Don’t go Short on Inclusion – Be-long

Fliss Goldsmith portrait

Written by Fliss Goldsmith

Fliss is an Emotional Wellbeing and Empowerment Coach and Inclusion and Belonging Consultant. Having worked for 2 decades across the Education sector as well as with individuals and corporates she has a breadth and depth of experience striving to create intentionally inclusive spaces for authentic belonging.

I was blessed to be part of DiverseEd’s July event at the Brownfield Institute in Wolverhampton. On arrival the empowering energy was palpable, and I knew immediately that everyone in attendance had a shared vision – for a kinder, safer, fairer future for education.

My part in the day was to deliver a session on Belonging and how that looks in education spaces. As an Asexual, disabled cis gender woman I have my own perspectives and wanted to share them as well as gain those of others. I remind myself often that intersectionality is at the heart of our learning.

We began with sharing our understanding of belonging – what does it mean, feel like and most importantly what is it not. The group was invested and together we found that belonging is about being able to be authentically yourself and still being seen, heard, respected and reflected in a space. The opposite, quite interestingly, of belonging is ‘fitting in’. Fitting in demands that we change who we are to match the space we are in, whereas belonging demands that we remain true to ourselves.

It sounds simple but it really isn’t. Belonging often stops before it gets going because places, people and situations are not inclusive. For too long we have lived in a white, heteronormative, cisgender, able bodied neurotypical, middle-class society with everything designed to support those characteristics. If you fall outside of these then you are faced with being ‘othered’ which immediately precludes you from belonging. As an Asexual I have not felt like I belonged since school, where it was a given that Allonormativity and Amatanormitivity were where we were all headed and if not, then there must be something fundamentally wrong with you. (spoiler alert there isn’t!)

The session held space for the experiences of those in attendance and I was humbled at the response. I heard from a non-binary attendee that they rarely felt like they belonged as they were misgendered and how language was paramount, every misuse of pronouns creating visceral pain. A black woman shared her experiences of racism and sexism within previous job roles and how that had moulded how she presented, shrank herself to not stand out. Ultimately these practices of fitting in create nothing but damage to the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of the victim.

So how do we do it better in our educational spaces? There is hope and there are so many great Educators out there already trying to create inclusive spaces where everyone is supported in being their authentic selves.

Here are my top 10 ideas for making sure that the spaces you have control over cultivate a sense of belonging for anyone who enters them.

  1. Prioritize Connection – Create spaces where meaningful conversations can take place.
  2. Create interest groups – Ensure an accessible way for staff/students to put forward their ideas (anonymous point of entry essential.) Remember the mantra ‘nothing about us without us’ always consult someone who represents the group if they are comfortable being involved.
  3. Have courageous conversations – you are a role model and if you can share your struggles and challenges this immediately gives others permission to do the same.
  4. Be Accountable – a clear, kind apology is essential – but it means nothing without a change of actions going forwards.
  5. Call it in before you call it out. If someone is behaving in a way that contravenes the rules of your spaces, then call them in to see what is at the root of their poor behaviour.
  6. Celebrate as many ‘days’ as you can – but don’t let it stop there, yes LGBT+ History Month is February but make sure the flags are there all year long.
  7. Cross curricular representation – Make sure that every subject has resources that reflect different cultures, genders, sexualities, abilities etc.
  8. Spread the Art of Appreciation – share what you appreciate and get others to share theirs, this harnesses the brains neuroplasticity and creates positive neural pathways making people feel more connected.
  9. Teamwork is essential but don’t let it isolate people – use numbers not genders for teams and ensure teams are celebrated in a way they are comfortable with (does your Autistic student want to go on stage to get their prize? Maybe, you’d have to ask them- don’t assume)
  10. Ensure inclusive practices – visual descriptors, announcing your pronouns, inclusive language, accessibility, not making assumptions etc.

Inevitably there will be mistakes, steps sideways and ‘oh no’ moments when trying to build an inclusive space. When we know better, we must do better – so apologise and rectify and model that behaviour as a growth step.

The future needs incredible leaders to ensure we can all authentically belong. You’ve got this!

by Hannah Wilson

Becoming an Effective Head of Year: Specializing in Mental Health and Wellbeing

Haji Prempeh portrait

Written by Haji Prempeh

Haji Prempeh is a dedicated professional with extensive experience in secondary education, with a keen focus on children's and adolescents' mental health and wellbeing. She has a strong background in Design & Technology, having taught the subject for several years and held leadership roles across multiple schools, where she successfully led projects on pastoral care, diversity, inclusion, and safeguarding. Currently, she is pursuing an MSc in Children and Adolescents Mental Health and Wellbeing.

As educators, we wear many hats. We are not just teachers; we are mentors, counsellors, and sometimes even the primary source of support for our students. Over the years, I’ve observed the growing challenges that students face, especially regarding their mental health and wellbeing. This observation is what motivated me to create “Becoming an Effective Head of Year: Specializing in Mental Health and Wellbeing.”

