The Fallout of ‘That’ Interview
Written by Rachel Clarke
Working with many leaders to improve schools, Rachel is a "passionate, dedicated and inspirational educator, who strives for success with students and educators".
Meghan and Harry’s ‘bombshell’ interview was one that has re-ignited the conversation about racism in Britain; our thoughts about it, our experiences of it and more revealingly, the opinions of those who we call friends as well as those who are in the public sphere.
For me, there were no surprises aired.
That there could be racism in close proximity, or within the institution of the Royal Family, was not a shock. The institution is one that has been predicated upon ideals of ‘god-given’ superiority and has carried out atrocities in the name of Empire and Imperialism. A family member being ‘concerned’ about the skin tone of Meghan and Harry’s baby, again isn’t surprising.
I think the real surprise and revealing element is in the conversation that appears to be widespread on television programmes and social media. The seemingly comfortable way in which people speak to justify, make excuses for and explain away the ‘casual racism’ espoused, through “well doesn’t it depend on how it was said?”, or “we all have people from an older generation who say the wrong thing”, is evidence enough that we as Britons in Britain haven’t spoken about race, or racism enough.
As a Black female, I find the conversations exhausting. Feeling as if I have to justify and prove my experiences doesn’t support me to feel a sense of belonging. Seeing and hearing other Black and Minority Brits do the same thing, further cements the lack of trust I feel and the feeling of ‘otherness’ that is becoming more not less familiar.
Yes everyone is entitled to their opinion. Yes progress in terms of race relations has been made. Yes I often have pride in the country I have been born in and have generational links with that spans hundreds of years. But enough is enough. I am tired. We are tired. Conversation needs to take place where voices of Black and minorities are listened to, not just tolerated. Real commitment to achieving racial justice has to be made if we are to truly live harmoniously. This doesn’t mean challenging conversations can’t and shouldn’t be had but rather, progress has to be made as a result.
Meghan and Harry show young people how to speak their truth and the rest of us that we need to listen with compassion
Written by Zahara Chowdhury
Zahara is founder and editor of the blog and podcast, School Should Be, a platform that explores a range of topics helping students, teachers and parents on how to ‘adult well’, together. She is a DEI lead across 2 secondary schools and advises schools on how to create positive and progressive cultures for staff and students. Zahara is a previous Head of English, Associate Senior Leader and Education and Wellbeing Consultant.
In years to come, I’m pretty sure Oprah’s interview with Meghan and Harry will feature on the curriculum in some way: history lessons on the monarchy; English lessons on the impact of digital media; Psychology lessons on trauma; PSHE lessons on familial relationships. At the moment, especially in light of Piers Morgan’s resignation from Good Morning Britain, ‘freedom of speech’ is again up for debate, probably the biggest debate on the matter since Trump was removed from Facebook and Twitter. It’s uncomfortable, yes. But, I see it as an opportunity. It’s an opportunity to positively engage with the Teacher’s Professional Standard regarding the expression of personal beliefs. By speaking their truth, their lived experience, Meghan and Harry have shown young people that we can have personal, uncomfortable conversations around race, equity and the status quo with grace and integrity. And, if I was still in the classroom, I would see it as the best environment to teach young people how to have these personal discussions with dignity, compassion and empathy.
After watching the interview a few Mondays ago, I went to bed thinking, how brave and how graceful. I had listened with compassion, empathy and welcomed what seems to be a turning point in the expression of lived experiences and truth. Tuesday morning, I turned on the news, and it felt like I’d watched a completely different version to the journalists before me. In many ways that’s a good thing, opinions differ and that’s how we learn. However, a rising and ongoing problem with social and digital media is a lack of knowledge around how to manage a discussion. I’d like to think the majority of people know how to frame an ethical, written response whether that be in the form of a tweet, comment or direct message. But the overwhelming rise of keyboard warriors, online bullying and trolling is doing more to polarise our society than unite. What’s worse is that students are surrounded by it 24/7 on their phones, iPads and on the TV – more often than not without context or an understanding of how to think about it. Unfortunately, Facebook and Twitter have yet to introduce some form of workable regulation to prevent the rise of anxiety, fear and mental health (we all know they can do more and should do more). Until they do, I think school and the classroom are the best place to nurture an environment where students can have these open, uncomfortable conversations in a safe and equitable environment.
How do we do this? How can teachers have uncomfortable conversations around race, equity and truth in the classroom?
Looking back on my time as a South Asian, Muslim, female head of department, leader, teacher, manager, mother, daughter, sister, I always shared my identity in an honest way, to give my students perspective and context. I shared stories and my viewpoints framed by who I am and my lived experience. This then gave my students the confidence, the model to share their own truth. Modelling is key here, and dissecting Meghan’s approach (ever an English teacher!) to sharing her truth is a lesson in how to share your truth with context, integrity and reason.
Managing those stories and lived experiences is a challenging and scary responsibility for a teacher. The amount of times I ended a lesson, heart racing, from the classroom worried about a parent calling, a colleague challenging my approach on discussion is insurmountable! Equally, I walked away fulfilled. I’d created a safe space that gave students the confidence to share, challenge, agree and disagree with one another. Did it always end well? No, of course not! But it always, eventually ended with respect. That doesn’t happen on Facebook, and I’m not sure it can. If we integrate compassion, listening and equity into our school ethos and classroom culture – just like Oprah! – we can absolutely have moral, ethical and difficult conversations around race, status and the world to make learning that little bit more purposeful.
