY ‘regulars’ – including Martin Bell, Fergal Keane, Sir Geoffrey Nice, Baroness Deech, Dr James Smith and Stephen Twigg MP

On May 9th 2012 Royal Wootton Bassett Academy received a royal visit by HRH the Duke of Gloucester in specific recognition of the HGP and its impact upon the school, community and range of network schools.

In July 2012 we became an IOE Centre for Holocaust Education ‘Beacon School’ – in its pilot year – in recognition of the excellent work undertaken in the field and the continuing commitment to developing our own practice and willingness to share that experience with others. The IOE Centre for Holocaust Education remains a valued strategic partner and they have externally verified our work through many visits.

ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY’s HGP has been shown to tackle prejudice, intolerance and stereotypes within school and such racial comments and behavioural instances reduced.

ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY’s HGP continues to contribute much to a whole school culture and values system that celebrates diversity, dignity and human rights

ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY’s HGP actively encourages our students to be responsible, informed, empathetic and engaged global citizens and continues to support and endorse a range of school wide and specific projects

ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY’s HGP is designed to engage, students, staff, parents and the community: outreach is considered a vital aspect of its work; since 2009, some 43-54% of Year 9 parents have attended one or more evening events (Holocaust survivor speakers/expert visitors/Holocaust family learning/Community outreach events)

To date ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY’s HGP has directly trained 38 PGCE Humanities from Southampton University with regard to teaching about the Holocaust; we have internally provided 26 RBWA staff training in this area to support them in their Year 9 tutor roles; demonstrating an on-going commitment to CPD and delivery of whole school ethos




To date, in conjunction with the IOEs Centre for Holocaust Education, we have provided specific Holocaust education training to 34 teachers; 13 from ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY, 21 colleagues from some of our local Beacon’ partnership hub schools; demonstrating an on-going commitment to CPD and sharing of best practice, school to school support.

In May 2014 Royal Wootton Bassett Academy will host (in conjunction with its partner the IOE’s Centre for Holocaust Education, and made possible through the financial support of the Challenge Partners, Pears Foundation and Association of Jewish Refugees) a unique National Teachers Conference; ‘Empowering Young People to Change the World’ which will seek to seeks to address an important gap in existing educational provision: the empowerment of young people to safeguard the future by learning about the past (namely Holocaust education, genocide prevention and human rights). This is testimony to ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY’s commitment to advancing the field, sharing best practice, engaging schools and senior leaders in the field and providing the opportunity for range of organisations in the field to unite and share best practice in an effort to forge the future in Holocaust education, genocide prevention and human rights. http://www.Royal Wootton Bassett Academy.org.uk/National-Teacher-Conference-29th-to-30th-May-2014

The HGP has its own student webpage within the school portal alongside an external site (password protected) for partner school colleagues working with us as part of the Beacon School hub that we have developed since 2012. In light of the above conference, there is also a website for the two-day event and this will be secure and remain in the conference’ aftermath for delegates to exchange ideas, resources and remain in contact.

ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY’s HGP has since 2009 set the highest expectations which inspire, motivate and challenge pupils evidenced by HMI Inspectors observing a lesson at Royal Wootton Basset Academy reporting: “The engagement of students, their understanding, empathy is quite unique - a truly holistic and powerful learning experience. It is hard to judge this against various criteria as we have never seen anything quite like this. Extraordinary." (2010)

ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY’s HGP specific lessons promote good progress and outcomes by pupils, evidenced by internal quality assurance procedures and learning walks: one LT colleague commented - “Made students think and question. They were totally engaged, gripped by the lesson. There was a palpable atmosphere was of learning and behaviour was exemplary”

ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY staff consistently demonstrate outstanding subject and curriculum knowledge when teaching about the Holocaust. This is evidenced by lesson observation remarks: “The learning is evident to anyone who sees the lesson or speaks to a student about these issues. It is an experience of what education should be."

ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMYs HGP lessons are well planned, structured and resourced: as evidenced in all internal and external quality assurance and monitoring visits (HMI, Ofsted, Challenge Partner reviews, Lesson observations, Learning walks, student voice etc)

ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY’s HGP applies a “No graphic images, no Hollywood interpretations…’ policy. “Students are quite simply overwhelmed by the power of the evidence or the individual’s story that they encounter.” (Recent visitor to the Academy, expert in the field and funder in the ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY #EYP2CtW conference)

ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY’s HGP continues to adapt its teaching to respond to the strengths and needs of all pupils – differentiation, emotional literacy, SEN, G&T, EAL and other needs. This is an on-going process of adapting content to learning styles to ensure personalised learning, supported by Year Teams, Learning Mentors and, where appropriate, external agencies.

ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY’s HGP and specific internal and external CPD to support Holocaust education has significantly impacted upon generic teaching and learning: evidenced by one colleague commenting “An amazing experience. It will definitely change my practice.”

"Holocaust and Genocide education, as part of the wider ECM agenda at Royal Wootton Bassett Academy is a significant strength, creating proper, respectful people. There is an overwhelming positive ethos, attitude and respect for each other and all the issues covered. The engagement of students, their understanding, empathy is quite unique - a truly holistic and powerful learning experience.” – HMI, 2010



http://www.rwba.org.uk/National-Teacher-Conference-29th-to-30th-May-2014

http://www.rwba.org.uk/National-Teacher-Conference-29th-to-30th-May-2014


Since 2009, 4,319 parents, staff or members of the local community have attended after-school testimony talks, extra-curricular family and community learning events, memorial evenings or exhibitions of students work.

E.g. The July 10th 2013, Holocaust, genocide and human rights programme exhibition, held in the Sixth Form Lecture Theatre was open from 10am-6pm and viewed by 184 parents or community visitors (this is in addition to staff and student groups coming up to view it)

E.g. The evening testimony talk by Holocaust survivor Mrs Mala Tribich in Jan 2014 was attended by 178 students, staff, parents and members of the local community and partner school colleagues

E.g. The evening testimony talk by Holocaust survivor Mrs Eva Schloss in Jan 2013 was attended by 187 students, staff, parents and members of the local community and partner school colleagues

‘I have been fortunate to spend three months researching at Royal Wootton Bassett Academy. In my tenure as a Fulbright researcher and as a teacher focused on genocide I have had the opportunity to study Holocaust education all over the world, in Israel, in Poland, in Rwanda, in the US –where I’m from – and now in the England, and I can say with certainty that nobody does it better than Royal Bassett Academy’ – Mark Gudgel

Essentially, at Royal Wootton Bassett Academy we believe that the extent to which the complexity of the Holocaust can be made accessible to pupils depends entirely upon the quality of teaching. We conclude that the teaching and learning about the Holocaust and genocide matters and that it remains relevant to our students, staff, parents and the wider local and global community both in the modern world and in the future.