Why I Created This Guide

The role of a Head of Year (HOY) is pivotal in any school setting. HOYs are often the first line of support when students encounter difficulties, whether academic, social, or personal. However, despite their importance, many HOYs are not given the specific training or resources they need to effectively address mental health issues.

After speaking with colleagues and reflecting on my own experiences, it became clear that there was a significant gap in resources tailored specifically for HOYs who are focused on supporting mental health. I wanted to fill that gap with a comprehensive guide that provides not only the theoretical knowledge but also practical tools that HOYs can use immediately in their day-to-day interactions with students.

The Importance of Focusing on Mental Health

Mental health is no longer a topic that can be side-lined or treated as an afterthought in our education system. The pressures on today’s students—from academic performance to social media—are immense, and these pressures are showing in increased rates of anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues among young people.

When mental health is compromised, it affects every aspect of a student’s life, including their academic performance, relationships, and overall happiness. Schools must be proactive in creating environments where students feel safe, supported, and able to seek help when needed. This is why the role of a Head of Year is so crucial; they are often the bridge between students and the support systems available to them.

What the Guide Offers

“Becoming an Effective Head of Year: Specializing in Mental Health and Wellbeing” is more than just a manual; it’s a toolkit designed to empower HOYs with the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to make a real difference in their students’ lives.

Understanding Mental Health: The guide starts with the basics, helping HOYs understand the different aspects of mental health and the common challenges students face.

Essential Skills: It emphasizes the core skills needed for this role, such as empathy, communication, and conflict resolution, ensuring that HOYs are prepared to handle difficult conversations and situations.

Practical Support: With ready-to-use templates, referral forms, and checklists, the guide makes it easy for HOYs to implement support strategies right away.

Professional Development: The guide also encourages continuous learning and growth, providing resources for further training and development.

Inspirational Content: I included motivational quotes and reflective exercises to keep educators inspired and focused on their mission.

The Impact I Hope to Make

By creating this guide, I hope to empower HOYs to feel more confident and capable in their roles. When HOYs are well-equipped, they can create a ripple effect throughout the school, fostering a culture of care and support that benefits not just individual students but the entire school community.

Ultimately, I believe that when we prioritise mental health in our schools, we are not only helping students succeed academically but also helping them develop the resilience and emotional intelligence they will need throughout their lives.

You can find the guide here to Becoming an Effective Head of Year – Specialising Mental Health and Wellbeing here.

by Hannah Wilson

Cancer helped my Autistic daughter to survive school

Written by Joanne Robinson

Joanne Robinson, BA, MA, PGCE, FCCT, is the Director for Training and Development at TeachUp, a company specialising in professional development for teachers in the UK and internationally. She has also led a number of teacher training programmes, including an iPGCE and an MA in Education with Pedagogy. Prior to this, she taught in secondary education for 16 years. She is keen to promote inclusive education that centres upon the wellbeing and autonomy of teachers as well as pupils.

Making the statement that cancer helped my daughter to survive school sounds quite alarming, but it is something that she and I have discussed at length over the years since this happened to her.

This blog is written with her permission.  She is now 26 years old and thriving, so this did occur some time ago.  However, the reason I’m writing this now is that I believe it is still resonant for school practices today.

Abigail was diagnosed with leukaemia in January 2011.  She was 12 years old at the time, which is quite unusual for this type of cancer.  She had just started Year 8 in the school I was also teaching at.  Abi had already been diagnosed with Autism just before beginning in secondary.  Since then, she has had a further diagnosis of ADHD.  

Treatment for leukaemia was gruelling, with two bouts of intensive chemotherapy in the first nine months followed by two years of maintenance chemo.  This was the standard protocol for girls back then, although it may have changed as cancer treatments evolve rapidly, thanks to fantastic research trials.  

Children may experience some infection, but our consultant advised that life should be normal during the maintenance phase of treatment.  However, because Abi was becoming a teenager and experiencing hormonal changes, we found that this wasn’t the case.  In the end, she was hospitalised around ten times during her care.  Some of those stays were over a month in length and at one, terrifying, point, she contracted neutropenic sepsis and was lucky to have survived.

Abi’s attendance in school was understandably low.   It was a really hard two years and, in the end, she dropped back a year in order to regain some of the lost time.

School was brilliant with her.  They provided her with a reduced timetable.  Because she had very low immunity and her platelet levels meant she was vulnerable to bleeding from knocks and bruises, she was able to spend her breaks in the SEND inclusion room.  

Before cancer, Abi was struggling in school because of the difficulties that she had due to her Autism.  She found the high school environment very overwhelming to navigate.  She was experiencing frequent meltdowns at home.  During treatment, she was able to take school at an easier pace, spending time having respite in the SEND room and not forced to interact with other pupils at breaks unless she chose to.  Suddenly, her school life was manageable for her.  

