Children studying in a clandestine school in the Kovno ghetto, Lithuania. USHMM, courtesy of Eliezer Zilberis 
A priest and several nuns pose with a group of children at a Franciscan convent school in Lomna, Poland where Jewish children were hidden during the German occupation. USHMM, courtesy of Lidia Kleinman Siciarz 
German passport for Hilde Schindler with the given middle name of Sara and stamped with J for Jude (Jew) Courtesy of the Jewish Museum London
Jewish children at the children’s home in Izieu, France. Soon afterwards they were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau and murdered. Copyright © Yad Vashem 
Identity cards like this one were issued to all children who came to Britain with the 'Kindertransport', the organised groups of Jewish refugees who escaped from Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia in 1938-9 Courtesy of the Jewish Museum London
Research informed practice
A successful CPD programme depends on first understanding the current set of activities, issues and opportunities in Holocaust education nationwide, including teachers' perspectives and experience. However, until this point very little was known at a national level about the extent and nature of teaching about the Holocaust in English schools. So an early priority of the HEDP was to conduct a detailed nationwide investigation of teachers' practice and perspectives in this field.
Over 2,000 teachers participated in an extensive survey looking at these issues, and over 65 interviews – informed by the survey – were conducted to build a detailed understanding of the challenges and opportunities for strengthening Holocaust education. Teachers were asked about how they understand the Holocaust, how they approach teaching about it and whether or not they perceive or have experienced specific challenges in doing so.
The survey was launched in November 2008, and interviews were completed in April 2009. And the results have played a major role in the development and design of the CPD programme. The final report will be published in September 2009. All HEDP research has been conducted under the ethics guidelines of the British Educational Research Association. All interviews and survey responses are strictly confidential and the anonymity of all respondents has been assured.