What is there to discuss?
Meghan and Harry made it abundantly clear on the differences between the institution and the family, and I came away from the interview thinking how multifaceted the dynamics of the Royal Family are – as a job and as a family member. This is a discussion I would love to have in the classroom.
The differences in British and American culture shined through Meghan and Harry. Meghan quite rightly spoke about the change in environment, politics, her identity as a career woman almost changed over time. Harry said meeting Meghan helped him realise he was trapped in a system. Discussing these issues with compassion and empathy can teach young people so much more about ‘real life’ than any careers lesson.
Is it ok for a white man to so out rightly defame a woman of colour? Or maybe people in class don’t think he was defaming at all? What is there to learn and unlearn here? Use the works of Rachel Cargle, Dr Shona and even Edward Said to start a conversation.
With all of these topics, it’s important to teach students that we are all entitled to an opinion, but not one of hate and plain nastiness. The presence of compassion in discussion is quite possibly what marks a successful and valuable conversation.
Will we, as professionals, make mistakes? Of course! Will we come across barriers at school? Absolutely. Should that silence or limit the space for these conversations? No. If the dynamics between digital media, TV, the Royal family and Meghan and Harry’s transparent honesty have taught us anything, it’s that we need to share our lived experiences. More importantly, we need to work together to create a global community that enables them. And, I think the classroom is the best place to start.
Gender is “wibbly-wobbly” and “timey-wimey”, and gloriously so
Written by Matthew Savage
Former international school Principal, proud father of two transgender adult children, Associate Consultant with LSC Education, and founder of #themonalisaeffect.
David Tennant’s regeneration of the Doctor, in exploring the conceptual complexity of time, explained to Sally Sparrow in 2007’s ‘Blink’, “People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint, it’s more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff.”
As the father of two transgender young adults, and a school leader of two decades who has worked with and supported hundreds of children and young people questioning, openly or indirectly, their gender or sexuality, I have increasingly learned that gender identity and expression, sex and sexuality, are no less “wibbly-wobbly” or “timey-wimey”. Indeed, the more we back them into a binary backwater, the less we will understand, respect and celebrate the rich diversity of the Genderbread Person who makes us who we were, who we are and who we will be.
My youngest child, Jack – born AFAB in 2001, identifying as queer when adolescence first hit, as dysphoric shortly afterwards, and as transgender when the adolescent rollercoaster was well underway – at 19, now counts his trans identity as but a tiny fraction of who he is. To him, he is an artist first and foremost; a gay man; a recipe non-conforming chef; and many other identities besides, like all of us. But just as he happens to be a trans male, he obstinately and understandably ticked “Male” as his sex on the recent UK census, even though his first gender reassignment surgery is still a couple of months away.
My eldest child, however, born AMAB in 2000, has recently come out publicly as trans-feminine non-binary, and, about a year previously, as “obnoxiously bisexual”. In doing so, she has embarked on a journey both of discovery and also of worn, lived and breathed gender identity and expression. She is as uncertain about her precise route and destination as she is certain both of her pronouns (she/her, or, at a push, they/them) and also of her name, Phoebe. With her bravery has grown yet further my awe and humility, and, with her wisdom, so also my desire to learn, and to continue learning.
Just as Jack has now acquired the toxicity of male privilege and the pungency of male bathrooms, so has Phoebe gained (bizarrely conditional) access to misogyny, gender inequality and an increasingly unsafe society. Both are emerging into an adult world whose hostile environment permits so many of those who know nothing and represent no one to speak loudest and most hatefully. Much as I love both my children unconditionally (what is conditional love, after all, but something hateful dressed in love’s robes?) and beyond words (even though, as an English graduate and teacher, and wannabe writer, words are my thing!), I fear for their futures.
As a result, I want to do everything in my power, heaping every ‘Teaspoon of Change’ and feverishly flying Maathai’s ‘hummingbird’, to help reshape our world, one which they have the bravery and beauty, but not the obligation, to transform, into a nurturing and safe space: for Jack, for Phoebe, and for every transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming child, young person and adult in this rainbow realm.
In a few days, I will be delivering a presentation at ECIS’ “Diversity and Belonging” Leadership Conference 2021, entitled, “A Principal’s Journey: what I learned about inclusive school leadership from my transgender son”. The abstract argues that, “to identify as LGBTQ+ whilst studying at an international school can present a unique set of challenges, rendering the student especially vulnerable to mental ill health, poor wellbeing and disrupted learning”.
And I will aim candidly to share my experience as the proud father of a gay, transgender child, and how it has taught me to be a truly inclusive leader. But, in reality, this is Jack’s story, and it needs to be told. I am not a religious person (Jack and I both entered “Dudeism” on that very same census!), but Phoebe and Jack are miracles; and miracles deserve to be shared, as far and wide as possible. If I could reach the Doctor’s next regeneration, I feel confident they would share it wherever the Tardis can travel.
