How Should We Teach About Grenfell? The CARE–LEAD Approach
The CARE–LEAD Model
Teaching about Grenfell is not only a question of what to teach; it is also a question of how. The CARE–LEAD model was developed from community-based participatory research with Grenfell survivors, bereaved families, young people, teachers, and support workers. It offers eight interconnected considerations to guide educators before, during, and after teaching about the disaster.
These are not sequential steps. They are a framework for reflective, responsible practice, grounded in what the community told us matters most.
C · A · R · E
C
Clarify Purpose
Move beyond symbolic remembrance. Define a clear educational aim, whether ethical citizenship, accountability, solidarity, or critical literacy, so teaching is purposeful, not routine.
A
Assess the Room
Consider who is in front of you: age, proximity to the event, vulnerability, neurodivergence, and local context. Read the emotional temperature and be prepared to adjust.
R
Resource with Legitimacy
Prioritise community voices. Distinguish between personal testimony and official evidence. Acknowledge what remains unresolved: Grenfell is not a concluded case study.
E
Enact with Trauma-Informed Structure
Design lessons with clear framing, content warnings, opt-out pathways, and emotional containment. Difficult content should not be avoided, but learners must be supported to engage safely.
L · E · A · D
L
Leverage Medium Deliberately
Choose images, narrative, poetry, music, and discussion intentionally. Ask: what does this medium make possible for learners, and does it honour the community whose experience it represents?
E
Evaluate Without Extractive Assessment
Do not reduce Grenfell to exam questions or mark schemes. Favour reflection, dialogue, and ethical reasoning. Assessment should demonstrate understanding, not extract it.
A
Aftercare and Continuation
Teaching does not end when the lesson does. Plan pastoral follow-up, communicate with families about what is being taught, and ensure learners know where support is available.
D
Duty of Accountability
Remain accountable to the affected community. Update content as contexts evolve. Ask: who is this representation answerable to, and how will I revise it if community priorities, evidence or legal contexts change?
What unites these eight considerations is a single commitment: that teaching about Grenfell must be done with the same care, honesty, and respect that the community has shown in sharing their experiences with us.
Watch: Introducing CARE–LEAD
In this video, we introduce the CARE–LEAD pedagogical model, developed through community-based research, to guide educators in teaching about Grenfell in ways that are ethical, trauma-informed, and accountable to those affected.