After treatment ended, Abi’s needs were well-known.  Chemotherapy has long-term effects on energy, so  school was happy to continue with a reduced timetable and flexibility in allowing Abi breaks when she needed them.  She was also in regular attendance in the SEND room.  These things were there  for her without her having to ask for them – self advocacy can be hard for any child, let alone those with communication difficulties (many time-out systems put the onus on the student to instigate them, which means they are never used).

By the time Abi reached her GCSEs, she did astonishingly well.  She was then able to use a similar approach to her time in the school’s Sixth Form.  

Abi has since said to me that the accommodations that school made for her cancer were what made it possible for her to complete her studies as a neurodivergent student.  In my own teaching experience, I had witnessed many neurodivergent children being unable to cope by the time they reached GCSE: the sheer energy it took to mask every day through this stressful time, repressing behaviours that might be seen as strange by others, would result in them refusing to attend.  

There is a lesson here.  We have to adapt school practice to accommodate the fluctuating energy levels that occur with neurodivergence.  These pupils are often academically capable and should be attaining great outcomes,  taking those first steps into fulfilling adult lives.  Instead, they are burning out in their teens.  Simple changes can adjust the classroom to make it more accessible, and enabling respite or shorter days could be the difference between a neurodivergent child completing school or not.   

It should not take a serious illness to ensure proper accommodations are made: neurodivergence is a disability that needs reasonable adjustment from the outset.  I think the tide is turning and there is great work being done to raise awareness, but we have a way  to go before we can claim with certainty that education is equitable for neurodivergent students. 

by Hannah Wilson

How to lead a diversity research group

Jayne Carter portrait

Written by Jayne Carter

Jayne is the Director of Ignite Education Ltd, providing consultancy for practitioners within the Early Years & Primary sector. She uses coaching a a model for change, facilitating professional conversations which are focused on empowering others & generating growth in knowledge & skills.

As part of the L.E.A.D Teaching School Hub’s extensive offer for EDI, I was invited to lead a diversity research group based on Bennie Kara’s fantastic book: Diversity in Schools. This blog is intended to support others who may wish to run similar groups for teachers and school leaders. 

The research group was structured around one session per month for each book chapter. It worked well for each participant to read the focus chapter in preparation for the meeting, to be ready to discuss their reflections and implications for their own practice. 

Discussions were facilitated around the key messages included in each chapter with the addition of extra resources focused on the needs of the group. 

The aims of the research group included:

  • To use research & literature as a tool for school improvement
  • To develop a culture of peer-to-peer support & critical analysis
  • To implement key strategies & approaches at a whole school level

Some of the attendees wanted to focus on whole school implementation, whereas others wanted to improve their own subject knowledge in preparation to share at school. 

Each session included a planned gap task based on the focus of the chapter as well as an individual gap task which was identified by each attendee in order to meet the needs of their school.

For example, the third session focused on the chapter ‘How can we create a diverse classroom?’ Everyone carried out the audit included in the book. Individual gap tasks that were chosen included; 

  • sharing UNESCO inclusion research with members of their SLT
  • exploring the free trial of Lyfta as a whole-school EDI resource
  • considering how to organise their seating plan to ensure inclusivity 
  • evaluating the use of cold calling/trio conversations in their classrooms. 

Time was planned into the following sessions to discuss reflections from the individual gap tasks and all resources were included in a workgroup padlet. The padlet worked well to ensure that everyone had constant access to key resources/research. It also provided an effective means of communication between meetings.  

Being able to meet frequently with attendees helped me as a workgroup lead to understand the priorities for each school and what was important to them. As the meetings progressed, I was able to structure the sessions to become even more personalised to the group’s needs, with additional research and tools being shared and added to the padlet.

Over the seven sessions, attendees enhanced their EDI improvement plan or developed their own EDI plan. The next steps identified after each chapter supported these improvement plans by providing structure and focus. 

During the final session the overall impact of and reflections about the workgroup were collected:

  • All attendees found the structure of the workgroup useful as it moved from a training session to meetings which were collaborative and supportive of an action research improvement model. 
  • Attendees liked the planned gap tasks; especially the opportunity to carry out a shared task, which helped shared discussions but also a gap task which was personalised and prompted change at a school level. 
  • All attendees noted that the additional resources sourced and added to the padlet were valuable with everyone committing to using the padlet next academic year.

As the workgroup lead, the opportunity to guide attendees into analysing research was valuable as it gave me a useful reminder of day-to-day school priorities. One of my own personal outstanding reflections was the knowledge that the plans developed would be sustained as they had been developed carefully and with the vision of not only what needed to be in place but why.

My thanks to Bennie Kara for creating such an accessible and informative book. I hope that this blog encourages others to lead more reading groups or research groups on diversity in schools across the sector.

by Hannah Wilson

LGBT+ Education in School - Having Effective Conversations with Parents

Mel Lane portrait

Written by Mel Lane

Mel Lane (she/her) is Head of Education at Pop’n’Olly. She has been a primary school teacher and teacher trainer for nearly 30 years and worked in schools on LGBT+ inclusion policies with thousands of children and school staff. Mel is a co- author of What Does LGBT+ Mean? (Pop’n’Olly, 2021).

