Strategy

My Becoming

Written by Caroline Anukem

Caroline Anukem is Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Lead at Beaconsfield High School in the UK. She is a driving force, a change-maker, and a relentless advocate for equity.

Once upon a time, in the 1980s village of Woolton, Liverpool, my educational journey began at Notre Dame, a Roman Catholic Grammar School with a simplicity and homogeneity that defined the era. Diversity, an unfamiliar term, seldom found its way into our vocabulary. Inclusivity, if acknowledged at all, meant conforming to a narrow mould. The notion of an EDI Lead was beyond imagination, and conversations about inclusion were but a whisper in the wind. I will definitely one day take a trip down memory lane and share my experiences.

Fast forward to the present day, where the quaint village experience meets the vibrant landscape of Beaconsfield High School. Here, I am privileged to be the school’s EDI Lead. Over the years we have witnessed an extraordinary transformation. Our school, once bound by conformity, now embraces the range of backgrounds, cultures, and identities. Diversity is not just acknowledged; it is a cause for celebration. This celebration of diversity and citizenship was ignited during our inaugural Global Citizens Week celebration. Inclusion is not just a buzzword; it is consciously embedded into the very aspect of our educational system.

The positives of this transformation are as abundant as the perspectives, worldviews, and lifestyles our students now encounter. They merge a rich foreword thing, diverse and inclusive learning experiences, the invaluable lessons of empathy, respect, and the strength derived from unity in the face of diversity. We are not merely preparing them for a world where these qualities are admirable; we are preparing them for a world where these qualities are essential. Yet, as we bask in the glow of progress, the journey towards true equity and inclusion continues. Barriers, some dismantled, others still standing, remind us that our work is far from over. As the EDI Lead, I recognise the need for more diversity among our educators and leaders. Our curriculum must reflect a global perspective, ensuring every student feels seen and heard.

The concept of an EDI Lead, once unimaginable, now stands as a beacon. It should not be a rarity but a standard that is imperative at the core of our education system. I believe that EDI and Safeguarding share common ground promoting a safe and secure environment. Our aim is a society where uniqueness is embraced, where every student sees themselves reflected in their education, and where equity is not just a distant goal but a living reality.

In conclusion, the journey from the simplicity of my village education in Liverpool to the vibrant inclusivity of BHS is a testament to our progress. Yet, it serves as a reminder of how much further we can go. As an EDI Lead, my commitment is to develop a learning environment thriving on differences, not just educating minds but nurturing hearts, building lasting friendships, relationships and encompassing the British Values in our daily practices. The journey toward a more inclusive and equitable educational landscape continues, one story at a time.

Reference: https://malechildcareandteachingjobs.co.uk/blog/a-historic-first-eagley-school-house-nurseries-becomes-the-uks-first-early-years-provider-to-offer-equal-parental-leave/

A Groundbreaking Milestone: the UK’s First Nursery to Implement Equal Parental Leave

Written by Claudio Sisera

Claudio Sisera is the Founder and Head of Diversity at Male Childcare & Teaching Jobs. Advocate of Gender Inclusivity in Education.

Eagley School House Nurseries has opened a new chapter for equality in early years education by introducing equal parental leave, a policy that’s the first of its kind in the UK’s early years domain. Spearheaded by Director Julie Robinson, this innovative approach goes beyond mere policy changes; it marks a meaningful step toward true gender equality at work and home. Julie’s leadership aims to inspire other settings in the sector to consider similar policies, sparking a ripple effect in early years education.

Driving Equality: The Vision Behind Equal Parental Leave

Julie Robinson’s initiative to implement equal parental leave at Eagley School House Nurseries reflects her commitment to fostering gender equality in the workplace and in family life. “We’ve long assumed that childcare leave is just the mother’s responsibility,” she says, explaining how her policy addresses the need for change. This fresh approach allows parents, regardless of gender, to share childcare responsibilities without stigma.

Research supports the positive impact of both parents being involved in their child’s early years, showing benefits in cognitive and emotional development. By enabling fathers to participate more in these foundational years, Eagley School House Nurseries highlights the importance of both parents’ roles in childcare, setting a powerful example that values fathers just as much as mothers.

Reflecting Core Values: Inclusivity at Eagley School House Nurseries

For years, Eagley School House Nurseries has been committed to building an inclusive environment, and the new equal parental leave policy is a natural extension of that mission. Julie’s work over two decades has consistently championed gender diversity, with projects focused on supporting boys’ achievements and welcoming men into early years roles. “Inclusivity has been my ethos from the start,” Julie explains, emphasising how valuable male contributions are to early education.

