Teaching Resources
Many Gypsy, Roma and Traveller young people feel that their culture and way of life is not recognised or affirmed within the education system.
We have created this page to support teachers and other staff in educational settings bring Gypsy, Roma and Traveller histories and cultures into the classroom. Below, you can find a range of resources, books and media to enrich your own understanding of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller histories and to share with young people.
Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month
You can find our Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month resources here.
You can find resources related to Scottish Gypsy Traveller history at grthm.scot
Resources for teachers
Nazi Persecution and Genocide of Roma and Sinti communities: Introduction for teachers
A resource providing context, information, and historical narrative to assist in the teaching of the Nazi Persecution and genocide of Roma and Sinti communities (Pora-jmos), which have often been described as the ‘forgotten victims’ of the Holocaust.
Famous Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people: Introduction for teachers
A guide to several eminent Gypsy, Roma, Traveller and Showmen people from across the world, providing a snapshot of the diverse range of talents and expertise across these communities. There are countless other examples, but these stories are particularly inspiring.
Teaching Gypsy, Roma and Traveller history
A useful collection of resources for teaching on Gypsy, Roma and Traveller histories. This page also features ‘Celebrating Gypsies, Roma and Travellers - display resources’ (can be found at the bottom of the page). This presentation display features a person (most are from the past) who was/is Gypsy, Roma or Traveller and who was/is prominently connected to a subject now taught in school.
Animation about tackling data exclusion of young Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people and children
An animation co-created by Friends, Families and Travellers and London Schools of Economics outlining how Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children are often missing from National Statistics and Government reports and how this affects education.
Comic: Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils experiences of education
Using research findings from focus groups, Friends, Families and Travellers and London School of Economics have put together a comic on young people's experiences of school and college, and what can be done to improve it.
Made in God's Image: Supporting Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils in Catholic schools
A resource designed to support all those working in the Catholic educational sector to help challenge the stigmas faced by Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils and their wider communities.
‘We are invisible!’ Ensuring Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children do not feel unseen in the history classroom
Richard Kerridge and Helen Snelson present a brief sequence of lessons using the life of the Gypsy woman Mary Squires as a way into the changes of industrialising Britain. More significantly, they also present a compelling rationale for why history teachers should be slotting in the stories of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people to broaden inclusive representation and challenge intolerance.
Read here.
Inclusion of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller histories in the school curriculum: A Webinar
In January 2021, we held an online webinar for policy makers, staff in educational settings and others on the Council of Europe recommendation that the history of Roma and/or Travellers is included in school curricula and teaching materials.
Gypsy, Roma and Traveller training for education settings
Norfolk County Council's Gypsy, Roma and Traveller service has put together bespoke training for schools, early years settings, higher education and other providers, aimed at whole staff, including administration, governors and teaching staff.
The Gypsy, Roma and Traveller service have also produced three Padlets to enhance the diversity of teaching and embed Gypsy, Roma and Traveller histories and cultures into the curriculum.
Download Showman and Circus Padlet here.
Download World War 2 Padlet here.
Tools and Information to help schools tackle Gypsy Roma and Traveller targeted Bullying
Produced by the Anti-Bullying Alliance and Friends, Families and Travellers, these resources highlight how teachers and schools can promote anti-bullying in their classrooms.
Crystal's Vardo Teachers Pack - KS2/KS3
Full of useful and interesting information about Gypsy Roma and Traveller histories and cultures. Also includes classroom activities. Can be used to accompany a live or online performance of Crystal’s Vardo.
The Gypsy Holocaust
General booklet with information about the Roma and Sinti Holocaust. Includes some classroom activities. This can be used to accompany the Crystal’s Vardo video or theatre production.
Crystal’s Vardo Activity Book
Fun activities pertinent to Gypsy Roma and Traveller cultures which include colouring in, join the dots, doodles, crosswords and much more.
Travellers Times - Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month resource
Fantastic resource produced by Travellers Times which includes ideas for lessons, an assembly script and culture pack for teachers.
Traveller Movement - KS2 Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month Resource Pack
A handy pack with a variety of resources to support Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month.
The 'Roma Stories' Oral History Project
This Roma Support Group project shares experiences and stories of Roma people from Eastern and Central Europe who live in London.
ACERT website and resources
The Advisory Council for the Education of Romany and other Travellers (ACERT) website hosts a vast amount of resources for educators.