Telling it Like it is: Decolonisation is Not Diversity
Written by Tre Ventour
Northamptonian writer-poet, educator and curator, whose work has often revolved around arts, Black history and issues of race and social justice.
Previously published in Northampton Chronicle [edited]
Since the Murder of George Floyd, there has been renewed interest in Education to decolonise the curriculum, but I have so often seen this term decolonisation lumped with Diversity and Inclusion [D&I].
Movements to decolonise curricula have been around for years but progress has been little. To put more Black and Brown authors on course reading lists is simply diversity. And as Sofia Akel writes, “diversity can still exist within this western bias.” D&I and decolonisation are not the same. Academic Kavita Bhanot states that “the concept of diversity only exists if there is an assumed neutral point from which ‘others’ are ‘diverse.’” So, in responding to the Black Lives Matter movement, diversity can only exist in proximity to White people because diversity is “the new corporatized version of multiculturalism” and what we should be exploring is decolonial thought.
In order to understand decolonisation, we must look at colonialism, specifically how it was more than the brutalisation of a set of peoples and cultures. It also includes intellectual genocides through knowledge production (i.e the erasure of African history), or if you want the jargon, epistemic violence. Epistemology is the theory of knowledge, so epistemicide is in reference to a violence committed through knowledge. This combined with the codification of White western European thought into our structures, very much a by-product of colonial epistemologies, is what we are living with today. Meaning these codifications have also centralised White western experiences and ways of thinking/acting as the universal norm, with Dr. Shona Hunter describing Whiteness as “the ethos of the impulse to govern. … it is not just that whiteness is sameness. It is the generalizing universalizing impulse, the impulse to have power over life, the ultimate controlling impulse.”
Sofia Akel also says “decolonisation typically refers to the withdrawal of political, military and governmental rule of a colonised land by its invaders. Decolonising education, however, is often understood as the process in which we rethink, reframe and reconstruct the curricula and research that preserve the Europe-centred, colonial lens.” So, this is something undiscussed in just putting ‘diverse authors’ on reading lists. Prof. Gurminder Bhambra and colleagues believe decolonisation should provoke a change in our thinking about the world – where racism, empire and colonialism are placed at the centre and positioned as objects around which our present world is shaped.
During the Labour Party’s Black History Month debate in October, the term decolonisation was contested by members of The Government. Bhambra and colleagues think that “one of the key challenges that decolonising approaches have presented to Eurocentric forms of knowledge is an insistence on positionality and plurality.” This means the conflicting different stances that can be taken in relation to arguments about decolonial thought. One such example could be to look at how colonialism is discussed in geographies situated in the Global South compared to the Global North(west). On a personal note, to me decolonising the curriculum could begin with looking at what epistemic violence looks like in STEM subjects. We could start by interrogating our very language in relation to Whiteness, (terms like East and West) and how the words and terms we use are vital to how we relate to our identities, communities and each other.
Since the 2020 anti-racism resurgence, there’s been much debate about White privilege, a notion that has a long history in print with work having been done by thinkers, including WEB DuBois, Kalwant Bhopal, Peggy McIntosh, Theodore W. Allen, and more famously in the mainstream with Reni Eddo-Lodge. In our want to decolonise, it would be of value to also critique Whiteness, especially by looking at the work of Black and Brown authors, since Whiteness is often better critiqued from those outside of it. If we look at the current colonised curriculum as a symptom of White supremacy, we might be able to change our thinking beyond individuals. Just as Charles Mills writes, “unlike the currently more fashionable “white privilege” white supremacy implies the existence of a system that not only privileges whites but is run by whites for white benefit.”
So, when we think about decolonisation, we must the consider language. So, here we begin to see that D&I and decolonisation are different, and it’s often infuriating to see them lumped together. In admitting school, FE college and university curricula are colonised, we must then see how our education system is complicit in White supremacy. The Murder of George Floyd was a wakeup call for many. Movements to decolonise the curriculum have been around for decades and this is simply the latest chapter in a much longer, subtler history. Decolonise, not diversify, and with universities as well, in the tiger’s mouth of Coronavirus and students being fed a colonised curriculum in the White academy, you really have to ask, what exactly are students paying for?
Antisemitism Today
Written by Freddy Naftel
Speaker, teacher and lecturer at Holocaust Enrichment Education.
My Mother and Grandparents were refugees from Nazi Germany, my Great-Grandmother spent several years in a concentration camp and survived, my Great Aunt and Uncle both perished in Auschwitz and I have been the victim of antisemitism both at school and in my professional career as a teacher. I have experienced prejudice indirectly, whether through ignorance or genuine hatred and yet very little appears to have been done to improve matters.
Prejudice and Racism in any form is totally abhorrent and prevents society from accepting that all people are equal, regardless of their colour, creed, disability or sexual orientation. The words “Islamophobia” and “Homophobia” are by now well known but “Judeophobia” less so. Why hasn’t this expression appeared in the media alongside the aforementioned words? In any case, “phobia” means a fear of something, not necessarily hatred, even though fear stems from ignorance which can then lead to prejudice.