Aside from the work of Royal Wootton Bassett Academy other examples of Holocaust education include:

1b. IOE Centre for Holocaust Education: (formerly HEDP). It was Martin Luther King who argued ‘Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education’ and this very much encapsulates the ethos of The Institute of Education. It is the world leading school for education and social science and has influence with regard to shaping a range of education programmes, policies and vision. The Institute has trained 10,000 teachers in past decade, and offered professional development and higher degrees to a further 6,000: this represents a significant research informed investment in the education profession; attracting funding of over £25 million per year. In the recent Research Assessment Exercise the IOE topped league tables for Educational Research - thus its local, national and international influential should not be overlooked and it has numerous strategic partner organisations.

Located within the IOE and established as HEDP (Holocaust Education Development Programme) in 2008 and funded by the Department for Education and the Pears Foundation, the now ‘Centre’ for Holocaust Education is recognise national and internationally for its outstanding educational research and expertise in the field. It was awarded its centre status by the University of London in 2012 and currently has a staff of 15; research team, teaching and academic team and full administrative support charged with three distinct goals: First, to conduct research into the distinctive field of Holocaust education (here at ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY we cannot think of another Holocaust education department within a university, whether nationally or globally; as distinct from Holocaust or genocide studies, History etc) – it is unique in its mission. Secondly the centre is charged to develop and offer a research-informed programme of professional development for teachers in England and thirdly, to actively contribute to the field nationally and internationally.




It is this combination of researched informed practice that differentiates it from a crowded market place of Holocaust related organisations in the UK (see 1b-1i) as its approach, principles, CPD and resources have all been developed by the world's leading university in education (the IOE was ranked number 1 in the 2014 World University Rankings).

One could ask why bother with research (as discussed further in Section 2) given the extent to which the Holocaust has now been studied by historians and a range of scholars and the fact that Holocaust education has been secured within the curriculum for almost 25 years. We know the Holocaust is taught across all age groups within the secondary sector (KS3-4-5) but most commonly delivered during Year 9 (aged 13-14). We know that there is big variation in terms of curriculum time for teaching about the Holocaust, an average being just 6 hours. This provides both opportunities and challenges for teachers. We know that most teachers feel it is a subject matter that is important to teach and should be compulsory (at least in the history curriculum). We know too that there is strong professional commitment to Holocaust education and impressive practice is happening in some classrooms. We know the Holocaust is taught in schools across the country and that Holocaust education is supported by an extensive range of organisations and by government – but how secure are we in our knowledge and understanding of what was/is going on in schools? What does Holocaust education look like and involve in our schools? What do teachers know and understand and is this sufficient or what we would want Holocaust education to be? In light of the fact survivors have played such a prominent and leading role in Holocaust education to date, in their absence does their need to be a rethink? Is current Holocaust education, its provision, aims, approaches, training and resources fit for purpose now and for the years to come? Such questions are pressing. They are vital research questions: ones which from inception the centre has sought to address: beginning in 2009 with a 54 item national survey of some 2,000+ teachers in secondary schools in England and the publication of a field-shaping 132 page report.

Key findings of that 2009 teacher research report identified five potential issues:

a) The Holocaust was a difficult, complex and emotive subject to teach in schools

b) 83% of those staff who teach the Holocaust in schools are “self-taught”

c) Limited time (for example just 6 hours) raises significant concerns about what to cover – invariably gaps in knowledge, lack of context, misunderstanding

d) Most teachers are unaware of the range of existing support that is available to them in terms of improving substantive knowledge and with regard to CPD and teaching practice

e) 78% of teachers welcomed the idea of greater professional development or support (CPD)

Taken together these were indicative of significant challenges and obstacles for those teaching the Holocaust in schools; confusion about aims and intentions of Holocaust education, uncertainty about definitions and gaps in substantive subject knowledge and understanding. It spoke of limited awareness of national and international scholarship and research with a very narrow ‘Auschwitz-centric’ and ‘perpetrator narrative’ being the dominate approach.

Whilst Royal Wootton Bassett Academy’s programme of Holocaust education, genocide prevention and awareness of human rights was in place and totally independent of other organisations – it has found its natural pedagogical, teaching and learning principles substantiated by the extraordinary work of the Centre. Indeed ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY is now an IOE ‘Beacon School’. Whilst we had a programme that was unique and emerged outside of the Centre, over the years our contact and collaboration has grown into a mutually beneficial and reciprocal relationship of collaboration; not least because of the ‘Beacon School’ status and our Lead Practitioner for the Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights programme now working part-time as Schools Network Coordinator. That aside, and in addition to what was discussed in 1a, the key questions remain: what is distinctive about its approach given the below ‘crowded field’ and how has it contributed to ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY students and staff in terms of teaching and learning about the Holocaust? Answer: Research informed practice.8

8 As part of its current and on-going student research the IOE Centre for Holocaust Education has undertaken a Literature Review to map existing literature on research into Holocaust education specifically. 634 references were retrieved, 250 identified for relevance. Approximately 100 were




At ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY we host and offer the IOE's CPD to our staff and network partner schools –because of our Beacon School networking role, but also because of our commitment to research informed teaching practice. As a Teaching School, research and development in teaching and learning is crucial and thus the impact upon teaching approaches, methods and resources is fundamental in the on-going development of staff. It is crucial that such theory or academic research is embedded in practice and is used to positively impact upon students' learning; if it doesn’t, then it is not relevant, being misused or ignored. What the IOE offers in terms of approach is an innovative and engaging package of CPD truly responsive to actual classroom needs.

prioritised for review as they constitute empirical exploration of understanding and/or learning about the Holocaust.




As mentioned previously this response to need is based upon extensive national research with teachers in 2009 and (currently) with up to 10,000 secondary school students across the country.