View the website and view ACERT's online documents.
Nazi persecution of Roma and Sinti people
Materials from The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust on the genocide of Roma and Sinti people during World War 2.
Showfolk: An oral history of a fairground dynasty
Read this book for interviews with three generations of the Cordona family for a rich anecdotal insight into the long history and heritage of showfamilies.
GRTHM Scotland 2020
A digital archive of the GRTHM celebrations in Scotland in 2020 - lots of resources available as film, audio and written material.
Gypsy Traveller history in Scotland
A detailed illustrated timeline by artist and historian Shamus McPhee from before the 1100s to the modern day.
Till Doomsday in the afternoon: A Gypsy/Traveller perspective of the history, culture and traditions of the community in Scotland
A resource designed to enable practitioners to raise awareness and understanding of the history, culture and traditions of the Scottish Gypsy Traveller community.
Canal River Trust: Canal History
For teachers to share information about life on the waterways through history.
Poster: How to be an ally to Gypsy, Roma, Traveller, Showmen and Boater communities
A group of students, staff and alumni from Northumbria University have put together an infographic on how to be an ally and raising awareness about the prejudices Gypsy, Roma, Traveller and nomadic communities face.
If you would like a workshop about Roma music or culture and history there are two possibilities below (the organisers are London based, but can travel):
Sindy Czureja, from the Roma music band Romany Diamonds.
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 07745 898 827
They do class room based workshops, that include; teaching Roma culture, Roma music, Roma song, songwriting and performance workshops. There is an option for an assembly perfomance, where they talk about Roma people and teach the pupils songs.
Marija Hamza, from the Roma Support Group.
Email: [email protected]
"I have developed a series of workshops that explore key stages of Roma history. One workshop focuses on the period of Roma slavery, examining the institutions and systems that enabled and sustained this practice. Another explores the experiences of Roma people during the Holocaust, addressing the atrocities committed, while also highlighting stories of resistance, heroism, and Roma participation in wartime efforts."
Holocaust Teaching Resources
Resources
Nazi Persecution and Genocide of Roma and Sinti Communities: Introduction for teachers
A resource by Friends, Families and Travellers for teachers to provide context, information, and historical narrative to assist in the teaching of the Nazi Persecution and genocide of Roma and Sinti communities.
Read.
Remembering the Roma Holocaust
An interactive flipbook designed for pupils to explore the persecution of Roma and Sinti communities, co-created by Friends, Families and Travellers and University of Sussex.
View here.
USC Shoah Foundation Holocaust testimonies
The USC Shoah Foundation collects testimonies of Holocaust survivors and witnesses through audio-visual interviews, including that of Roma Holocaust survivors Lina Jackson and Julia Lentini.
World War 2 resources
Lesson resources created by Norfolk County Council exploring the impact the Holocaust had on Roma and Sinti communities.
Read.
The Gypsy Holocaust Forgotten Victims
An informational booklet looking at the ‘Forgotten Victims’ of the Holocaust, created by Friends, Families and Travellers.
Read.
The Gypsy Holocaust YouTube video
A YouTube video on the discrimination faced by Romany, Roma and Sinti people under the Nazi regime, produced by Brighton and Hove City Council’s Traveller Education team.
Books
Winter Time: Memoirs of a German Sinto Who Survived Auschwitz by Walter Winter
Written by Walter Winter, this is a first hand account from a survivor of Gypsy concentration camps during World War 2.
Read.
A Gypsy In Auschwitz by Otto Rosenberg
The story of a young Sinti boy who watches families being ripped apart, leaving behind their homes, schools and jobs, and somehow survives the Holocaust.
Read.
Poetry of the Holocaust ed. by Jean Boase-Beier and Marian de Vooght
A collection of poems written before the Holocaust unfolded and after, reflecting on the loss. In this anthology, Jean Boase-Beier and Marian de Vooght (helped by many translators, advisors, and experts) hope to give a fuller picture than other anthologies of the poetry that arose from the Holocaust.
Read.
Fires in the Dark by Louise Doughty
The first of Doughty's novels about the history of Romany people and her own family ancestry, this book is about a boy from a group of nomadic Kalderash Roma set in Central Europe during the Second World War.
More.