When it comes to LGBT+ education in school, parents are often portrayed in the mainstream media as unsupportive and battling with teachers – but the reality is completely different. 82% of parents actively want their children to be taught about diverse families, including those with same-sex relationships. Having worked with over 10,000 children, I have experienced, time and time again, that parents are almost always supportive of LGBT+ inclusion work in school. 

However, there are of course still a minority of parents who struggle with, and have concerns, about LGBT+ education. This is why empowering schools and teachers to have effective conversations is important. But how do we do this? Here are some themes that you may wish to include in these discussions: 

Ethos and Values

Chances are you already promote equality and celebrate difference in your school.  Maybe it’s in your school mission statement? e.g.

‘Brave, unique, caring and kind’

‘Hope, community, respect, love’

‘Respect for each other, Respect for our school, Respect for learning’

LGBT+ isn’t an add-on, it’s part of this whole-school approach. So when having conversations with parents, it’s vital you keep coming back to your whole-school ethos and discuss how LGBT+ education is a part of this.  

Children’s Mental Health

We know that children learn better when they feel relaxed and able to be themselves. One teacher was so pleased to share with me how much more animated and engaged a Year 1 child had become after a session on families included two Mums, just like her family.  All children benefit from conversations about LGBT+ inclusion because when we celebrate diversity we send a message to everyone that they are welcome in school whatever their uniqueness looks like.

Knowledge and Understanding

63% of 8-15 year olds know someone close to them who is LGBT+ Children are already having conversations about LGBT+ lives and some of them are searching for information online.  School is a safe place where children can ask questions of trusted adults to find out reliable, accurate information. UK children all live in a country where being LGBT+ is protected by law and we shouldn’t hide this information from students. In fact, under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), all children have a right to this information.  

Legal Obligations

Helping young people understand and develop positive relationships with people who are different from them is part of UK law and included in the Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) Guidance for Schools

The Public Sector Equality Duty (Section 149 of the Equality Act, 2010) states that schools must have due regard to “the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it.” 

Ofsted guidance also states that, “Schools can choose to teach the beliefs of any faith on the protected characteristics. They may explain that same-sex relationships and gender reassignment are not permitted by a particular religion. However, if they do so, they must also explain the legal rights of LGBT people under UK law, and that this and LGBT people must be respected”

Supporting Parents

Sometimes parents worry that life will be harder for their child if they are LGBT+. Sometimes they’re worried about being judged by other parents. Schools often have a lot more experience supporting LGBT+ young people than parents do. A parent of a trans child told me how much better they felt that their child’s school was supportive of their child’s transition – it gave the parent confidence and helped them navigate a completely new and sometimes challenging time.

Conversations with parents almost always eliminate fears, tackle misconceptions and build better relationships. You can find out much more information on how to have these conversations in Pop’n’Olly’s ‘Discussions With Parents’ document.

by Hannah Wilson

How Do We Make Our Classrooms Feel Like Home to Each and Every Student

Kwame Sarfo-Mensah portrait

Written by Kwame Sarfo-Mensah

Kwame Sarfo-Mensah holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education from Temple University. For nine years, he served as a middle school math teacher in Philadelphia, PA and Boston, MA. Currently, he is the founder of Identity Talk Consulting, a global educational consulting firm. Throughout his 17-year career as a classroom teacher, author, and consultant, Kwame has earned numerous accolades for this work. His newest book, "Learning to Relearn: Supporting Identity in a Culturally Affirming Classroom", will be coming out Fall 2024.

For context, I’m a first generation Ghanaian American who has spent all but three years of my life living outside of Ghana.  While I mostly understand my family’s home language, Twi, I grew up not really being taught the language by my parents.  We learned a few Twi words here and there but English was the main medium of communication in our household and every other environment we found ourselves in. Growing up in the United States, I felt like an outsider.  I thought those feelings would change when I moved to Ghana at 12 years old and lived there for 3 years.  Even while living there, I felt like an outsider. 

I’ve never been a clean fit in any of my worlds. I’ve always been different.  My whole life has been spent living outside the margins of the dominant culture.  In more ways than one, I’ve received harmful messages and mistreatment to remind me of that reality.  The following traumatic scenario, which I’ve played out in my mind for the last 10 years, is a prime example of this predicament.

Okay, let me set the stage…

Imagine yourself on an airplane that is heading to the Kotoka International Airport.  As the plane makes its descent towards the airport, your anxiety heightens because you know the course of events that are about to follow. The minute you get off the plane, you know you’ll have to go straight to the immigration booth, which means that you’ll have to hand over your American passport to a Ghanaian immigration officer for visa inspection. By all means, what I’ve mentioned thus far is standard protocol but this is where things take a left turn. So you hand your American passport over to the immigration officer, he turns to your bio page and discovers your name, “Kwame Karikari Sarfo-Mensah”. For a brief moment, the officer looks at you and then looks back at your passport.  At this moment, you have two options for a response.  You can either…

  1. respond to the officer in English, leaving yourself subject to questioning from the officer as to why you have this strong Ghanaian name and are not speaking to them in Twi.
  2. respond to the officer in Twi, leaving yourself subject to ridicule and harsh criticism as to how you could be Ghanaian and not be able to speak Twi fluently.