The Centre is, in ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY’s view, unique in that it links research and professional development: for each key research finding from the teachers study the Centre identified the key problem. From there they proposed to address the issue directly in the CPD they offered, whether in ITE, CPD 1, 2, MA or other formats and thus their aim is to always respond to identified needs, supported by research. For example, the 2009 teacher survey revealed only 26% of teachers focused upon pre-war Jewish life in Europe before 1933 and only 25% focused upon the contribution of the Jewish community to European social and cultural life before 1933 – and thus students encounters with Jews were all framed in a Holocaust light; through the lens of Nazi propaganda, a perpetrator-orientated and Auschwitz centric narrative of Jews as victims. This is clearly a problem or issue as Jews become a ‘faceless mass’ with students gaining little understanding by way of why or how the Holocaust happened; context is thus distorted or misleading. The Centre then created CPD opportunities that would give importance to the study of pre-war life, they developed teaching and learning resources to support teachers in this and they championed the use of exploring research in their CPD sessions; precisely to bridge the gap between academic research and on the ground, ‘at the chalk-face’ teaching practice. This is world leading and has responded to need – and we now know that more teachers are able to teach about the diversity and impact of Jews on pre-war European social and cultural life – we see teaching and learning, knowledge and understanding improve. Responding to some of the national research findings and recognising some of the challenging trends revealed has significantly informed ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY’s HGP and if made available to all schools, we believe colleagues would be greatly informed; not just in terms of improving teaching and learning about the Holocaust, but in reflecting upon purpose, aims, methodologies and educational principles in all teaching and learning. Thus in response to the challenges and obstacles identified by the teacher report (2009) the Centre sought to make the complex accessible. They sought to improve teachers knowledge through the content of the CPD offer, and throughout raise awareness and stimulate critical discussion of key scholarship and debate, especially over aims of Holocaust education. They have worked hard to provide research-informed, rigorously tried and tested in the classroom resources; but throughout the process has sought to ensure all research and resources that follow are underpinned by principles of respect: respect for the memory of the victims of the Holocaust and for the emotional well-being of our young people. This approach is entirely in-keeping with our principle duty of care to our ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY students and staff and the value we place on education as being a holistic and whole person; therefore we choose not to use atrocity images in the classroom but find more effective ways to communicate the horror of the Holocaust, through personal accounts, individual stories such as that of Leon Greenman and his family, authentic artefacts and original documents.

Since 2013 the Centre has been immersed in the equivalent research into students’ understanding – this is the largest study of pupil’s understanding of the Holocaust in the world and is due to publish its findings in 2015. This study will include a variety of qualitative and quantitative methods – with its key 91 item survey - involving up to 10,000 secondary school students in England, aged 11-18. Its key question is to explore what it is that students know and understand about the Holocaust and its findings would, in conjunction with the teacher research, reveal a great deal that will serve to shape CPD provision and teaching and learning about the Holocaust in the future. It would provide insight as to what it is students know about the Holocaust, where that ‘knowledge’ comes from and how they understand the Holocaust. It should also illuminate what students think and feel about (learning about) and from the Holocaust and the implications for teaching and the Holocaust that results. ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY will be very interested in this trail-blazing study and its findings – having participated in its pilot survey9 – to inform our own practice and to have a sense of where specifically we are in relation to the general, national picture.

9 In October 2013, 214 students from RWBA completed a pilot version of the IOE student online survey. Of these students, 108 students were girls, and 106 were boys; the sample comprised; 11 years old x23 students, 12 years old x47, 13 years old x107 (Year 9 students), 14 years old x17, 15 years old x10, 16 years olds x1 and 17 years old x7




The questions of the IOE survey have stimulated much student and staff discussion, continuing to hone our thinking during on-going internal quality assurance processes and all evaluations of those attending the IOE CPD – from headteacher and SLT to ITE – has been overwhelming positive. As indicated in 1a ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY can well vouch for the impact of the pathway for professional development. The Centre’s ITE, CPD 1, 2, MA module and PhD provide unique routes for continued advance in skills and understanding – and allows for those seeking doctoral studies – it emerged in response to an identified teacher need for an on-going programme of professional development at all career stages. Royal Wootton Bassett regards the Centre’s flexible, open and staged provision for professional development a huge resource and highly recommends its secured funding, expansion and recommendation that it becomes the benchmark minimum in the training of new teachers and support of those seeking promotion in the profession (such as Accelerated Learning Bursary holders, Specialist Leaders in Education or Lead Practitioners).




ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY applauds the Centre for recognising the need to continually evaluate the effectiveness of educational programmes and the support strategies, resources and interventions that work – such reflective practice is best practice in in-school quality assurance and such critical evaluation will ensure that the Centre continues to be driven by responding to classroom and teacher need. Its commitment to working closely with partner schools (Beacon Schools) and wider school networks in order to develop expertise, resources and schemes of work ensures that best practice is shared and that classroom research is embedded in the classroom solutions that follow.

Whilst the CPD could provide the minimum expected for good quality teaching and learning, the IOE Centre for Holocaust Education is at the forefront of championing Holocaust education innovation and outstanding provision. They do so through the ‘Beacon School’ programme which is the ideal vehicle for championing the best schools that can provide a dynamic hub, offer support, resources, materials and expertise to serve a network of partner schools in peer to peer support. It is an ambitious programme made possible by heavy investment by the IOE and its funders which ultimately provides a test bed of innovation; an ideal environment for collaboration, challenge and risk-taking. Such schools offer a tantalising glimpse of the exciting possibilities of what Holocaust Education could be in our schools – which is surely at the heart of what the Commission aims to explore?!

As explored in 1a Royal Wootton Bassett Academy looks to engage students in exploring the challenging and difficult issues and questions that the Holocaust poses – and to take away lessons from their encounter with the past. However, whilst clear about out ‘lessons from’ and values-laden approach as a school – we entirely endorse the IOE Centre for Holocaust Education refusal to use the Holocaust to preach easy moral lessons, which tend to oversimplify a complex past. Together we agree that engaging young people in exploring this complexity and supporting them in constructing their own meanings from the evidence is an ethically and educationally sound endeavour – students will learn lessons, but they need to be their lessons that have meaning and relevance for them: ‘Children must be taught how to think, not what to think’.

ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY shares the view that ‘Today we understand that the future we are shaping now is the past we will share tomorrow’ in terms of educational practice and the impact that such education can have in the world today and in the years to come. However, in order to do this we need to know more from research about how teachers and pupils know and understand the Holocaust. To date the Centre has served national and international organisations and must be equipped and supported in order to continue. Such findings cannot be merely academic, but must be disseminated amongst teachers and shared nationally and internationally. It must inform practice. In order to progress – in ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY’s view – this Commission must result in allowing the IOE Centre for Holocaust Education the time to conduct and reflect upon their research findings in order that we take this opportunity to consider what it is people should know and understand – which again relates to the terms of reference, definition and aims of Holocaust education. The research conducted must be used shape the teaching and learning experience on the ground and only has meaning and relevance it if helps us become informed about the preconceptions and misconceptions evident in existing practice. If we can reflect upon these challenges then the Centre can help frame and develop strategies to improve understanding and resources that would address identified ‘gaps’ in knowledge.