Gypsies Under the Swastika by Donald Kenrick, Grattan Puxon and Université René Descartes
An account of the discrimination and persecution suffered by Europe's Gypsies during the Nazi Holocaust.
Settela's Last Road by Janna Eliot
Settela Steinbach was a Dutch Sinti girl, she was murdered along with other members of her family in Auschwitz. Janna Eliot translator of the original biography, created the novel 'Settela's Last Road' for younger readers.
Email [email protected] to buy a copy.
Shared Sorrows: A Gypsy Family Remembers the Holocaust by Toby Sonneman
The Jewish author of this book reveals the parallels between her own family history and that of the survivors of the Romani Holocaust she met and came to know in Munich.
Books
Travelling Tales
A powerful collection of oral histories, photographs, and artefacts gathered from Gypsy, Traveller, and fairground communities across South Wales. Created by Community Champions from within the communities, this project captures traditions, challenges, and memories that might otherwise be lost to time.
Family Lines, Family Trails
An evocative exploration of Welsh Gypsy and Traveller family heritage. This book features photographs, stories, and rare insights into family dynamics across generations. Developed in collaboration with local families, it also features examples of the Romani language and visual materials, including vintage chrome trailers and work-life imagery.
Roaming through the Words: English Literacy Book by Lillie Elsie Jordan
This literacy book has been created specifically with gypsy Roma and traveller children in mind and will support engagement and achievement
Are we there yet by Lillie Elsie Jordan
An engaging children's activity book for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children to encourage the exploration of culture, traditions and heritage.
Do Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children see themselves in your history classroom? by the History Association
Richard Kerridge and Helen Snelson have worked with the historian Professor Becky Taylor to produce a range of teaching resources for teaching the history of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people.
Made freely available here.
By Yorkclio here.
Unsettled by Rosaleen McDonagh
Essays by Rosaleen McDonagh, exploring racism, ableism, abuse and resistance as well as the bonds of community, family and friendship.
An ABC for Travellers
This colourful book can help young readers from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community written and produced by Maxine Lambert.
The Fairy Queen by Chrissy Donoghue Ward
A tale rooted in the oral tradition of the Irish Traveller community told by beloved storyteller Chrissy Donoghue Ward and illustrated by Monika Mitkute.
The Pavee and the Buffer Girl by Siobhan Dowd
This book tells the story of Jim, a young Traveller boy, his experiences at the Buffer school (Buffer is what Travellers call non-Travellers) and developing new friendships.
Find out more and purchase the book.
Books by Richard O'Neill
Author and playwright, Richard O'Neill has written a serious of illustrated books with fantastic representation of Gypsy and Traveller characters. Look out for Polonius and The Pit Pony, Yokki and The Porno Gry, The Lost Homework, The Can Caravan, and Ossiri and The Bala Mengro.
Purchase books by Richard O'Neill.
The Show Must Go On by Michelle Russell
Purchase this book to celebrate 'World Funfair Month 2021'. Follow Mary Ann and her travelling Showmen family as they defend their yard from developers. The generations work together to help everyone understand that Grandad Henry is right: ‘not all treasure glistens’.
Wee Bessie by David Pullar
Wee Bessie is Inspired by the childhood of Scottish Traveller Betsy Whyte one of Scotland's most celebrated storytellers.
Books by Janna Elliot
Settela Steinbach was a Dutch Sinti girl, she was murdered along with other members of her family in Auschwitz. Janna Eliot translator of the original biography, created the novel 'Settela's Last Road' for younger readers.
See all of Janna's books on Good Reads.
Why the Moon Travels by Oein DeBhairduin
Why the moon travels is a haunting collection of twenty tales rooted in the oral tradition of the Irish Traveller community.
Can't lose Cant
A book of Cant, the Old Language of Irish Travellers, by Children in Co Kildare Ireland.
Books by Robert Dawson
Robert Dawson has a wide selection of books and activity booklets on his website, including 'Leaves in the Holocaust', a novel about the persecution of Roma and Sinti people in World War Two.
View the Robert Dawson website.
Fairground Art: The art forms of Travelling Fairs, Carousels and Carnival Midways by Geoff Weedon and Richard Ward
The authors devoted years of research to photographing and cataloguing the work of fairground artists as well as investigating the histories of the craftsmen and their creations.
they lit fires: lenti hatch o yog by Raine Geoghegan
Raine Geoghegan presents a selection of timeless and culturally rich songs and monologues based upon her Romani Roots.