This policy not only aligns with Eagley School House Nurseries’ mission but also strengthens their dedication to providing a workplace that challenges stereotypes. By promoting equal leave, Julie fosters a culture where everyone’s contributions are recognised and valued, irrespective of gender. Her work is a beacon for other nurseries and settings, offering a roadmap toward a more balanced childcare sector.

Impact on Staff and the Early Years Sector

The introduction of equal parental leave at Eagley School House Nurseries is not only a supportive measure for its employees but also a landmark decision for the wider sector. As Julie shares, “Parents shouldn’t have to choose between career and family.” Her policy champions choice, removing societal pressure and ensuring all parents feel supported in balancing work and family.

More broadly, this policy fosters a more equitable early years environment. By making parental roles independent of gender expectations, Eagley School House Nurseries encourages fathers to take on active caregiving roles. Julie explains, “Normalising parental leave for all genders helps break down stereotypes about caregiving.” This forward-thinking approach sets an important precedent and signals a progressive shift within early years education.

Transforming Workplace Culture

Eagley School House Nurseries’ equal parental leave policy is expected to bring positive cultural changes to the workplace, creating a supportive environment for all staff. Julie hopes the policy will strengthen job satisfaction and encourage retention, especially for men entering early years education who may seek balance between family and career. “When we value our dads, we acknowledge the important role they play,” she notes.

This commitment to inclusivity could help attract new talent, reinforcing Julie’s message that every role in childcare is meaningful. Her vision reflects a dedication to creating a workplace where employees feel valued as both caregivers and professionals, inspiring other nurseries to consider similar steps.

A Vision for Change: Julie Robinson on the Importance of Men in Childcare

Julie Robinson’s passion for equality extends beyond policy – it’s about reshaping perceptions in the early years sector. She believes that valuing men in childcare is essential for building a truly inclusive society. “When we respect people for what they do, we elevate the industry and the role itself,” Julie shares.

By supporting men’s involvement in early years, Julie hopes to set a new standard that encourages more men to embrace active parenting. She believes that equal parental leave could inspire men to engage fully in their children’s lives and become role models within early years education.

Looking Ahead

Eagley School House Nurseries’ new policy on equal parental leave sets an important standard for inclusivity in early years education. Julie’s commitment to supporting both mothers and fathers equally not only enhances workplace culture but also encourages a balanced approach to family and professional life. This is a significant shift, one with the potential to inspire change across the sector.

We hope that other early years settings will follow Julie’s example, working toward an industry where staff feel valued and empowered to balance work with family. Together, we can create a stronger, more inclusive future for early years education.

Developing Cultural Intelligence in Education: A Necessity for School Leaders

Written by Hannah Wilson

Founder of Diverse Educators

Cultural intelligence (CQ) is the capability to relate and work effectively across different cultures, backgrounds, and situations:

Understanding cultural norms: Understanding how cultures influence values, beliefs, and behaviors
Adapting to different cultures: Being able to work and relate with people from different cultures
Making informed judgments: Using observations and evidence to make judgments in new environments

The concept of Cultural Intelligence was introduced in 2003 by London Business School professor P. Christopher Earley and Nanyang Business School professor Soon Ang.

In today’s increasingly diverse educational landscape, it is imperative for educators and school leaders to understand and cultivate CQ. This ensures not only the inclusion and success of all students whilst fostering a rich, diverse learning environment, but it is of equal importance to our staff to feel part of an inclusive workplace which prioritises belonging for all stakeholders.

Why Cultural Intelligence Matters

CQ Enhances Inclusivity and Equity: CQ allows educators to recognise and value the diverse cultural backgrounds of their students and staff. This leads to more equitable teaching practices and policies that support all students and staff, irrespective of their identity.
CQ Supports Recruitment and Retention: CQ promotes a commitment to belonging. Culturally intelligent employers, workplaces, leaders and teams will support the recruitment and more importantly the retention of people with diverse identities. CQ enables everyone to flourish and thrive.
CQ Improves Student Engagement and Achievement: Students are more engaged and perform better when they feel understood and respected. Culturally intelligent educators can tailor their teaching methods to meet the diverse needs of their students, thereby enhancing learning outcomes.
CQ Strengthens School Community: A culturally intelligent school promotes a sense of belonging among students, staff, and parents/carers. This strengthens the school community and encourages collaboration and mutual respect.
CQ Prepares Students for a Globalised World: By fostering CQ, schools prepare students to thrive in a globalised world where cross-cultural interactions are the norm. This is essential for their future personal and professional success.

