Teaching Grenfell in an Unfinished Present · Teaching about Grenfell: Education and Social Justice after Disasters

In this video, we examine the challenges and possibilities of teaching about Grenfell as an event that remains legally, politically, and emotionally unfinished, exploring how its ongoing status can create both hesitancy and powerful opportunities for justice-centred learning.

Grenfell is not a closed chapter. Its legal processes, political consequences, and community grief remain ongoing. This creates real challenges for educators, but also powerful opportunities for justice-centred learning.

Key Tensions Educators Face

Hesitancy vs. urgency

Unresolved legal proceedings can make teachers cautious, but avoidance risks becoming a form of pre-emptive censorship.

Rawness vs. readiness

For some, the event is still too painful. For others, the time is now, before its lessons fade from public memory.

Memory vs. routine

Remembrance must remain meaningful. If students hear “never again” year after year without engagement, they will switch off.

Near vs. distant

For those affected, Grenfell is lived every day. For learners elsewhere, it can feel like ancient history. Educators must bridge that gap.

Teaching about Grenfell is not about having all the answers. It is about being willing to engage with the questions and building pedagogies capable of holding uncertainty, acknowledging ongoing injustice, and supporting learners to think critically about events that are not yet resolved.

Watch: Teaching Grenfell in an Unfinished Present

Reflect

A community member observed that some teachers avoid Grenfell entirely because it feels “too raw” or legally uncertain. Others argue that if we keep waiting, we will never teach it at all. Where do you sit on that spectrum, and what would help you feel more confident to begin?

Show suggested response

Confidence often grows from having a clear framework (like CARE–LEAD) and legitimate resources. The goal is not certainty but honest engagement, modelling for students that unresolved questions are worth examining, not avoiding.