Books by Maggie Smith-Bendell
Maggie's books, including 'Rabbit Stew and a Penny or Two' recount the 'old ways' and Romani Gypsy life and culture at the dawn of the 21st Century.
Books by Eva Petulengro
Eva Petulengro is a Romani author who spent her childhood in a caravan before settling in Brighton. Eva's books 'The Girl in the Painted Caravan' and 'Caravans and Wedding Bans', reflect on Eva's life on the road.
The Showmen's War by Michael Smith, Stephen Smith and Kevin Scrivens
This book was produced to accompany the Exhibition held at the Fairground Heritage Centre in 2018 to commemorate the part played in the Great War by the Travelling Showmen of Great Britain.
Voyage of the Sparrowhawk by Natasha Farrant
In the aftermath of World War One, Ben, Clara and Lotti try to rebuild their lives, As they make their way on an epic journey, some of which on a narrowboat, they search for loved ones and a place to call home.
Books by Jess Smith
Jess Smith comes from a long line of Travelling people and writes about her early years on the road in Scotland with her family.
The Stopping Places by Damian Le Bas
In this critically acclaimed book, Damian seeks to better understand his heritage by setting out on a journey to discover the stopping places – the old encampment sites known only to Travellers.
Gypsy Girl by Rosie McKinley
Rosie McKinley is an Irish Traveller, she grew up on the road moving around England and Ireland. Read her story of roaming fields and meadows with her siblings.
Muddy Waters by DH Clacher
A series of fun, vibrant and colourful books sharing Muddy's adventures on the UK Waterways.
Find out more about the books.
Books by Betsy Whyte
The Yellow on the Broom and Red Rowans and Wil Honey cover Betsy's childhood as a Gypsy Traveller in 1920s and 1930s Scotland, as well as traditional workmanship from hawking to, fruit and potato picking until the Second World War.
Find out more about the books.
Smoke in the Lanes by Dominic Reeve
The author’s account of living the Gypsy life on the road in the 1950s.
Gypsy Princess by Violet Cannon
The story of Violet's parents and her childhood.
A Different Kind of Freedom: A Romani Story by Richard O'Neill
Written by a Romani author, this story depicts the struggle between tradition and following your own passions.
Snowy by Berlie Doherty
An award-winning picture book about a family living in a narrowboat on the Chester canal, with Snowy the boat horse.
The Django by Levi Pinfold
A picture book about an imaginary friend, Django, inspired by the famous jazz musician Jean "Django" Reinhardt.
Books by Caroline Binch
Caroline Binch has written and illustrated a wide range of books, including Since Dad Left, which explores a boy's feelings around his parents' separation, as well as Road Horse, and Christy's Dream, which are both centered around young boys dreaming of having horses of their own.
Over the Hills and Far Away by Helen Mckay
A retelling which weaves together two classic fairy-tales, Red Riding Hood, and the nursery tale of Tom, Tom, the Piper's So.
Romany Johnny Joe by Hilda Brazil
Written by a Romany Gypsy, this story uses the toads and frogs of Toadville to teach children not to judge others.
Toffee and Pie by Pippa Goodhart
The story of a boy who lives in a trailer with his family and is always moving around, and a friendship he forms at a new school.
Hercules the Younger by Kathryn James
As part of the 'Reflect' series, Hercules the Younger is the tale of a boy who uses his strength, which was once a nuisance, to help his friends.
Nothing But Trouble by Alan MacDonald
A story about prejudice and friendship between a Traveller boy and the 'buddy' he is assigned at his new school.
The Dream Snatcher Trilogy by Abi Elphinstone
A trio of books following a Gypsy orphan, Moll Pecksniff, on a magic quest through the forest, when she wakes there after a recurring nightmare.
The Boy Who Swam with Piranhas by David Almond
A story about a boy who runs away from home and joins a carnival.
Flight by Vanessa Harbour
Set in Austria 1945, this book follows characters in their journey to getting Lipizzanner stallions to safety, alongside an orphaned Roma girl.
The Deathless Girls by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
A gothic, feminist and romantic young adult debut about Lil and her twin sister Kizzy, who are captured and enslaved far away from their beloved traveller community.
Gypsy Girl Series by Kathryn James
This young adult series features the fictional character Sammy Jo and the love interests that land her in trouble.