How to Apply the CQ Model

I use the CQ framework when I am working with school, college and trust leaders to shape their DEIB strategy:

Stage 1: CQ Motivation – what is ‘our why’ for developing Cultural Intelligence and how are we communicating it to all stakeholders?
Stage 2: CQ Knowledge – what data do we have/ need and how are we using it to inform our journey?
Stage 3: CQ Strategy – what resources do we need, what milestones will we set and how will we evaluate our impact?
Stage 4: CQ Action – what training is needed, what actions do we need to take and what behaviours do we want to change?

It is a simple but effective approach and helps leaders who are new to DEIB to get their heads around the cyclical process of shaping a strategy to improve the culture for everybody to flourish and thrive. It is also a core them in our Leading DEIB in Schools programme.

Developing Cultural Intelligence

CQ for School Leaders

Self-Assessment and Reflection: Reflection to understand our own cultural biases and areas for growth. Tools like the Cultural Intelligence Scale (CQS) can be useful.
Professional Development: Engaging in ongoing professional development focused on cultural competence and CQ is crucial. Training can provide valuable insights and strategies, as can curated reading. Check out the resources in our CQ toolkit.
Leading by Example: Demonstrating CQ in interactions and decision-making sets a precedent for the entire school. Leaders should model behaviours that reflect cultural understanding and sensitivity. Leaders should also consider methods of communication and how inclusive language choices are.

CQ for Educators

Ongoing Professional Development: Organising regular training sessions on cultural competence and CQ can help staff develop the necessary skills. Sessions should be interactive and challenging, an ongoing conversation instead of one-off training events. We can facilitate a space to explore a range of different themes.
Inclusive Curriculum Development: Encouraging teachers to incorporate diverse perspectives and materials into their curriculum expands our knowledge of others. This not only broadens students’ horizons but also shows respect and develops awareness of different cultures. Find out more from our Diversifying the Curriculum toolkit.
Mentorship and Collaboration: Fostering a culture of mentorship and collaboration where educators can share best practices and learn from each other’s experiences with diverse communities. Reverse mentoring can be a helpful tool to create a knowledge exchange, find out more in our webinar with RVP.

CQ for Whole School

Inclusive Policies and Practices: Developing and implementing school policies that promote inclusivity and equity. This includes everything from admission policies to behaviour consequences, from interview processes to appraisals, ensuring they are fair and culturally sensitive.
Student and Parent/ Carer Engagement: Creating platforms for meaningful engagement with students and parents/ carers from diverse backgrounds. This could include cultural events, forums, and regular communication channels for feedback such as surveys and focus groups.
Diverse Representation: Striving for diverse representation among staff and leadership. This not only brings varied perspectives but also demonstrates a commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Conclusion

Cultural Intelligence is no longer optional in the realm of education—it is a fundamental competency:

We need culturally intelligent schools and workplaces.
We need culturally intelligent policies and processes.
We need culturally intelligent leaders and educators.
We need culturally intelligent classrooms and staffrooms.

At Diverse Educators we frame all of our training through the 3 Cs of Consciousness, Confidence and Competence. By becoming more conscious of who we are, of our own lived experience and how it shapes our world view, we can become more confident in how we interact with others, in our inclusive behaviours and our inclusive language. We can then become more culturally competent and develop cultural intelligence. School leaders and educators who develop and promote CQ contribute to an inclusive, equitable, and dynamic learning environment for students and staff alike. By prioritising Cultural Intelligence, schools can better serve their diverse populations, better prepare students to succeed in a globalised society and better support staff in their career progression and leadership development.

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If this theme resonates and is of interest, we have a training opportunity in January 2025. Join us for the CQ (Cultural Intelligence) Certification. There are limited places available so they will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.

The Diversifying the Curriculum Conference 2025

Written by Bennie Kara

Co-Founder of Diverse Educators

At Diverse Educators’ Diversifying the Curriculum Conference, Hannah Wilson started the event by reminding us all that the work on ensuring curriculum is deep, broad and diverse is not done yet. Our speakers certainly reminded us just how much we can do to make sure that we are constructing a curriculum for all.

Christine Counsell’s opening keynote was joyful to listen to, not least in part due to her incredible depth of awareness and knowledge about the humanities curriculum. She connected effective learning to effective curriculum design and spoke about how thoroughness is possible and how thin unconnected content does not serve the needs of our children. She reminded us that the humanities are replete with story and that each lesson should have children longing for the next one. In her keynote, she recognised the need to work hard to deliver unfamiliar content but also how that hard work pays off when students have experienced language, symbols and narratives repeatedly throughout the curriculum from year 3 onwards in her words meaning comes from relationships with everything else and that the curriculum should be a series of constant bursts of energy fueled by indirect residents and anticipation.