It is fair to say that antisemitism is thought of as a “Jewish problem” and therefore can only be fully understood and dealt with by people of that faith, which of course should not be the case. I have noticed far too often that antisemitism is pushed under the carpet and that the fault lies with Jews themselves, as if they deserve it. There are those who believe that The Holocaust was something just waiting to happen and that Jews brought it upon themselves. Others have said that Hitler failed to achieve his aim and that six million wasn’t enough. Holocaust denial has continued to grow despite overwhelming historical evidence to the contrary and conspiracy theories have doubled in recent years. The Jews have been blamed for everything including 9/11, Brexit, the Grenfell Tower tragedy and now Coronavirus and when members of a certain political party reinforced these views, antisemitism became even more prevalent.
With views like these and with little chance of the media coming to our defence, as antisemitism is not generally seen as an issue commensurate with anti-Islam or even anti-gay propaganda, we are constantly relying on organisations such as Campaign Against Antisemitism to speak up for us, often with successful results. Antisemitism is now found in academic circles, particularly at universities, where Jewish students have been made to feel unwelcome and where some lecturers have actively engaged in antisemitic rants, with the authorities seemingly unwilling to act accordingly.
This is why for the past 10 years, I have been visiting schools up and down the country, delivering presentations on Judaism, The Holocaust and Antisemitism from a very personal point of view. By necessity, I have continued delivering my talks virtually, reaching the USA and Australia in the last few months. The lack of knowledge about the true facts of The Holocaust and Antisemitism have been a revelation for many students, despite the mandatory study of this period of history in schools. It is no use skimming over the surface where this is concerned and in fact, there can never be enough Holocaust education. Many of us who study and teach about this cataclysmic event are in agreement that nothing should be hidden from young people. This is especially important when we have seen similar events occuring in countries as diverse as Rwanda, Darfur, Bosnia, Roumania and North Korea. We are now seeing the “re-education” of Uighur Muslims in Chinese concentration camps and even the Jewish way of life is threatened in China.
The way I see it, young people are our main hope and their reactions to some of the stories I relate express shock, outrage and a willingness to speak out. Students have told me that they agree that education is the way forward and they are beginning to understand that centuries of hatred have made us that much more determined to stamp down on this scourge of society.
Unfortunately, some schools believe that having a Holocaust survivor come into school once a year is sufficient enrichment for the study of The Holocaust, in effect sidestepping the growing problem of contemporary worldwide antisemitism. Yes, we should remember the experiences of those people who survived unimaginable horrors but The Holocaust itself did not necessarily teach us the right way forward, as exhibited by the actions of the aforementioned countries.
We must never forget what happened and we should do all we can to fight prejudice as a uniform body.
Say My Name
Written by Raisa Shaikh
English Teacher, Head of Key Stage Five English, Diversity and Inclusion Co-Chair
Despite it being an absolute classic (tune…banger…whatever else my students call it), this isn’t a piece about the Destiny’s Child song.
It’s about how your name is the gateway to your identity. Think about it.
Your name is the first thing you reveal to complete strangers in any scenario. Not only that, but it brings with it many layers including your heritage, family history, language and meaning.
To learn a person’s name is to acknowledge and engage with who they are at the most basic level, with the hope of forging a strong, meaningful relationship as time goes on. I believe the exact same ethos applies within education whether it be fellow staff or students.
However, pre-Covid I was reminded that this is not always the case.
This reminder came in the form of being put on last-minute cover (the joys) for a Year Nine English class. Once the students had settled in the classroom and were reading in silence, I began taking the register and read the name “Adua” out loud. The serene silence was broken by a flurry of hushed whispering amongst the students and after asking what the matter was, a boy raised his hand and said to me:
“It’s nothing bad Ma’am, just that it’s the first time someone’s gotten Adua’s name right”.
He was seated next to Adua, who smiled at me in a way that read “Thank you, but can we also all stop looking at me right now”. I didn’t linger on it for much longer and mentioned to her that I’m glad I’d gotten it right, but it did make me think:
- They’re in Year Nine, is this really the first time someone’s said her name correctly?
- Do others ask her before-hand how to pronounce her name?
- Would she or any other student feel confident correcting a mispronunciation?
- What’s the right way to even tell someone that they’ve mispronounced your name?
A similar thing occurred when I found out that I’d been saying the names of one of my Year Eleven students incorrectly for a while without even realising. When I apologised to them, they said with a very dejected tone that it ‘didn’t matter’ and that I could ‘call them whatever’ I wanted because ‘nobody gets it right anyways so it’s just easier’.
Strangely, my attempt to comfort them came out as a loud “NO!”, followed by a rapid explanation in response to their raised eyebrows that names are important and that teachers need to get the basics right with their students. Upon further reflection, I also began thinking about growing up with my own name as a student and throughout my teaching career so far. From having a co-worker tell me that “Ray” would be much easier for them to say, to a university professor combining my name with a classmate’s name and addressing us both with that ‘new’ name multiple times, I realised that the gateway to my identity had not always been acknowledged.
So why didn’t I say anything?