The outcomes of the Commission must be bold and forward looking; but that should not be as the result of a knee-jerk, quick fix – rather we are looking to you to support a sustainable, imaginative and research informed approach that will bring research and educational professionals together in keeping the memory of the Holocaust alive. ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY considers the expertise and influence of the IOE invaluable and it is apparent that it is increasingly successful in identifying and addressing core issues and challenges in the field of Holocaust education. We would thus urge the Commission to encourage access to these CPD programmes for all teachers across the country as part of its recommendation to the Prime Minister and the government departments principally involved:

‘In a school where Holocaust and genocide education is championed it is essential our staff have on-going professional development that specifically equips them with the confidence, skills and best practice to deliver this challenging content in a responsible, engaging and innovative way. The IOEs CPD provides all of the above and we continue to see its research-informed approach, ethical and




pedagogical principles impact upon teaching and learning across the school. It is imperative funding is secured to sustain and roll out this programme to wider audiences; and that whatever ITE, Schools Direct or other initial teacher training pathway is favoured by government that the IOEs training features as a component for all entering the profession – irrespective of subject discipline. It is vital headteachers and senior leaders responsible to CPD are aware of this opportunity and its relevance to their whole school ethos, T&L strategy and provision for progression and training so as to release staff for such training and embed such principles and practice in their schools.’ – George Croxford, Headteacher, Royal Wootton Bassett Academy

1c. Beth Shalom: The Holocaust Centre, Newark: Literally meaning "House of Peace", Beth Shalom is a Holocaust memorial centre founded by brothers James and Stephen Smith following a 1991 visit to Israel during which a trip to Yad Vashem changed the way they looked at history and the Holocaust. The Centre opened in 1995 and remains England's only specific Holocaust museum. The Centre provides a range of facilities to explore the history and implications of the Holocaust. These include the Holocaust exhibition, memorial gardens, bookshop and coffee shop. There are also seminar and research facilities for students, teachers, scholars, professionals and many others. It has been incredibly successful and influential in engaging primary schools in teaching and learning about the Holocaust through the distinctive ‘The Journey’ exhibit.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holocaust

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yad_Vashem

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holocaust_memorials


As with any site, its impact depends upon location, and thus despite its reputation and expertise in using the history of genocide as a model of how society can break down, emphasising how current and future generations must carefully examine and learn from these tragedies, ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY is unable to travel to the Centre as part of its HGP. The Centre promotes respect for human rights, equal opportunities and good citizenship, which has greater resonance than ever in our culturally diverse society and has been able to support ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY’s work with expert visits by Dr James Smith and contributions to our ‘Question Time’ style panels and attendance and workshop participation at the upcoming #EYP2CtW conference. Without the distance and accompanying logistics issues, ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY would undoubtedly make greater use of this remarkable Centre and resource.

1d. IWM permanent exhibition to the Holocaust, IWM London: The IWMs permanent Holocaust exhibition is now well established – as with all museum collections it needs regular review and updating, amendments and refurbishing to remain fresh, engaging and innovative. It needs to secure funding for its educational and outreach programmes to ensure it continues to inform and engage its range of visitors, improved accessibility and to secure other exhibits and archives to add to its important collection. Provision for school trips and investment in a greater online or outreach programme essential to its future, as whilst its capital location is central London is fitting it limits its scope for school visits – so could the museum offer a mobile mini exhibit that could tour communities or be used for in-school programmes that could be more interactive? Greater use of the IWMs web presence could be made by the Holocaust exhibit – not least so that some of their exhibits or collection could feature in an online tour or learning experience so more of the stories can be shared. ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY pupils who have visited the exhibit speak very highly of their trip. It is an enriching and key part of some schools programmes of Holocaust education and the use of audio visual testimony throughout is very powerful and compelling.

*As related aside, it is a great pity that the small crimes against humanity exhibit that used to co-habit the area just outside the permanent Holocaust exhibit and included genocides and atrocities since 1945 has been removed, dismantled – for the Holocaust legacy to be understood that too should remain an integral part of the museum or have an alternative permanent home!

By recording and showcasing the range of people’s experiences of the Holocaust, both the everyday life of individuals and communities during wartime occupation, ghettos and camps and by offering glimpses of the exceptional courage, dignity, heroism and selflessness of some contrasted to the terror, prejudice, fear and hatred caused by others, the IWM helps visitors explore the causes of war and its impact on people’s lives. They successfully, in ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMYs view, draw upon the experiences of people from all walks of life and try to reflect the total nature of war and they do so in a vivid but responsible way, creating powerful physical and emotive experiences that engage visitors of all ages. This is entirely in keeping with their stated vision to be a leader in ‘…developing and communicating a deeper understanding of the causes, course and consequences of war’ – in all its forms - and this is reflected in the approach taken to curating the permanent Holocaust exhibition.

ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY believe that the IWM – specifically the permanent Holocaust exhibition – have been courageous in some of its choices by confidently examining the role of Britain and what it knew about the Holocaust in its exhibit; it other words they have had the courage to challenge prevailing public misconceptions and reacted to the established wisdom of the most up-to-date historical scholarship and research. They continue to championing debate and explore innovative approaches in partnership with schools like ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY – and we are delighted that they will be represented at our ‘Empowering Young People to Change the World’ conference as their knowledge and understanding is authoritative and reflective and is vital more schools understand what is the museum and the exhibition staff can provide to support schools; not least because they strive to make everything they discuss from the past relevant to contemporary society. This is vital for young people and the future of Holocaust education in an age without survivor testimony. Any museum is value laden – BUT the IWM does try to provide the information that encourages balance from its visitors whilst always sensitive to their emotions; a combination of vigorous historical accuracy and empathy.

1e. The Jewish Museum, London: Situated in Camden, the museum contributes to Holocaust education thanks to its Holocaust Gallery which is made up of items and filmed survivor testimony from Leon Greenman, who was one of the few British subjects to be interned in the death



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_camps

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon_Greenman


camps section at Auschwitz and the survivor who has so influenced the CPD of the IOEs Centre for Holocaust Education, previously discussed. Given it is a museum of Jewish life and culture, its focus is not the Holocaust – and thus for a school outside of London to use it as part of its work, would be logistically difficult and prove hard to justify – but its educational value is clear and it’s a high quality exhibits and atmosphere make it a wonderful place to visit and an important institution to support and endorse.

