Teaching the Holocaust in Jewish schools in England : a study into practice, perspectives and challenges

In 2009, the Institute of Education published the first empirical study into teaching the Holocaust in England's secondary schools. However, no specific research has been undertaken on Holocaust education in Jewish schools in England. My study examines provision of teaching about the Holocaust in such schools, exploring teachers' aims, pedagogical approaches and distinctive challenges in the Jewish school context. The research for this study used a three-phased approach: 1. Interviews with school leaders and desk-based research on the context in which schools operated. This provided a landscape of types of Jewish schools in England and information about whether and how they taught about the Holocaust. 2. The sample narrowed to only those in which the Holocaust was taught. Data was initially gathered via an online survey of teachers to collect more detailed information. Follow-up interviews were also conducted. 3. The sample was narrowed to a good cross-section of four schools. In-depth teacher interviews were conducted in each school with two members of staff who taught about the Holocaust. Interviews explored differences and complexities uncovered in previous phases and illuminated issues raised by my research questions. This study provides insights into the Jewish secondary schools' landscape and explains how ethos and practice affected curriculum priorities. It revealed that not all Jewish schools teach about the Holocaust and differences exist between schools that do. Most students in Jewish schools received more Holocaust education than their peers in non-Jewish schools. A distinctive feature in most schools was Year 12 educational journeys to Poland, typically seen as the culmination of the schools' Holocaust education. This study concludes by highlighting elements of impressive practice of Holocaust education in Jewish schools in England. It offers recommendations for how Holocaust education may be improved and how exemplary practice may be shared across all schools.