In Emily Folurunsho’s session, we were treated to an in-depth look at Black British history and how important it is to ensure that British students learn about Black British history and not just the history of Black Americans. She was clear in her message that the first time that students encounter a black figure from history should not be through the lens of enslavement. She talked us through three themes that allow us as educators to give a fuller picture of Black British history as possible. She talked about figures from the pre-Anglo-Saxon past, from the Tudor age and from the Victorian age. It is important, she said, that we study Windrush and its legacy, but that we also contextualise Windrush in light of broader race relations in the mid 20th century. She talked compellingly about how Black British history has a connecting influence in terms of providing representation and presence for black students, touching on her own history in Britain and how she personally learned about Black history. She went on to explore how Black British history is challenged in its presence and its validity. To ensure that Black British history is truly embedded into the curriculum, we must seek sources from Black voices and we must refer to Black historians.

In David Bartlett’s session on the global boyhood initiative, we learned about the need for healthy masculinity and healthy emotions in boys and how that goes hand in hand with healthy gender expectations. He explored what healthy gender expectations look like and how to facilitate young people in breaking free from limitations. In his session he explored gender differences and gender stereotypes, asking: what is nature and what is nurture? He highlighted the idea of pink and blue roles in the development of gender identity and responsibility.

Dana Saxon’s session on roots and relevance started with Dana’s personal experience of history as a subject. She talked about how history was not for her in her early experiences and how she felt that her history had been erased. It was only as an adult that she started family history research and that gave her a sense of personal ownership of her story and the ability to create and curate the family archive. She explored the disconnect in history teaching, asking who decides which histories are more important and invited us to consider who is remembered and who this suggests matters. She was clear in her message that history has been distorted, disfigured and destroyed and that erased histories disempower people. She stressed the need to find untold stories and the stories of migration because there are empowering stories hidden deep in our archives. It is a way, she said, of connecting the dots and answering the questions: how did we get here and why does it matter?

Samantha Wharton spoke about Black British literature. She referenced her work and resources on Leave Taking by Winsome Pinnock. Focusing on this text, she explored the context of Pinnock’s play and how teachers can take a cross curricular approach in delivering lessons on it. The text, according to Wharton, is a valuable insight into shared immigrant experiences, family dynamics, the generation gap and matriarchal figures, as well as themes of education and what is deemed sub normal. She encouraged us to go beyond the classroom when exploring literary texts like Leave Taking. She referenced the work of Lit in Colour, outlining the statistics on representation in literature and explored how a simple audit activity can develop thinking about diversity in the curriculum.

Krys McInnis’ session touched on the journey between diversifying the curriculum and decolonizing the curriculum. He asked us to consider positionality in approaching this process, stressing that all people have lived experience and we all have different starting points when undertaking curriculum reform. He spoke compellingly about redistributing power, centring the voices of the colonised and challenging the notion of who holds knowledge and how we make space for marginalised voices and epistemologies. He told us that unlearning is needed and that we need to be willing to adjust, not just approach the process of decolonization as a road map or a checklist so that we can say we are done. In essence he asked us to rethink knowledge and also how language is used today to define power and perspective.

I finished my day listening to Shammi Rahman talking about how RE can help us embrace unity. It was shocking to hear that 500 secondary schools report delivering 0 hours of RE and that led Shammi to ask the question: what is the value of RE for staff, for students, for communities and for parents especially when it can prevent misunderstandings and misconceptions around people and their faiths. Shammi helped us understand that children may be missing out on the opportunity to talk and listen as it is such a central skill in RE and that, in doing so as teachers, we can help them avoid generalisations about groups of people. She stressed that it is difficult to have broad knowledge but that we do need to make time to read and to become comfortable with being uncomfortable in delivering certain aspects of RE. We cannot let our fear of offending people or getting names wrong prevent us from teaching RE lessons that are outside of our own experiences. She went on to talk about what difference it may have made to her peers if they knew about the contributions of her community to the national story. She stressed the need to use quality resources, referencing the work of Mary Myatt and also the work of Nikki McGee. McGee’s work on Black history tours to enrich the curriculum is an excellent source of support for teachers. She finished by reminding us that the beauty of RE is in its intersections.

David Lowbridge-Ellis’s closing keynote reminded us that working in diversity, equity and inclusion is often an unpaid, frustrating and thankless job. He also reminded us that we need to articulate our commitment to the work and to keep bringing about the message of why this work is important. He referenced the work of Dr Rudine Sims Bishop in 1990 on the importance of windows, mirrors and sliding doors as a key metaphor. He pointed out that the choices we make in the resources and examples we put in front of our students may result in students feeling like they belong in the classroom. That it is crucial to make sure that there are windows into the world outside of students so that they are developing a broad cultural capital. He too referenced the work of Lit in Colour. But he returned to his driver and one that perhaps we should all pay attention to, the need to have children we are serving to have a better school experience then we did. It is incredibly important that our values show that we are committed to this work. And it is not just about the curriculum, he spoke about accountability and how some people have the opportunity to shape and influence recruitment, to shape development priorities and equality’s objectives. This is a large sphere of influence.