1f. The Anne Frank Trust UK: is a charity founded in 1990 in order to fulfil Otto Frank’s wish for an educational organisation in Britain that would spread the messages of his daughter Anne’s life and diary in the UK. The focus of the organisation is educational but in a broader context than simply schools and colleges. In addition to the Schools project, the Trust has led the way in taking Holocaust education into prisons and work with Youth and other offenders in 70 UK prisons. At ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY we have utilised some of the Trust’s resources and Assembly materials and encourage awareness of Anne’s Diary and legacy as well as by championing the Anne Frank Declaration, both as an organisation as well as in individual terms. Campaigns such as Thirteen in 13 captured student’s imagination and were useful in foregrounding her legacy by encouraging young people to write to Prime Minister to tell him what they would like to see in the world in which they are growing up.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auschwitz_concentration_camp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_camps


This encouraged higher order thinking, literacy and communication skills and empowered young people – very much in keeping with the ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY approach. ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY supported this campaign and would look to replicate such a response in future projects – and Anne Frank legacy continues to inspire many of our young people.

Anne’s story continues to inspire young people as they feel a connection to a girl a similar age to themselves – with some of her own concerns as a teenager reflected in their lives. But it is her idealism and hope for a better world that our ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY students relate to most.

‘It’s difficult in times like these: ideals, dreams and cherished hopes rise within us, only to be crushed by grim reality. It’s a wonder I haven’t abandoned all my ideals, they seem so absurd and impractical. Yet I cling to them because I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart. It’s utterly impossible for me to build my life on a foundation of chaos, suffering and death.’ Anne Frank, diary entry, July 15th, 1944

Our young people have a clear naivety or view of the world and the nature of humankind – aspiring to the positive and to use that engagement and empathy is key to ideas of change and contributing positively to society and thus the Trust has been very successful and make a difference in our schools, prisons and wider society.

1g. Facing History and Ourselves: began in the US in 1976 as an approach that could be loosely termed cross curricular and explicitly values driven. Its approach spread widely in the US and made its way to the UK in 2005. In many ways its vision or ultimate educational ethos is closely aligned to ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMYs – The educator’s most important responsibility—our ‘gift to society’—is to shape a humane, well-educated citizenry that practices civility and preserves human rights - though its methodological position and practice is less in tune.

At inception, Facing History was one innovative course taught in two classrooms. In practical terms, it was a history class about the ideas and events that led to the Holocaust, but its beyond-the-textbook approach and methods (through discussion, character exploration, primary source material, and group exercises) made it about far more. Students were and continue to be encouraged to see the tragic events of the past from every perspective; to place themselves in all shoes as so that in the process they come to understand that history is the collective result of every individual’s thoughts and actions. Facing History claims that students ‘…learn not only history, but also the critical thinking skills required to make good local and global citizenship choices.’

They go on to state that their approach ‘… enables transformative dialogue, fosters empathy and reflection, and improves students’ academic performance. Through rigorous investigation of the events that led to the Holocaust and other recent examples of genocide and mass violence, students in a Facing History class learn to choose knowledge over misinformation, compassion over prejudice or bullying, and participation over indifference or resignation. It’s active—rather than passive—learning.’ But such an explicit value laden and heavy handed ethical message worries some in the field – including ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY HGP practitioners – in spite of their training nearly 1,000 teachers since 2005.

1h. Holocaust Education Trust: HET’s flagship 'Lessons from Auschwitz' project: HET have provided two ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY sixth form students annually the unique opportunity to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau and attend the pre/post seminar sessions within the region. In addition, the Academy has enjoyed the opportunity of sending 2-3 staff on the visit (one typically accompanying our students, and two attending the teachers CPD visit). This has proven a very successful part of our school wide programme with students applying to the Headteacher for consideration to participate on behalf of the school. The student’s role of ambassador following participation has fostered confidence, engagement and made a considerable contribution to our Year 9 Holocaust Day in which they lead a session. Our own Headteacher has participated on the LFA and insists it is a life-changing experience that has impacted upon his teaching, leadership, view of education and private life. This project is hugely powerful and significant, but this opportunity is necessarily limited in numbers due to funding, and also reinforces the Auschwitz-centric focus of much current Holocaust education. 15 ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY staff have participated in the LFA project; including two members of the senior leadership team, representatives staff from a




range of subject areas and the Lead Practitioner for HGP; 12 sixth form students have over the years participated and each return from the experience forever changed and committed to further developing Holocaust education.

1i. The Jewish Cultural Centre (LJCC): Formerly known as the Spiro Institute, the Jewish Cultural Centre is a charitable organisation based in London which provides an educational programme of courses (including those related to Holocaust education), events and leisure activities. The LJCC's Holocaust and Anti-Racism Education Department seeks to fight prejudice and bigotry through education by emphasising the relevance of the Holocaust for humanity as a whole. It runs educational programmes in the UK and - under the auspices of the International Task Force for Holocaust Education - further afield. Its department also advises many organisations, including the BBC, on issues related to the Holocaust and racism and thus it makes a clear and distinctive contribution to the field and the public understanding of Holocaust education.The LJCC enjoys the support of current Secretary of State for Education Michael Gove, and in January 2011 launched ‘The Holocaust Explained’ - an education website designed specifically for secondary school children – not their teachers! Targeted principally at KS3 age students, this is an invaluable ICT resource for teachers to signpost to young people as it champions e-safety by providing no explicit or age inappropriate imagery or information.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=International_Task_Force_for_Holocaust_Education&action=edit&redlink=1

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=International_Task_Force_for_Holocaust_Education&action=edit&redlink=1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holocaust


The site includes text, images, film, maps and diagrams to explain concepts and events integral to the Holocaust’s history. In addition the website safeguards its users by not enabling students to ask any questions or communicate in any way. In an age of social media and concerns about online safety, this makes ‘The Holocaust Explained’ extremely attractive and useful as a means to help students with their work, at school and at home.The Centre’s work is not solely focused upon Holocaust education, but its website is growing in influence as it continues to gain an in-school reputation (including at ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY) as the ‘go-to’ UK site when urging students to do any research based homework on the Holocaust. It has been effective and continues to be popular with students, teachers and parents who feel comfortable with their students visiting and exploring this site.




2. What more needs to be done to strengthen education or research resources and ensure they are relevant to future generations?

We suspect Royal Wootton Bassett Academy will not alone in sharing its concern for the need to continue to invest in Holocaust education to strengthen its status, provision, expertise and funding. However, the role of research could be very easily overlooked by many given that the Holocaust is the most extensively documented, intensively researched, and best understood case of mass atrocity – in as sense it could be argued ‘we know enough’, that there is nothing new or important to explore, little that could help us further our understanding and worthy of such time and money. However, ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY is concerned that research may not have the input into this much welcomed Commission given the structural make-up of the Commission itself signals little regard for academic research which has just one representative from the scholarly or academic research community in either of the expert groups. Given the UK is a vibrant and internationally recognised centre for Holocaust research we consider it a missed opportunity that whilst the major political parties, the world of business, education, broadcasting and the arts are represented so little input or involvement has been offered scholars working on all aspects of the Holocaust and its memory.

