How To Apply

Level 1 Applications

A member of the Vision Schools Team will contact the school’s Lead Teacher in Holocaust Education before the end of June, either requesting a Teams meeting, or informing the School that their application has been forwarded to the Review Panel. At the Teams meeting the contents of the application will be clarified and checked that it is ready for the Review Panel. If amendments to the application are required, schools will be given time to make these before the application is forwarded to the Review Panel. 

Schools will normally be notified before the end of June of the Reviewing Panel’s decision. A member of the Vision Schools Scotland Team will email this information to the Lead Teacher in Holocaust Education (i.e. the teacher who has completed the application).

A member of the Vision Schools Scotland Team will send the school the Panel’s written evaluation, visit successful schools to discuss the Panel’s this evaluation, discuss Next Steps with schools and advise on the school’s possible progression to Level 2. This visit normally lasts 1 hour.

Recognition of Commitment

Schools whose applications do not successfully meet the 5 required criteria will be awarded a Recognition of Commitment and encouraged to liaise with a Vision School of their choice, to support their progression in becoming a Vision School.

Level 2 Applications

A member of the Vision Schools Team may contact the school’s Lead Teacher in Holocaust Education before the end of August, requesting a Teams meeting to clarify the contents of their application. Where possible schools will be given time to make required amendments.

Where applications do not require clarification, Vision Schools Scotland will contact the school to arrange a school visit by a member of the Vision Schools Scotland team in August or September to obtain evidence for the outstanding Level 2 criteria.

Schools will be provided with further information about this school visit which normally lasts between 1.5-2hours.  At the end of this visit a date will be agreed for a member of Vision School Scotland to return to the school to discuss the Panel’s evaluation.

A member of the Vision Schools Scotland Team will send the school the Panel’s written evaluation, visit the school to discuss this evaluation, and discuss Next Steps. This visit normally lasts 1 hour.

Renewal Applications

A member of the Vision Schools Team may contact the school’s Lead Teacher in Holocaust Education before the end of August, requesting a Teams meeting to clarify contents of their application.

Where applications do not require clarification, and each criteria has been met, schools will receive a brief written evaluation of their renewal application confirming their renewal.

Renewals will only be confirmed to schools that demonstrate the required criteria.

Each entry should be accompanied by an (electronic) attachment which is clearly labelled and or numbered so that Vision Schools reviewers can confirm that each of the criteria have been met. Attachments must be Word, pdf, or jpeg documents.

Attachments can include:

• scans of extracts of school development plans
• teaching plans showing IDL
• lesson plans and accompanying Powerpoints
• samples of student work
• evaluation of school practice
• other documents that provide evidence that your school has met the specific outcomes of each of the criteria.

Submit by email to visionschools@uws.ac.uk

Title email: (FAO Jane Caffrey) and include your school name.

Send your complete application, and an accompanying email detailing:

• name and contact details of your school
• Lead Teacher in Holocaust Education
• Level applied for.

Send emails organised as follows:

1st email entitled Application Form

2nd email entitled Criteria 1 (with attachments)

3rd email entitled Criteria 2 (with attachments)

and so on until all criteria are sent.

Upload to OneDrive, arranged in the same formatting as the email process outlined above. Please share the link with visionschools@uws.ac.uk

Application Forms

Download Level 1 application form (MS Word or pdf formats)

• VISION SCHOOLS SCOTLAND LEVEL 1 APPLICATION FORM (MS WORD)
• VISION SCHOOLS SCOTLAND LEVEL 1 APPLICATION FORM (PDF)

Download Level 2 application form (MS Word or pdf formats)

• VISION SCHOOLS SCOTLAND LEVEL 2 APPLICATION FORM (MS WORD)
• VISION SCHOOLS SCOTLAND LEVEL 2 APPLICATION FORM (PDF)

Ensure that you have done the following:

• Completed the application form
• Included a brief explanation of your evidence in each of the five criteria boxes at the end of the application form. 
• Labelled each attachment according to the criteria. 
• Clearly referenced each attachment in the relevant 'evidence' box in the application form.

Application forms should be returned to Jane Caffrey at VisionSchools@uws.ac.uk between 14^th April - 12^th May 2025. 

Q1: I have taught the Holocaust for 3 years in my school. Can I collate evidence of my teaching and my students’ learning and forward this to you?

A: No. You require to read the criteria and forward evidence that demonstrates that you have met each of the criteria. Evidence should be clearly labelled C1 (criteria 1), C2 (criteria 2), C3 (criteria 3), etc.

Q2: I teach primary 7 and teach the Holocaust to p7 pupils. Does the Holocaust require to be taught throughout the school to become a Vision School?

A: No. This is not necessary, and the Vision Schools Team would not expect the Holocaust to be taught across the primary school.