In the past when I tried to correct people’s mispronunciations or misspellings, I would be met with a barrage of laughter followed with the all-too-familiar “It’s just a joke”, “Take a bit of banter”, “Stop being prissy” or was just ignored altogether. It became incredibly hard to say something only to be met with dismissal or the feeling that you were being the difficult, awkward one by drawing attention to yourself instead of just “getting on with it”.
This is not to say that those who repeatedly mispronounced or misspelled my name were automatically racist. Rather they displayed a sense of laziness, ignorance and a profound unwillingness to accept that their actions made another person feel devalued and invisible simply because it was not their “intention”. However, with the discussions and actions that are taking place amid the global outcry against injustice last year it is clear that a person’s intention does not automatically equal exoneration. There is no excuse anymore.
Sometimes as teachers we forget how much power we actually have in the classroom and that our words and actions carry permanence. When it comes to pronouncing and spelling names of our students there is nothing wrong with taking the time to ask. Instead, it provides students with the agency to establish communication and assert their individuality from the outset.
The exact same can be said of the workplace. Staff members deserve agency just as our students do and we can all afford to take that extra two minutes to make sure we get it right. Nobody should have their name morphed into something else by someone else and then be made to feel as though they have to capitulate to that person’s ignorance (regardless of intent), in order to avoid being labelled “difficult”.
Your name is the gateway to your identity.
Own it.
Say it.
Reflections on My First Term as D&I Lead
Written by Jami Edwards-Clarke
Director of D&I at Hurstpierpoint College, Housemistress and PE Teacher
As I sit and reflect on my journey so far as Director of D&I at Hurst, I am overwhelmed with positivity, hope and joy. What has been achieved since March 2020, is something Hurst’s community should be extremely proud of. Every initiative has been fantastic and that’s down to our pupil platform. They have been the engine throughout this journey and the work they have put in to ensuring its success, is phenomenal. It’s evident that there has been a visible amount of real, meaningful and immensely valuable progress and I am so proud of what has been achieved.
Upon returning to the college in September, the platform began arranging our first big event: Black History Month in October. As curricula still all too often erases Black existence and achievements in history, we wanted to encourage students to engage with this annual celebration as a starting point for learning outside the curriculum. We put up posters just about everywhere and kicked each week off with an email full of resources like books and films which could help students learn about Black history.
The next date on our agenda was the UN Disability week in December, with the theme ‘not all disabilities are visible’. Students often receive little education about disability and how to treat people with disabilities. We started to change that, with daily emails containing videos or articles that we hoped would broaden people’s understanding of disability. A shout out to Luke Morris and Mrs Naumann for heading this up, the work you put into making this a success was superb.
As well as celebrating such events, Hurst pupils have been inspired by several speakers. Outside speakers include polymath Sophie Cook, the first transgender woman to work in football’s Premier League; Abdi Omar, a motivational speaker and Youtuber who lives with cerebral palsy; and Siya Twani, who was imprisoned for speaking out against injustice in South Africa – to name but a few. Additionally, members of the D & I group have delivered assemblies to the Shell and Fifth form on the aspects of Diversity & Inclusion that the platform hopes to promote across the college. The D & I group also created a PowerPoint slideshow, like the assemblies, to be presented to Year 7 & 8 by the D & I pupil ambassadors in the Prep School – who’re equally as keen and motivated to enact change in the college as those in the senior school.
We have not been deterred by lockdown either, with Teams Q&A sessions with figures like Harry Hitchens, an ex-Hurst pupil who is now a key figure in the fight to Ban Conversion Therapy in the UK, and Devin Ibanez, a USA rugby player who is openly gay despite the stigma which remains in the sport. In fact, one advantage of online talks has been that parents can tune in too: 57 families watched Jude Guiatamacchi’s talk on their experiences as a non-binary model and campaigner. These thought-provoking talks have been incredibly valuable in giving students, parents and staff an authentic and ‘real life’ perspective on such important topics.
D& I’s weekly Friday lunchtime meetings continued remotely and have also provided the opportunity for more talks – this time by teachers within the school. Highlights include Miss Cave and Miss McNeill’s talk on mental health, and Mr Cuerden’s frank discussion of his experiences at the time of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Additionally, Mrs Watson-Saunders delivered a powerful speech during the staff inset on her experience of being a person of colour in the UK. This teacher engagement with D&I is incredibly exciting – HoDs have been encouraged to reflect on their department’s curriculum to make it more inclusive; the History department have done a talk reflecting on Black London, hosted by Olly Ayres, the Drama department is planning to put together an LGBTQ+ themed monologue and the Art department have had a Black Lives Matter focus; a sign of change across all levels of the school.
D & I have also been looking for ways to engage not only pupils but also parents. That’s why we have teamed up with Hurst’s Climate Awareness Group to create the Engage for Change newsletter, a monthly newsletter, sent to all Hurst pupils and parents. It contains articles written on a broad range of issues, from pollution to body positivity – all written by Hurst pupils from Shell to UVIth under the direction of Ms Lewis, Mr Jordan and Mrs Edwards-Clarke. The newsletter includes think pieces, advice, and interviews with pupils, staff and parents. Look out for the third volume in your inbox next month!
