In 2021, Hestia School successfully applied to participate in the Beacon School Programme for Holocaust Education. The school completed the program in 2022, an accomplishment in its own right, further by a mention in the Houses of Commons, where Andrew Percy, the MP for Brigg at the time, stated. “I thank Demeter House School in Brigg, a Specialist Educational Needs school that has been working with the University College London Centre for Holocaust Education to build its confidence in teaching its children about the Holocaust. It is one of only 165 Schools across England taking part in the initiative, and I pay tribute to it for that”. .
The Beacon School Programme is the flagship initiative of the UCL Centre for Holocaust Education. The programme provides a cohort of 20 schools with sustained research-informed professional development in Holocaust education. Through this process, schools become dynamic hubs and local leaders in teaching and learning about the Holocaust by:
- Deepening historical knowledge and understanding with a comprehensive programme of professional development provided by UCL
- Develop a new or refined Scheme of Learning on the Holocaust
- Becoming more confident in the teaching of this challenging subject
- Enhance SMSC provision and create opportunities for young people to engage with contemporary issues and challenges in informed ways
The school maintains a strong collaborative relationship with UCL and has engaged in several interviews addressing the challenges of Holocaust education within a special needs context. In 2024, a representative from the school was invited to join a select panel of Lead Teachers to discuss the effectiveness of the learning scheme and its impact on pedagogy in the school for new participants in the Beacon School Programme.