Unsure of how to respond, you freeze in panic because you know what’s about to happen next.  The officer will either call you an oburoni and crack jokes about you with their co-workers nearby or look at you in disgust and shame you for not being able to speak Twi fluently.

While this story is specific to my experience, I can assure you that others who grew up as third culture kids or immigrant students have dealt with a similar scenario to the one I just described. Whether you teach abroad in an international school or in a K-12 school within the United States, chances are you’ll have a few students within your classrooms who are struggling to make sense of their identities or searching for spaces where they are welcomed, accepted, and fully embraced for who they are. A space where no one is interrogating them or invalidating their lived experience.

These students I’m referring to are your multilingual students, students with IEPs and 504 plans, immigrant and migrant students, neurodiverse students, students who are disabled, students who practice non-Christian faiths, students who are BIPOC, students who are LGBTQ+, etc. Although they may enter your classroom with vastly different lived experiences, they are two things they all have in common:

  1. They find themselves outside the margins of white dominant culture.
  2. They all deserve to be in a classroom that feels like HOME.

Understanding that every student defines home differently, how can we make our classrooms feel like home for each and every student?  We can start by thinking about our own homes. When you’re in our homes, we’re in spaces where……

  • we feel a sense of psychological and emotional safety and comfort
  • we can express ourselves unapologetically
  • we receive support and care from loved ones
  • we belong and feel welcomed,valued and accepted
  • we thrive off of routine and stability 
  • we’re connecting intimately with our loved ones
  • cherished memories and family history are held near and dear to our hearts

Regardless of who we are and where we come from, we all want to experience that feeling of home as I’ve described above. We deserve that feeling because it’s a human right, as recognized by the United Nations. In this world where government officials across the globe are shutting down DEI programs, censoring and banning culturally responsive and identity-affirming curriculum in schools, and pushing anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, it is more imperative than ever for us, as educators, to create classroom spaces of inclusion and belonging that feel like home for our most vulnerable students.

We may not be able to solve all the world’s problems but there are a few key things we can do to make our students feel comfortable in our classrooms:

In the end, no student should ever feel the way I felt during my childhood.  By making our classrooms feel like home for our students, we’re committing ourselves to normalizing and embracing the beauty of difference, as informed by the intersectional nature of our respective identities.  And finally, we’re committing ourselves to building learning spaces where joy, love, and acceptance are living parts of our classroom culture. 

by Hannah Wilson

The Hypocrisy at the Heart of Racist Riots

Dr Nilufar Ahmed portrait

Written by Dr Nilufar Ahmed

Dr Nilufar Ahmed is a multi award winning Chartered Psychologist, Academic, and Accredited Psychotherapist. She works as an academic at the University of Bristol where her research and pedagogy focus on Inclusion and Engagement. Her work is situated in an antiracist and Intersectional framework. She is regularly invited to comment in the media on all things psychology and has delivered training, keynotes, and consultancy services across sectors including HE, business, and Government.

Originally published by The Conversation on 9/8/24

When news broke that a 17-year-old male had stabbed a number of young girls in Southport, misinformation swiftly followed. First, that the perpetrator was an asylum seeker or refugee who had come to the UK on a boat. This was discredited and information emerged that the individual was British-born. But the circulation of disinformation, including a fake, Arab-sounding name, led many to argue it must have been a Muslim male.

Though the perpetrator has no known links to Islam, violent, far-right rioters still mobilised to attack mosques. Islamophobic violence spilled onto the streets in the worst race riots Britain has seen in years.

The fact that this misinformation was so readily believed can be partly explained by psychology, and how we think about people who look like us, and about others who don’t.

People are conditioned to identify with their in-group – others who are like them on a range of markers such as race, gender, class or nationality. The maintenance of this shared identity largely requires “us” to be different (meaning better) than “them” by making negative inferences about them.

This automatic psychological response explains how people can see the self and the in-group as complex and fluid (for example, not all white people are criminals) but frame the out-group as homogeneous and fixed. This can lead, as we’ve seen, to some people casting all black men as dangerous, Muslims as terrorists, asylum seekers as opportunistic and refugees as “taking” jobs and healthcare resources, justifying the dislike and even hatred of the out-group.

The racism of this public reaction to a horrific attack on children is stark when you compare it to other recent events.

When a white male killed a 14-year-old black boy named Daniel Anjorin with a sword in May, protesters did not mobilise around the country to “protect children”. Neither were white men as a group deemed a threat to the safety of children.