The READI group (Rainbow Education Alliance of Diverse Identities / Individuals), a subsection of D & I, also began meeting during a Monday lunchtime towards the end of the second Half of Michaelmas term. The aim of this sub-group was to provide a safe space to talk about the experience of being LGBTQ+. In the first meeting of the group, we introduced ourselves, with those who were confident talking about their experience of being LGBTQ+, something which allowed people to overcome barriers – if individuals thought they were previously alone in their experience of being LGBTQ+, they knew that this was no longer the case. Something that came from this group was conversation over ‘identity and gender’. This got us onto the development of a gender-neutral uniform for the college. This takes time to get right, and there have been numerous meetings with SLT and discussion groups between staff and students to ensure pupils feel heard. However, we still have a bit of work to do in this domain, as we do not want to rush this process. We want all voices heard and a plan that suits all. We are hoping for some changes to come into place for September 2021.
Lastly, I think it would be completely outrageous if we didn’t talk about what we are celebrating throughout February, so far, I would say it has been our biggest success. Hurst has thrown itself into celebrating Pride History Month with a push from the pupil platform and our marketing team. Planning started in January, with guest speakers taking the stage (Teams) for whole school tutorials. These events saw up to 500 pupils all tuned in for very exciting Q&As. The month started with a Prep and Senior School wide video made by a range of staff and students responding to what ‘pride’ meant to them, and why it’s important we celebrate this month. It was fantastic to see the prep school speak alongside senior school – feeling like a true moment of community during online learning. The weekly emails sent out by the amazing Ms Lewis highlight a few media options for staff and students to engage with and this has been well received. There have also been some initiatives for students to get involved with, like an Art department creative challenge to produce a timeline of events in LGBTQ+ history. Additionally, we offered LGBTQ+-themed books to any students and staff who wanted to get involved, sharing their views after the half term in a book-club session and even a PHM Bake Off! The involvement is going well and hopefully we can make this an annual initiative. Something that I personally enjoyed was connecting with OJs ( some dating back to 1979!) on their own LGBTQ+ memories back when they were at the College. It’s safe to say, that the work we are doing presently, has brough much joy and it’s evident that huge progress has been made. I really do hope we can form a stronger bond on all things D&I in the future with our Hurst Foundation programme, as it’s all about creating a strong relationship of past and present to really encapsulate the ‘community’ feel.
What has easily been the highlight of the month is the fantastic tutorial talks we have had. Speaking from a pupil, staff and parent point of view, the feedback and engagement has been first class. The range of experience and viewpoints from Jude (a transgender, non-binary activist and model), to Harry (a gay, male activist) to Sarah and Leah (professional athletes, competing for GB and Wales in hockey). The eloquence, respect and genuine interest the student-body has reinforced why it’s important we as a school engage in celebrating LGBTQ+ History month. We are really proud at Hurst to be taking such a lead in celebrating all things diversity and inclusion, and we appreciate the active support the parent-body has shown us this month. Something that has really resonated with me from all of the online CPD sessions and Q&A discussions is how effective having a positive presence of allies and role models. Typically, people get inspired to do something when they see others like them do it and I believe as educators we have a huge responsibility in supporting, guiding and listening to everybody as the individuals they are, both academically and pastorally. We also have a significant responsibility in challenging those who do hold adverse opinions. Standing up for respect and kindness is something I stand by and with our mantra #Be #Yourself at Hurst at the forefront of this initiative, I will continue to do my absolute best to make sure every pupil and member of staff feel that they can stay true to just that.
Wellbeing Lessons for the Diverse Primary Classroom: Teaching Through Inclusive Practice
Written by Manisha Tailor MBE NPQH
Former Deputy Headteacher and Author, 50 Wellbeing Lessons for the Diverse Primary classroom.
Teaching about wellbeing through inclusive practice is about ensuring that all young people feel like a valued member of their school community and beyond. It is about ensuring that all those who have a duty of care and commitment to the welfare and safety of children demonstrate responsibility in making sure mental health and wellbeing is at the heart of school ethos and culture.
Learning about mental health must be developmental, and for young children, rehearsing ways of asking an adult for help, persevering and showing resilience if they find something difficult, lays the foundations for confidently accessing sources of support when they are older.
There is a growing mental health crisis in schools and mental health problems affect children in every country across the globe.This pandemic is changing the lives of people, including the lives of children all over the world. A recent study by the Mental Health Foundation UK found that young people are feeling more anxious, a trend which is 10% higher for black and mixed heritage children. Research from the World Health Organisation suggests that 1 in 8 children have a diagnosable mental health disorder and globally, depression is one of the leading causes of illness and disability. Furthermore, in 2017, suicide was the most common cause of death for both boys (16.2% of all deaths) and girls (13.3%) aged between 5 and 19.
How can we impact learning based on what we know?
Mental Health is also very closely linked to poverty, discrimination and overall health and wellbeing. Teaching through inclusive practice is designed to support teachers in promoting social and emotional wellbeing within a diverse classroom, inclusive for all learners. Children will experience lots of highs and lows and at times in rapid succession. They will go through situations that make them feel excited, exhilarated and happy, to sad, disappointed and frustrated, caused by change in environment, missing friends, bereavement or change in circumstance e.g. parents loss of job and income as a result of the pandemic.