In July 2012 ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY’s Lead Practitioner of the Holocaust Genocide and Human Rights Programme travelled to Southampton University to participate in The Future of Holocaust Studies conference. It was designed to bring both academic research and educationalists in the field together and explore some of the issues of such concern to the Commission. Despite excellent and world-leading contributions the conference failed to bridge the gap between the communities and forge the innovative connections necessary to take the field forward. Academics and researchers talked a very different language to teachers and educationalists; many teachers dismissed the depth and specificity of research – but come the Panel discussion plenary at the end of the conference what became clear was the need to work upon improving this relationship. Dialogue between the academic and educational community in the field of Holocaust education is essential; but remains a challenge. Without the views of the academic and research community the Commission cannot hope to provide the much-needed bridge between academic research and the wider public dissemination of knowledge regarding the Holocaust that it appears to desire; within a school, community or national context. As mentioned previously, one area of unique expertise the UK does have is the IOE’s Centre for Holocaust Education which is truly world leading in its research informed approach truly informs and is embedded in its educational principals and teaching practice. This Centre indeed provides the bridge and it is ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY’s belief this fusion of research and practice is the way forward in the field and should be a protected (if not further invested in).

ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY also notes that the gap between research and public knowledge is, inadvertently, highlighted by some of the assumptions in the Terms of Reference under which it has been established and therefore whilst we embrace and participate in this Commission to have our voice heard; ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY recognises deficiencies and would like to raise some questions.

There are a number of assertions made in the Terms of Reference that are out of step with current research and debate; such as the ‘Holocaust is unique’ and represents the ‘darkest hour of human history’. Whilst we agree with the sentiment and horror implied the result of such assertions is to simplify and reduce that the Holocaust’s complex history or its legacy. Indeed, taking the idea of Holocaust ‘uniqueness’, for example, is at odds with much scholarly thinking and it seems unfortunate to found an educational initiative on an assumption that is contested and highly partisan. At ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY we have been very clear on our position regarding ‘uniqueness’ as we make clear a value laden position – but we would question if a cross-party Commission take for granted that the term the Holocaust has a fixed and universal meaning. It does not. Nor should participation in the call for evidence assume that all contributors aims, definition and purpose of Holocaust education is the same; it evidently isn’t. As a result the Commission should therefore make an effort to define what it means by the Holocaust. Does this term refer only to the genocide of the Jews, or to other Nazi genocides (of the Roma and Sinti for example), and/or the regime’s mass crimes against many other victim groups? If the Holocaust is extended to include all of these groups then important differences can be overlooked; if the term is used exclusively to mean the genocide of the Jews then the crimes against other groups may go unacknowledged. It is only when the Commission




has adequately confronted the question of what the Holocaust was that it will be able to confront the equally difficult question of what it has become in terms of Holocaust education and how and why we need to remember. Greater academic and research input on the Commission would help clarify and inform this thinking.

As an Academy we often welcome a range of researchers, academics and ‘experts’ and these visits provide great challenge to our students thinking, they provide insight, encourage critical and independent thinking for our young people and make a significant contribution to our approach. We have discussed the Commission with several such visitors since January and we share many of their Terms of Reference concerns regarding assumptions which perpetuate common myths and misconceptions as to Britain’s response to the Holocaust. For example, there has been a great deal of research into pre-war and wartime refugee policy and it is not at all clear that programmes such as the Kindertransport were representative of British reactions to the Holocaust, especially at the level of government policy; yet many schools will explore this in young people take away a very noble picture of our impact and willingness to help. However, for the Holocaust Commission to be a success and provide the future strategy for a UK Holocaust education and commemoration then it must be thorough and honest in its representation of the range of British experiences and responses. It is essential such a history includes those aspects we would perhaps prefer not to remember and not just those we can positively commemorate.




This is particularly important given the complexity and diversity of what constitutes Britain and Britishness today, and therefore of the audiences the Commission seeks to reach – but also because for Holocaust education to be meaningful today and in the future it must have relevance and for young people to learn about the pass to make sense of their present and shape their futures they have to be able to identify where mistakes were made, opportunities missed or to understand the complex decisions and dilemmas faced at the time, in its particular context. It gives us the opportunity to challenge denial in other forms, whilst those few individuals who did rescue or were Kindertransport can be remembered and honoured in the right way and a lens through which we can examine ourselves in light of more recent atrocities.

Many very talented and committed teachers at all levels accept the importance of Holocaust education but lack sufficient training, time and resources - these structural issues must be addressed by greater access and support for teacher training (IOE Centre for Holocaust Education)

The teaching of the Holocaust needs to be secured in the National Curriculum – and not solely within a history curriculum.

It is evident there is a great deal of public interest and intrigue in the period of the Holocaust, but the persistence of much myth and misunderstanding among large swathes of the population demands that Holocaust education is not a school-based commitment; but opportunities to outreach and provide community cohesion, involvement of youth group workers and organisations must be explored.

This is a crucial moment for the field – an important opportunity – but the Commission outcomes must be sustainable, ambitious and fit for purpose. Such an immediate, yet long term project, must first address the problems inherent in its task. This means an urgent consideration of what we are seeking to remember and why, definition and aims of Holocaust education commemoration and memorialising and this must include dialogue and engagement with the academic and research community.

Despite the missed opportunities/concerns aforementioned ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY very much embraces this opportunity to contribute in the Commission and we support the accompanying cross-party commitment to provide resources for education and research into an aspect of our shared traumatic past. In order to strengthen Holocaust education in our schools, based upon our experience of the field, Royal Wootton Bassett Academy recommends the following; (perhaps this commission will serve as the catalyst for real change?)

Clear guidance on the stated purpose of Holocaust education in the classroom (historical knowledge and understanding, skills, citizenship, moral lessons, never again, remembrance and commemoration?).

Clear aims or intentions would help the classroom practitioner as currently a blurred picture from colleagues and schools and thus the experience of high quality Holocaust education - whatever that is as definition is contested - varies from school to school.

Once defined and aims made clear, whether holistic or subject specific, then resources and training to support teachers will be required. Subject specialists, often historians, still receive little or no specific CPD to support their teaching and pedagogical views in this area and less so in other subject disciplines, thus investing in on-going CPD that engages in most recent educational and historical research is essential.

Advocates regional centres of excellence that would serve to champion and share best practice and combine education, research and outreach; this could include a school such as ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY, museums or memorial centres such the Holocaust Centre in Newark, that are active working environment or centres – but who can in situ inspire others as to what is possible, advise, empower and train. This would ensure each region had a focal point that would actively serve and engage its community – this would respond to an inevitable capital/London centric focus.