Whenever crimes, however heinous, are committed by white perpetrators, they are more often viewed as the acts of an individual who was at fault because of mental health issues or falling in with the wrong crowd. There is a long history of disparate treatment of criminals in the media linked to race.

People are socially conditioned to think heinous acts are committed by outsiders. There are a number of cognitive biases at play here, including contextual bias, where decisions are influenced by background information rather than the crime itself, and affinity bias, where people prefer others who are like them.

These biases are present in individual cases, but also across the judicial system. Inequalities in sentencing perpetuate the narrative that people of colour are more dangerous and disposed to crime.

A study commissioned by the Crown Prosecution Service also found that people of colour are significantly more likely to be prosecuted than white people for the same crimes. Such inequity results in overrepresentation in prisons and with convictions. This then feeds the narrative that people of colour are more likely to commit crime – when in fact they are simply more likely to be prosecuted.

The Blame Game

In times of scarcity, this in-group/out-group bias can become simplified and exacerbated to justify withholding resources from the out-group, who the in-group perceives as “undeserving”. Out-group scapegoats offer an easy and reliable way of deflecting responsibility by those with power.

This is what has happened over the past 14 years in Britain. While the Conservative government created an unstable economic climate and deep poverty through cuts to public services and economic turmoil, it is politically convenient to suggest the reason for scarce resources is a small number of asylum seekers.

The previous government used the negative attitudes towards refugees and immigrants as a core pillar of its election campaign. Politicians used increasingly inflammatory language in relation to immigration, blaming immigrants for things like the housing crisis and depleted health resources as a way shifting attention from their cuts in spending.

Anti-racist counter-protests have organised all around the country. Simon Dack News/Alamy

Over time, the scapegoats have been boiled down to one homogenised group of people who are not white. This is apparent in the differential treatment of asylum seekers from Ukraine, who were welcomed to the UK and allowed to work and be housed.

Asylum seekers from the rest of the world are not allowed to work on arrival and receive just £49.18 a week. This feeds the narrative that white people work, while people of colour don’t (though somehow are simultaneously “taking our jobs”).

The relentless scapegoating dovetails with the psychological biases we are all socially conditioned to fall for, creating an “us” and “them” environment that can easily turn violent. The events of the past two weeks have awakened much of Britain to the consequences that can arise when society is defined this way.

by Hannah Wilson

The UK Race Riots, Summer 2024 - The Aftermath

Diverse Educators Logo

Written by DiverseEd

Diverse Educators started as a grassroots network in 2018 to create a space for a coherent and cohesive conversation about DEI. We have evolved into a training provider and event organiser for all things DEI.

It has been a difficult summer for many people across the UK as hate has manifested itself online and on the streets of our country.

The loss of innocent lives have been used as an excuse to riot, with those enacting civil disorder and violence under the cover of protesting and the right to freedom of speech.  

Protests quickly became riots. Riots escalated into acts of terrorism.

And let’s not forget that the spate of racist, islamophobic, anti-migrant incidents took place during South Asian Heritage Month.

Many pupils, educators and parents/ carers will be returning to school in the coming weeks scared and traumatised by what has happened, by what they have experienced and by what they have witnessed. There will also be a number of these groups who are also emboldened in their attitudes, beliefs and behaviours. So, how do we challenge this? 

Some questions for us to reflect on and to discuss as part of our DEIB strategic approach:

  • How prepared are we to create safety, to offer support, to protect our communities?   
  • How will we take an anti-racist stand as a profession, as organisations and as leaders? 
  • How will we review all aspects of school life moving forwards through an intersectional lens? 
  • How will we ensure our approach to supporting our school communities is trauma-informed?
  • What training have your different stakeholders had, and what further training and support do they need?
  • How are we supporting the wellbeing of your DEIB leader/ working party as they manage the emotional tax of doing the necessary work that is likely to be triggering for their own lived experience?
  • Do we have staff briefings ready and are assemblies, tutor activities and PSHE lessons prepared?   

It is important to ensure that these questions move from being words to become actions.

In our work at #DiverseEd we encourage people to consider how we are developing consciousness, confidence and competence in ourselves and others. We also encourage our network to look in the mirror before we look out of the window – we need to do the inner work alongside the outer work to make sure what we do is authentic, considered and not performative.   

We appreciate that:

  • There is a lot to process. 
  • There is a lot to do. 
  • There is a lot of overwhelm. 

We need to learn the lessons from the Anti Racism work schools jumped to in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder – it is important for us to take action but it is more important to think about what needs to be done in different school contexts. How do the incidents this summer feed into our ongoing DEIB work? How do we commit to proactivity instead of reactivity?

Let’s learn from the mistakes made in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death. Let’s not be silent, but let’s consider who is doing the talking and presenting to each stakeholder group. Let’s be mindful of who we have consulted, which voices have been listened to to frame the message and how it is delivered and how it lands. 

Let’s also consider how we are working with our local community. What does a connected community look and feel like for all community members? How are we building bridges, creating safe spaces, carving out opportunities to listen and nurturing collaborative partnerships?