This rollercoaster of emotions can cause emotional suffering leading to poor self-care, personality change and withdrawal. It is therefore important that children are given the opportunity to reflect upon the ways in which they can control, regulate and self-manage their emotions and recognise their impact on others.
Children learn morals, values and beliefs from their family, peers, teachers, the media and others around them. The influence from this socialisation informs their view of the world and their view of others. This can lead to stereotypes and prejudiced views of individuals and groups of people. The way in which they treat others as a result of these views can have an impact on the emotional health of the victim. This could include racism, disability discrimination or homophobic abuse.
Our detailed lessons plans and supplemented resources help to promote discussion with each lesson plan containing learning outcomes, activity descriptions and further questions to stimulate critical thinking, especially around areas of diversity specific to race, culture and LGBTQ+. The content covered in this resource includes topics such as the psychological impact of discrimination, the Black Lives Matter movement, Islamophobia, disability, prejudice, coping with loss, feeling left out, moving school and managing as a young carer.
The message is simple and clear – representation matters if our young people are to grow as independent, resilient, life-long learners, equipped to manage the adversities that life presents.
We want to be able to provide young people with the opportunity to explore their feelings and understand empathy and reflect, ask questions, analyse and find solutions through open discussion and collaboration on the things that matter to them. Helping children to reflect, feel comfortable to ask questions and most importantly, feel as though they can talk about their feelings and emotions, without fear of judgement will lead to improved mental wellbeing.
Preparing children for the complexities of life in an ever-changing world will help them to develop resilience and adaptability as 21st-century life-long learners.
50 Wellbeing Lessons for the Diverse Primary Classroom is available to pre-order:
Routledge Education:
Amazon:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wellbeing-Lessons-Diverse-Primary-Classroom/dp/0367708264
Waterstones:
References:
Samaritans:
Mental Health Foundation: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/statistics/mental-health-statistics-uk-and-worldwide
Mental Health Organization:
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-disorders
Diversity and Inclusion through the use of art and philosophy in the STEM curriculum
Written by Dr Christine Challen
23 years research experience in the field of cancer research. She has taught at Higher Education, Further Education and more recently as a Supply Teacher in Secondary Schools.
“Imagination is more important than knowledge”
“Education is not the learning of facts but the training of the mind to think” Albert Einstein
One of the many challenges schools face is to explore ways in which to enhance diversity and inclusion in the curriculum. The Chambers Dictionary defines diversity “as the state of being diverse/different.” In order to be able to respectfully acknowledge different cultures, opinions and learning/social barriers through either mental health or special needs you need to know you! Importantly you need to have self belonging and esteem to be proactive towards diversity and inclusion. While the cruel arrival of covid 19 has increased the inequality gaps it has provided a
catalytic incentive for rethinking education and curriculum. In particular,ensuring that it strives to support diversity and inclusion through strategies that consistently and continually enhance “passionate self-reflection” and consistent metamorphosis through “first hand experience and immersion in the living.” If we want to achieve this we cannot do it solely by a subject based education but additionally require a holistic journey embedded within the curriculum to support self-actualisation through a transient passage of being becoming and thriving.
During lockdown I have been somewhat surprised at the amount of non-pedagogy literature which links the use of art, philosophy literature and nature to a sense of becoming independent, resilient innovative spirits. This made me reflect and question; how we could implement such strategies and techniques to improve diversity in education. This approach could not only improve positive and effective emotional responses but also embed much needed tolerance towards enhancing awareness of diversity and inclusion. These attributes are essential for our children to be successful in society and develop diverse global and cultural communication skills enabling resilience and emotional regulation towards education for diverse social justice. As Amber Makaiau states “It’s important that we make room for this learning how to get along with one another…. People skills being conscious of our cultural differences what makes businesses succeed and economies run.”
Harari (2011) describes the importance of the cognitive revolution; new ways of thinking and communication as being responsible for Homo sapiens thriving by adapting to social changes and behaviour. The recent successful adaptation of Phillip Pullmans’ Dark Materials highlights the importance of exposing children to a wide range of literature philosophers and religious voices to enhance rich experiences and imaginative questioning. This supports the view and statement from Robert McKee that “Storytelling is the most powerful way of putting ideas into the world today” and exploring various literatures from different cultures and social backgrounds is still the key technique for enhancing diversity, inclusion resilience and emotional self reflection. Unfortunately while this is a frequent activity in primary schools, it does not continue in secondary. Such would be impactual in building respectful diverse cultural discussions and enhance emotional regulation which during the “difficult” teenage years could act towards a restorative means for challenging behaviour by providing a safe “pupil voice” environment. The introduction of individual subjects is a necessary transition to secondary school nevertheless it is essential to maintain curiosity and questioning and ensure diverse interdisciplinary subject connection here and beyond. Some of the greatest creative minds including Davinci and Einstein had no formal education. Their ability to think innovatively
and communicate diversely was through art and building.