Possible national, purpose built site that could combine a research, museum space, educational outreach branch, library, memorial/reflective space and auditorium for testimony, talks or conference facility – e.g. Yad Vashem and USHMM: sites that combine the elements of education and commemoration and research

Purpose need for research centre for the study, documentation, education and prevention of genocide; Holocaust, post 1945 genocides and present possible ‘genocide’.




Given UK expertise in this field – to draw them together in a national effort would be a key signal as to strengthening our resources and ensure we lead the way in global efforts.

Holocaust education/genocide prevention as ‘Rite of passage’ Holocaust education must be linked to genocide prevention and human rights for students

to engage and see relevance, rather than mere history lesson. Investment made to safeguard and record the testimonies of survivors in a multi-sensory,

ICT or other format – aid education and be interactive resource for the future. Clear government support for specialist Holocaust education CPD. Free provision exists

through IOE Centre for Holocaust Education (HET, Anne Frank Trust and others offer twilight and other residential courses and visits) but without clear direction and support from government this provision is not maximised as headteachers and CPD gatekeepers regard it as peripheral and not worth releasing their staff for (cover implications) – needs to be seen as an investment and not marginal in schools.

Encourage innovation, support risk taking and holistic approach Government should create SLEs role for Holocaust education. This

would recognise importance of this work and encourage peer to peer school support (this could potentially be linked to Beacon School ‘Lead’ roles) that would mean best practice is championed and would build upon existing and widening network opportunities.

Create an ‘in-school’ centre of excellence for Holocaust education that enables senior leaders to see possibilities, sustainability and importance of such education in action, in real context; this would inspire, inform and engage those with power and influence to make a difference in their schools, thus releasing staff for training or could be supported in the school environment, empowering both staff and students.

Ensure ITF principles, guidance and approaches to teaching about the Holocaust are instituted or considered minimum baseline in schools.




3. What examples of commemorative events, memorials and museums are you aware of? How effective are they in commemorating the Holocaust?

The Commission will undoubtedly be aware that Britain already has a range of commemorative events around the Holocaust, not least the Holocaust Memorial Day of 27th January. Holocaust Memorial Day. HMDT have been very successful in recent years in engaging schools and local communities in marking HMD, but there remains confusion amongst young people as to its name/aim/purpose. If ‘Holocaust’ Memorial Day then should focus solely on that, or if a day concerned with genocide then needs a different name- see student data as evidence of this. The scale and public recognition of the day is limited – a national focus event is successful but has yet to engage the public in vast numbers. A goal of the Commission must surely be to support and encourage greater recognition and participation in the day. As one ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY Year 8 student put it: ‘On Remembrance Day the country stops and we all know why, there is a symbol and local, regional and national events, but apart from our assembly what happens for Holocaust Day? They don’t even have a symbol, do they?’ So to be meaningful the day must become more participatory, engage a range of communities so as to serve the public good, community cohesion and reach the audience it is intended to. In principle ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY supports such a national day – but it has some way to go to ensure impact and meaning – and engaging all. We remain sceptical as to its effectiveness (especially as compared to other national days, or even Yom haShoah in Israel) but that depends on its intended aims.

Royal Wootton Bassett Academy understands that the Commission has been established ‘to investigate whether further measures should be taken to ensure Britain has a permanent and fitting memorial to the Holocaust and educational resources for future generations’ but takes the view that Britain already has a permanent Holocaust memorial in Hyde Park . Whilst we have one – it is understated, largely unknown outside a small Jewish community who may attend Yom haShoah ceremonies there. It is largely unrecognisable or ignored by the general public who pass by the small garden on a daily basis. If no one knows where to find it, or what it is when they see it that then how effective is it in commemorating the Holocaust? Once our students are made aware of what it is or where they are; they often comment that it’s inappropriate in its scale (compared to other national memorials), that it should be more widely known – and that it doesn’t do enough to honour the memory of the Holocaust – essentially ‘not fit for purpose’. At ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY we believe some of the inadequacies of the above could be addressed by its being relocated to its originally planned location in Whitehall. This would give the memorial greater stature, exposure and recognition. There is then no case or pressing need for a further physical monument as such.

Royal Wootton Bassett Academy also notes that Britain already has a permanent historical exhibition – one of the largest in Europe – in a national museum, at the Imperial War Museum, London. The IWMs permanent Holocaust exhibition is now well established – as with all museum collections it needs regular review and updating, amendments and refurbishing to remain fresh, engaging and innovative. It needs to secure funding for its educational and outreach programmes to ensure it continues to inform and engage its range of visitors, improved accessibility and to secure other exhibits and archives to add to its important collection. Provision for school trips and investment in a greater online or outreach programme essential to its future, as whilst its capital location is central London is fitting it limits its scope for school visits – so could the museum offer a mobile mini exhibit that could tour communities or be used for in-school programmes that could be more interactive? Greater use of the IWMs web presence could be made by the Holocaust exhibit – not least so that some of their exhibits or collection could feature in an online tour or learning experience so more of the stories can be shared. ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY pupils who have visited the exhibit speak very highly of their trip. It is an enriching and key part of some schools programmes of Holocaust education and the use of audio visual testimony throughout is very powerful and compelling.

*As related aside, it is a great pity that the small crimes against humanity exhibit that used to co-habit the area just outside the permanent Holocaust exhibit and included genocides and atrocities since 1945 has been removed, dismantled – for the Holocaust legacy to be understood that too should remain an integral part of the museum or have an alternative permanent home!

By recording and showcasing the range of people’s experiences of the Holocaust, both the everyday life of individuals and communities during wartime occupation, ghettos and camps and by offering




glimpses of the exceptional courage, dignity, heroism and selflessness of some contrasted to the terror, prejudice, fear and hatred caused by others, the IWM helps visitors explore the causes of war and its impact on people’s lives. They successfully, in ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMYs view, draw upon the experiences of people from all walks of life and try to reflect the total nature of war and they do so in a vivid but responsible way, creating powerful physical and emotive experiences that engage visitors of all ages. This is entirely in keeping with their stated vision to be a leader in ‘…developing and communicating a deeper understanding of the causes, course and consequences of war’ – in all its forms - and this is reflected in the approach taken to curating the permanent Holocaust exhibition.

ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY believe that the IWM – specifically the permanent Holocaust exhibition – have been courageous in some of its choices by confidently examining the role of Britain and what it knew about the Holocaust in its exhibit; it other words they have had the courage to challenge prevailing public misconceptions and reacted to the established wisdom of the most up-to-date historical scholarship and research. They continue to championing debate and explore innovative approaches in partnership with schools like ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY – and we are delighted that they will be represented at our ‘Empowering Young People to Change the World’ conference as their knowledge and understanding is authoritative and reflective and is vital more schools understand what is the museum and the exhibition staff can provide to support schools; not least because they strive to make everything they discuss from the past relevant to contemporary society.




This is vital for young people and the future of Holocaust education in an age without survivor testimony. Any museum is value laden – BUT the IWM does try to provide the information that encourages balance from its visitors whilst always sensitive to their emotions; a combination of vigorous historical accuracy and empathy.

As in previous section ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY is also aware of the Holocaust Centre, Newark, Nottingham and the Jewish Museum in London and as such we believe, therefore, that there is no pressing need for a further physical monument, museum or day and that it would be better for resources to be deployed in more creative and potentially transformative ways. This might include providing funding for research – the creation of a permanent research institute dedicated to the study of mass violence and atrocity in the modern world for example. Equally the resourcing of educational materials should be a priority, for example through the creation of a digital repository to aid learners, teachers and researchers; greater investment in teacher development programmes; and supporting the provision of research-informed public history initiatives, community and family learning to support citizenship and community cohesion.




4. Relevance for students, as evidenced by ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY on-going research, depends upon five factors:

Holocaust should be explored in context, layering complexity, but in such a way that will include a focus on the role of Britain. (Alderney, Channel Islands, Nicholas Winton, to bomb or not bomb the camps, when and what did we know, impact of liberating Belsen etc on British service personnel

Exploring the Holocaust with both academic vigour and affective, holistic approaches (not the sole preserve of history departments, not only about dates, facts and figures, but about people!) using individual stories and testimony where possible in whole education approach.

Given the focus upon the Holocaust, students then feel that genocide was a one off, or that it is past, a historical event, increasingly removed from them. For it to be relevant, the Holocaust must be studied and explored in order to understand our world since, today and in the future. Sophisticated students are swift to recognise Holocaust education alone has not been enough to ensure 'never again' become a reality. The HGP of ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY explores genocide since the Holocaust and begs questions of why they were allowed to happen, why institutions set up since 1945 have failed to secure peace or secure human rights. Students are soon able to identify similarities and differences between genocidal events and examples of mass atrocity. Given this opportunity students appreciate the complexities and uniqueness of the Holocaust but are able to question and formulate their own lessons with regard to the world today and in the future. When they see the news today, do they see the danger or warning signs of the Holocaust or genocide in DRC, Darfur, Syria? The Holocaust then has real resonance and meaning for young people today. The connection of the Holocaust to other genocides or potential genocides today is crucial and an area that is yet to be explored fully, for both its challenges and opportunities, but at ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY is vital to our students and approach.

Outstanding teaching and learning about the Holocaust - indeed genocide and human rights- requires specific subject knowledge, skills and reflective practice, and therefore demands specialist CPD.

Students facilitated to find own meaning and relevance though a range of learning experiences, rather than meaning and outcome being prescribed. A variety of opportunities, learning styles, approaches and strategies need to be deployed and should not be a ‘one hit’/’one off’ study of the Holocaust – sophisticated and contextual understanding comes in a layering, a multi-disciplinary approach over time, and revisited in a variety of curriculum areas; this gives context and secures knowledge and understanding in tune with personal development, maturity, behaviour and attitudes.




5. Given that we will not always have the survivors with us, what more should be done to ensure their testimony is preserved for future generations?

o Searchable survivor database for those who came to UK, rather like IWitness, interactive resource, audio, visual, documents, archive, user friendly, suitable for range of users – multisensory, experiential, interactive and include social media in some way – this would preserve their stories and could increase accessibility.

o Engage young people: what questions would they ask as survivor? Collate and use as a legacy project.

o Survivor ambassadors: engage young people so that individuals may then take on the memory of a survivor and become their legacy by sharing their story with others. In the first instance they must meet their survivor and this would later lead to a responsibility to speak out, represent their survivor and their story; a living memorial and reminder – ethically sensitive but a powerful and engaging opportunity – that would require more thinking and a level of maturity and commitment.

o The use of survivors in the delivery of Holocaust education is very powerful for all pupils, and maybe making use of filming the survivors talking with current members of staff, or with pupils will mean a permanent record of their testimonies. Giving the pupils ownership over this could again help with relevance, as they can develop questions, conduct the interviews themselves and film them using their iPads. Ideally conduct these in smaller groups, but obviously there will be time constraints as to how many pupils can complete this, so it maybe a larger group (1 class max) with a question and answer session is the best fit.




Anything else? Final remarks:

ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY acknowledges that there are a great many extraordinarily committed organisations and individuals have worked tirelessly to ensure the memory of the Holocaust remains alive and its lessons continue to resonate today both here in the UK and around the world: Yad Vashem and USHMM to mention just two. In addition, many survivors have played a crucial role by sharing their testimony. But we will not always have the survivors with us and as the events of the Holocaust become ever more distant they will feel increasingly remote to current and future generations. This Commission is an opportunity to reflect and acknowledge the remarkable work undertaken to date, to consider our successes, innovations and possibilities at a time of challenge and change. This Commission’s call for evidence and terms of reference should be provide the catalyst for deep thinking about what Holocaust education and memorialisation should or could be in the years to come and we welcome this chance to contribute to the dialogue in light of our experience. The impact and implications of ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT ACADEMY’s HGP upon our young people, staff, parents and local communities and partner schools is such that we will await the Commission’s findings with interest and hope some of the ideas included here feature in the recommendations that will follow in the implementation phase.

We have contributed to this Commission because we believe Holocaust education makes a vital contribution to our young people and Academy, and serves a very real need. As Holocaust education has evolved and developed since the liberation of the camps, we come to another crossroads as survivors number fewer and fewer; this is a real opportunity to reflect and shape a new era – perhaps including greater focus upon the role that Britain played through, for example, the Kindertransport, the liberation of Bergen-Belsen and the experiences of survivors now living in Britain – but also the less comfortable aspects of our past and role in this atrocity, or more generically the perpetrator or bystander perspective of what it is in human beings which makes people engage in genocide. There is much still to learn, more to question, more to explore about this horrific past – but what good is that if it does not inform our present or shape a better future?

Royal Wootton Bassett Academy is proud to have played its full part in this endeavour and would welcome an opportunity to discuss any of these issues further with members of the Commission or assist it in its work.

18th May, 2014

FAO: The Prime Minister’s Holocaust CommissionThe Prime Minister’s Office:10 Downing StreetLondonSW1A 2AA




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