Below we have collated resources and we signpost support that has been shared by our network to help navigate the next few weeks as we return to school.

As an anti-racist school leader we can show our support by undertaking the following key reading and actions to get started:

Some free training events as term starts which you may wish to attend/ share with colleagues:

Some organisational statements in response to the riots to read and consider your own public messaging as an organisation:

Some thought-provoking posts by individuals in response to the riots to read, reflect on and discuss with colleagues: 

Some next steps to consider getting involved in:

Some further resources to review and share:

  • PSHE Association – Belonging and community: addressing discrimination and extremism
  • Spark and Co – Standing Together Against Racist Violence: Support for Communities of Colour in the UK 

Some further reading to read and discuss with colleagues:

  • Dawn Butler – There’s a huge difference between free speech and hate speech
  • Nafeez Ahmed – Exposing the Real UK Race Riot Instigators: The Key Players and Transatlantic Network Around Tommy Robinson
  • Torsten Bell – Despite appearances, Britons are more tolerant than ever
  • Zahra Sultana – ‘People Aren’t Going To Forget What’s Been Said, And How They’ve Been Made To Feel’ 

Some final resources and supports from us at Diverse Educators:

by Hannah Wilson

Heart Stories and Community

Samira Vance portrait

Written by Samira Vance

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Leader and Consultant. Founder of the Thailand DEI Hub.

As I journey into the next chapter of my life and career, I am finding myself taking stock and feeling gratitude for many things. As I intentionally work to engineer this next phase, I want to share one aspect that I have come to realise is essential to build and find. A community of ‘my people’.

To clarify, by ‘my people’ I don’t necessarily mean BIPOC folx but rather individuals and groups that endow me with a sense of true belonging. The people with whom you truly and fully unmask and allow space for them to do the same. At the start of this year, I attended two incredible conferences (AIELOC and DEIx24) and I was overwhelmed at the power of community. I have since set up the Thailand DEI Hub to provide a similar sense of community and peer support after being inspired by both conferences. Whilst I have found ‘my people’ along my professional journey, it was positively overwhelming to be around so many that could potentially be ‘my people’ all in one place. It is a great thing to find, witness and be amongst the souls that nourish one another.

One of the things that was consistent was the level of vulnerability shown by attendees. At DEIx24, Margaret Park asked us to consider what constitutes a safe place. Is a statement to that effect all that is needed for the feeling of safety to be felt by participants? Many of us have felt the disconnect between being told that it is a safe place when our body and gut tell us otherwise. Yet, in these instances with strangers, online ‘friends/connections’ and acquaintances, the level of vulnerability very clearly indicated the sense of safety felt by many.

A fellow attendee, spoke of wanting to connect people with ‘similar heart stories’. Heart stories. The phrase stuck with me. After some pondering, I have decided that heart stories are those defining, poignant stories of our lives. The ones that make us who we are and the ones that describe our journey through life. Are they what bind us? Do heart stories recognise each other? Indeed hearing my stories and those of my loved ones spoken back to me without my uttering a single word made me feel heard. Seeing the raw emotions through vulnerability that mirrored my own, moved me to connect. I recognised the heart story because it was similar to my own. The snapping of the fingers, the head nods and the ‘Mmms’ told me that the speaker and I were not alone. Those moments, conversations and experiences moved me to make space in my life for these strangers. We could speak truth to our stories where we were understood.

It was a metaphorical embrace signalling understanding, joy, sadness, a spectrum of emotions all at once but most of all, safety in being able to share those emotions with others. It said:

I see you, even as you hide

I hear you, even though you haven’t spoken

I know you, although we’ve never met

I am you, or at least that what my heart thinks

I feel your heart story

At AIELOC, another workshop leader spoke about safe spaces in relation to indigenous practices, specifically that of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and roles of different members of the tribe. As BIPOC folx, but other minoritised groups too, spread across the globe, are we all yearning for places where we belong?

So many of us work to create equitable and inclusive spaces with the aim of fostering belonging, but what is the cost of existing in spaces not designed for us at this moment? What is the cost of continuing to mask day in, day out? I am very fortunate in that I have been able to find the people in my professional life with whom I can exist as my authentic self but the reality remains that for minoritised groups, this is consistently not the case outside of these relationships and spaces. Whilst we are working on systemic change, it is vital that we find our communities and safe spaces.

As I move back to England (my home), I do so with the recognition that I am a member of both visible and non-visible minority groups. I think about the communities, ‘tribe members’ and safe spaces that I will need in personal and professional settings to both support my mental health and allow me to sustainably carry on with the work that I do.