Davinci’s detailed anatomical sketches are widely used today to enhance the teaching of an otherwise “dull” topic anatomy in medical schools. Such techniques have changed the view of anatomy and allowed an overall different outlook and greater accessibility to the detail ,beauty
and diversity of the human body. I have extended this idea to enhance the teaching of organ systems in biology and cells by getting the pupils to build organs/cells out of sweets otherwise known as “Candy Anatomy.” This extends cognitive skills through “modelling” and supports students’ understanding the different structures and how these relate to function. It encourages and builds team working and social skills as well as creating space for student voice.
Another useful way is to allow students to design their own you tubes while building a three dimensional biological process e.g. DNA translation/transcription. This deepens visual and visceral conceptualisation and broadens deep understanding. These can then be posted on remote learning platforms and used as a means of diverse peer support and discussion.
The use of questioning techniques can be built in simple concepts such as what is a rainbow this can be further developed building in diverse ideas as to how the colours link to physics, maths history, music and literature. Similarly The Beat of Life where pupils build a heart from clay and create story boards as to how it connects with literature music and poetry. Such activities encourage diverse connections between, the sciences, arts, spiritual and musical humanities enabling critical thought analysis necessary for self-development.
Experience and conceptualisation are key to self reflection and belonging towards diversity and inclusion. The relationships/connections between the arts sciences and humanities enable this process and provide an excellent strategy and approach to reenergise self and human stable creative and innovative diverse social and cultural tapestries (Challen 2020)
References
The Chambers Dictionary Thirteenth Edition (published by Chambers Harap Publishers 2014)
Human Values Foundation {accessed 5/11/19}
https://www.valuesbasededucation.com/vbe-guide/vbe-material/articles?layout=edit&id=196
https://twitter.com/HVF_Values
Challen, C. (2020). Rethinking higher education policy and leadership for the 21stcentury: Enhancing strategies for global citizenship and justice. Journal of Higher Education Policy And Leadership Studies, 1(1), 77-81. http://dx.doi.org/10.29252/johepal.1.1.77
Challen, C.(2020). The importance of art/poetry and philosophy in educational leadership, well-being and engagement of STEM subjects.Journal of Higher Education Policy and Leadership Studies, 1(3), 41-54. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.29252/johepal.1.3.41
February is UK LGBT+ History Month and the theme this year is ‘Body, Mind, Spirit’
Written by Hannah Wilson
Founder of Diverse Educators
Different groups of people have been impacted in different ways through Covid-19 and lockdown. There are growing concerns about the mental health wellbeing of our LGBTQI+ young people who may not be a safe space to show up as their authentic selves.
Here are 10 things you can do as a teacher, a school leader or as a school to get involved, from resources to events, from training to awards to help to raise awareness and increase understanding:
1. Schools’ Out have a directory of fantastic free resources for schools here:
https://lgbtplushistorymonth.co.uk/resources/ and you can download the free posters here: https://lgbtplushistorymonth.co.uk/resources/lgbt-history-month/
2. The Proud Trust have a free downloadable resource pack for schools:
https://lgbtplushistorymonth.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/LGBT-History-Month-Pack-2021.pdf
3. Check out all of the organisations listed on the Diverse Educators’ website under the Protected Characteristic of Sexual Orientation:
https://www.diverseeducators.co.uk/sexual-orientation/
4. Diverse Educators partner with the Carnegie School of Education, Leeds Beckett, home to the LGBTQ+ Centre for Inclusion in Education, find out more about their research and their Schools’ Award:
https://www.diverseeducators.co.uk/centre-for-lgbtq-inclusion/
5. Read and share a #DiverseEd blog about the lived experience of a LGBT teacher, Jared Cawley, and understand how to support the wellbeing of our colleagues:
https://www.diverseeducators.co.uk/my-wellbeing-as-a-lgbt-teacher/
6. Dual Frequency have created an interactive digital calendar for all things Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Download and start using your copy here:
https://www.diverseeducators.co.uk/dual-frequency/
7. Diversity Role Models have released season one of Role Model Stories that includes six episodes, with stories from Vicky Jane, Simeon, Mon, Barry, Richy and Simon, packed with inspiring personal stories covering a range of topics from history, intersectionality, faith and LGBT+ inclusion, gender identity, different families and more. Each video comes with a downloadable teacher resource.
https://www.diverseeducators.co.uk/diversity-role-models/
8. Diversity Role Models have also recently published a report: ‘Pathways to LGBT+ Inclusion: Report’ revealed only 20% of secondary students learnt about LGBT+ identities and HBT bullying at school, while only 27% of secondary students said their school would be safe for a fellow student to come out as LGBT+.
9. #LGBTed have recently published a book: Big Gay Adventures in Education and they host a weekly twitter chat:
https://www.diverseeducators.co.uk/lgbted/
10. Find out how your LGBTQI+ staff feel about your workplace culture with Edurio’s free EDI survey:
https://home.edurio.com/edi-review
Reflections:
- If we believe in a whole education to develop the whole child, how are we enabling our staff to bring their whole self to school too?
- How can we be inclusive allies to support our pupils and students, staff and governors, parents and carers, in feeling physically and psychologically safe in our schools?
As a tangible action for change we recommend that you check out the Queer Knowledge Organiser created by David Lowbridge-Ellis in our Cross-Curricular resources drive and review your provision.