My Name Is Rose by Sally Grindley
Through this children's fiction, Grindley explores what it's like for Rose, a Romani girl, to have to move to a different country, adapt to a new family, and grapple with her identity.
Where the World Turns Wild by Nicola Penfold
An ecological adventure in the form of children's fiction with Traveller characters.
Spokes: Stories from the Romani World by Janna Eliot
Based on real life accounts, these short stories feature British Gypsies, Irish Travellers, East European Roma; and people whose Romani background has remained under wraps.
Apple Water: Povel Panni by Riane Geoghegan
A small collection of poems and short prose based on Raine's Romany family.
Roma, Recycle, Reimagine: Corcodusa Saves the Park by Romani children, with the support of Maria Raluca and Rosa Cisneros.
The story follows Corcodusa, a young Roma girl, who helps save the planet with her community.
A Field Full of Butterflies: Memories of a Romany Childhood by Rosemary Penfold
Rosemary's story is a moving testament to a forgotten world and a rapidly disappearing way of life.
A Gypsy In Auschwitz: How I Survived the Horrors of the ‘Forgotten Holocaust’ by Otto Rosenberg
'A Gypsy in Auschwitz' is the incredible true story of how a young Gypsy boy miraculously survived the unimaginable darkness of the Holocaust.
Color of Smoke by Menyhert Lakatos,Ann Major
The Color of Smoke is a thoroughly absorbing story that abounds in unforgettable characters. There is the adolescent narrator, torn between his people and a society that both entices him and rejects him.
Romano Bumburumbum by Marek Czureja
This story has been prepared by a group of talented young Roma as a way of sharing their rich culture.
Find out more about how they made it here.
Gypsies & Travellers: A Teacher’s Guide by Steven Horne
This book addresses that imbalance by offering an 'insider's' look into what is often an unknown and misunderstood culture. The information and real-life examples provided are unflinching, allowing this book to approach subjects and areas that are often avoided.
'The Mystery In Being A Gypsy' by Gentylia Lee
This book is an educational read for the professional: the police, local authority workers, teaching practitioners, Social Services staff, NHS staff and staff who work in higher education. If you want to learn much more than stereotypes; if you would like to learn some of the English-Romanies history; if you are passionate about change against racism and discrimination then this book is a must read.
Canal Stories for Children with Colouring Pages by Mack, Jules
A colouring book with a collection of four fictional, magical stories for children based on the canals. The stories gently help children to understand that being honest is always best.
'KIN - An Anthology of Poetry, Story and Art by Women from Romani, Traveller and Nomadic Communities' by Raine Geoghegan & Fióna Bolger
"This is a book shaped by the bonds of kinship—the joy of authentic connection and the grief of sustained loss. By giving voice to memory and tradition, and by mourning and celebrating those who have gone before, these works explore ideas of belonging across time, even when they are speaking from places of pain and discrimination." - Lucy Collins, Associate Professor, University College Dublin
Rokkering to the Gorjios by Jeremy Sandford
A revised edition of a work celebrating Gypsy lifestyle and culture, which for the first time gave British Gypsies the opportunity to address non Gypsies - “Rokker to the Gorjios” - in their own words.
Media
Roads From The Past - A short film by Travellers' Times
A Short Animated History of Britain's Gypsies, Roma and Travellers,
'Standing on the shoulders of giants'
This film project tells the stories from 24 people who challenged injustice faced by Gypsy, Roma, Traveller and nomadic communities.
Searching for the Travelling People
A Travellers' Times documentary revisiting 'The Ballad of the Travelling People', a radio production between Charles Parker, Peggy Seeger and Ewan MacColl in 1964.
A short history of Irish Travellers
An animated film produced by the Cork Traveller Women's Network.
Nazi Persecution of Roma and Sinti people
Europe’s Roma and Sinti people were targeted by the Nazis for total destruction.
Porjamos - The Gypsy Holocaust
This video, made by Brighton & Hove City Council, looks at the persecution of Roma and Sinti communities in during the Holocaust.
Showland by Mitch Miller
This short documentary gives you a 'behind the scenes' look at Fairground life.
A short film on International Romani Language Day from Romaversitas North Macedonia
A useful film describing the purpose and significance of International Roma Language Day, celebrated worldwide on 5th November.