If you know of any amazing communities in the South East of England or ones based online for black women, mixed-race women, people of south-asian heritage, neurodivergent people/parents, parents of black children, DEI professionals and/or not-so-fit basketballers please do share and connect with me if you’d like! The word underpinning my vision board this year was ‘nourish’ and I can absolutely see the power of communities and people to provide spiritual, mental and sometimes intellectual nourishment and strength.

by Hannah Wilson

Diary of a Dyslexic Teacher

Liz Boyer portrait

Written by Liz Boyer

Liz Boyer has dedicated 21 years to education, she specialises in EYFS and KS1. Liz has taught across phases in both the Independent and State sectors, most recently in inner-city schools that are wonderfully diverse in nature. Liz has held various school leadership roles and has devotedly mentored ITT/E students for 15 years. In 2021, she became a SCITT Tutor, and currently serves as Primary Lead for Bluecoat SCITT Alliance BSA. Starting in September 2024, Liz will begin her role as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Derby UoD, continuing her commitment to fostering excellence in education and developing the next generation of teachers. Liz is also dyslexic but doesn’t wish that to define her.

In 2021, I wrote a diary during a 10-day COVID isolation. Fast forward to today I am a Primary SCITT Lead at Bluecoat SCITT Alliance BSA within the Archway Learning Trust ALT. Here, I have the honour of collaborating with an array of exceptional trainee teachers, each with their own unique experiences. Some of these trainees have encountered the challenges associated with neurodiversity, and it is a privilege to support them as we navigate the dynamic landscape of teaching together. I firmly believe that every individual has valuable contributions to make, and I am committed to working with both trainees and educational institutions to ensure that everyone’s strengths are recognised and celebrated.  Some schools actively champion colleagues of all backgrounds, while others are striving to achieve this inclusive environment. My primary support in this endeavour is Diverse Educators DE, an organisation that not only shapes policy but also guides schools as we navigate the era of inclusivity.

2021 Highlights

Day 1: Introduction

I am Liz Boyer, an educator with 18 years’ experience, whilst I have had many senior school roles I identify first and foremost as a teacher.  What sets me apart from some others (although 20% of the population are with me) is my dyslexia, a facet of my professional life I typically do not emphasise however, I am not saying it should be hidden. Today, I aim to share insights, coping strategies, and reassurance for teachers—whether dyslexic or not—drawing from my own journey. 

Day 2: Lists

Make a plan with tiny steps to kick start tasks, applicable beyond teaching. For instance, when tackling a long-term plan, start by just gathering necessary materials. Set a specific day and time for each step, adhering to it diligently. Embrace list-making to maintain momentum—I find ticking tasks off deeply rewarding.

  • Write day 2 diary entry for blog.

Day 3: Mathematics

Reflecting on my own education in maths, I faced significant anxiety around numbers, which mastery, a concept absent in my schooling, would have alleviated. My breakthrough came shortly before my PGCE during a refresher course, highlighting missed fundamental concepts. Witnessing mastery in Early Years, I see its power in building confidence and comprehension, ensuring all students succeed.

Day 4: Level 7

For reluctant readers and writers aiming for academic credibility at Level 7, the demands on trainees, ECTs, and their mentors are undeniably higher than before. While high expectations for teachers are justified, they should come with increased trust and respect for the sector. Amidst such pressure, retaining and nurturing good teachers becomes crucial. Here are practical pointers for those feeling overwhelmed:

  • Start with subjects that genuinely interest you, for me EYFS or ITT/E.
  • Cultivate a network of trusted friends and colleagues who can help read and rephrase materials.
  • Utilise social media groups for resources and support.
  • Incorporate audiobooks or podcasts into your routine for multitasking.
  • Engage in webinars or teaching hubs for ongoing, affordable support.

Day 5: Phonics

Balancing play, phonics, and literacy is challenging but crucial. Reflecting on my education and my son’s journey, I recognise the importance of time in learning to read and write. While the new EYFS framework is positive, there is still a lack of trust in children’s need for exploration and play. More emphasis on Phase 1 and language development in Reception is essential.

Day 6: Asking for Help 

Accepting support is vital, even though I found it challenging in the past. My mum checked my work as a teenager, and although I found it embarrassing then, I now appreciate support from her or other trusted checkers.

Day 7: Making Mistakes 

Mistakes are part of learning, but professionalism demands accuracy in communication. You also need to set a good example to children and I think that written and spoken English needs to be correct.   Daily practice and support are essential for improvement, use flashcards and revision techniques just as you would with children. Senior Leaders need to play to people’s strengths and celebrate the creativity, ability to communicate and energy to name a few positive attributes that often come from pupils and teachers with dyslexia.  

Day 8: Health and Resilience

Resilience is vital for teachers. Learning from setbacks and taking care of mental and physical health are crucial. After setbacks like nerves in interviews, it is important to learn and grow.

Day 9: Supply Teaching 

Supply teaching offers valuable learning opportunities and keeps educators sharp. It allows observation of various school cultures and improves subject knowledge through diverse experiences.

Day 10: Conclusion

I hope you have found my experiences useful and that I have emphasised that having dyslexia or other learning needs need not be a barrier to teaching. Full blog available on request.

by Hannah Wilson