The Grenfell curriculum: honouring the legacy of Grenfell through teacher professional development

Abstract

The Grenfell Curriculum Project is a collaboration between the University of Southampton, the University of Oxford, and the Grenfell community, working to ensure that the legacy of the Grenfell Tower fire is carried forward through meaningful, justice-centred education. Funded by Research England, the Grenfell Foundation, and the ESRC Impact Acceleration Account, and developed in partnership with Grenfell United and the Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission, the project supports schools in teaching about Grenfell with accuracy, sensitivity, and respect.

In July 2025, the project published Teaching about Grenfell: Recommendations from the Community, a landmark report developed through two years of community-engaged research with bereaved families, survivors, young people, and local educators. This established a shared framework for what teaching about Grenfell should include and why it matters. Building on this foundation, the project launched Teaching about Grenfell: Education and Social Justice after Disasters in April 2026: a free, structured online CPD course offering research-informed professional learning for teachers across phases and subjects.

The project's approach is rooted in three principles: long-term partnership with the Grenfell community so that educational work reflects their experiences and priorities; framing Grenfell as both a human story and a case of systemic injustice; and providing practical support that enables teachers to engage with sensitive material confidently and safely. Community voice has been central throughout, with bereaved families, survivors, and young people actively shaping the curriculum. A Grenfell Education Working Group, comprising survivors, bereaved families, and local educators, guided the CPD's design across four intensive co-design sessions in 2025.

A pilot lesson in a Year 5 classroom demonstrated that, with appropriate preparation, primary-aged children can engage thoughtfully and sensitively with difficult local histories, providing early evidence of the CPD's real-world impact.

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Identifiers

ORCID for Wonyong Park: orcid.org/0000-0002-8911-5968

ORCID for John Schulz: orcid.org/0000-0003-0007-0749

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