It was not possible to attend every single session, as much as I would have liked to. But there were common threads and I hope that you can see them in this summary. The Diversifying the Curriculum Conference remains as relevant as it did five years ago because as we said at the start, the work is not yet done.

An Explicit Commitment to Inclusion and Diversity

Written by The MTPT Project

The UK’s only charity for parent teachers, with a particular focus on the parental leave and return to work period.

Like many organisations, The MTPT Project responded to the horrific murder of George Floyd in 2020 by sitting up and paying attention to the voices of the global majority colleagues within our community.

In many ways, we were fortunate: four years after our founding as a social media handle and grass roots network, 2020 was also the year that we registered as a charity. We had a near-clean sheet to start from; few ingrained cultural issues within our organisation to unpick, and a whole lot of learning to do.

Even before The MTPT Project was ready for its current growth, it was very clear to me that we had the potential to be part of the problem: if we were empowering colleagues with networking and coaching opportunities over the parental leave period, they were more likely to remain in the profession. They were more likely to remain in the profession happily. They were more likely to have more options open to them. They were more likely to progress into leadership, and increase their earnings.

Our first Diversity and Inclusion report was published in 2020, and stated, “we recognise that if we fail to explicitly engage with a diverse range of teachers, then we will play a part in disadvantaging certain groups within the education system. This is not what we want.” (MTPT, 2020)

By 2023, our commitment had evolved further: “We recognise that by retaining a diverse range of teachers in the education system when they become parents, we are providing our students with powerful role models. In the long term, we therefore also want the demographic of these groups to represent the student body that we serve.” (MTPT, 2023)

As of October 2024, there are a number of things worth celebrating: in our annual Diversity and Inclusion report, we shared that 22.5% of the participants on our 1:1 and group coaching programmes in the previous academic year were colleagues from global majority backgrounds. This is more than the 10% of Black, Asian, Mixed and Chinese teachers in our wider workforce (DfE, 2024), and closer to the 31% of students from these backgrounds (DfE, 2024).

What’s more, following the first Return to Work workshop of this academic year, we got even closer to our 31% target, with 30% of participants attending our live workshop identifying as Asian, Black, from Mixed ethnic backgrounds, or Chinese.

These statistics look great, but why are they important? Well, while maternal identities and experiences may vary by ethnicity and culture, motherhood intersects with many other identity markers.

By ensuring fully inclusive support is available to the mothers in our workforce, we are also providing support for one aspect of a Muslim mother’s identity. Or for a working class mother’s identity. Or for a lesbian mother’s identity.

By increasing representation across our communal events, we are defeating the “only” phenomenon whereby our community members feel welcome, but are still the only Bangladeshi participant in a workshop, or the only colleague who identifies as Mixed race in a group coaching session.

As representation increases, the identity of the organisation changes, along with its impact: this is a place for us, and we too shall benefit from what The MTPT Project has to offer.

This representation has not come about by chance, but rather an explicit resistance to the ease of creating an organisation that simply reflected its Founder, rather than the education system that we serve.

Start with Stats

As an organisation, what are your key measurables? For The MTPT Project, they are: engagement in our coaching programmes, engagement in our workshops, and involvement in our core team. What are your bench-markers for these measurables, and why? For us, we moved away from aiming for the 10% workforce representation because this in itself is a statement of underrepresentation.

Get Educated, Create Space and Listen

Read, listen to podcasts, attend events. Stop talking when others share their lived experiences, and thank them for doing so. If you ask for support, do so judiciously and with humility: it is not our colleagues’ responsibility to teach us, but some may be very happy to be part of your organisation’s journey. Then reflect on what all this means for your organisation, and your core work.

Be What You Can See

We worked explicitly on our visible role modelling. Whether this was using stock images for our event promotion, or seeking out and platforming our case studies. Wherever possible, we favour images of people of colour and we use these across all our channels: promotional fliers, social media, website, newsletters, panel line ups, guests we recommend for podcasts. If we have the choice between an overrepresented face and an underrepresented face, we go with the face we suspect may need an explicit welcome.

Protect and Empower

Cost will always be a barrier in the education sector, and this is only exacerbated by the expense that comes with parenthood. There are lots of other nuanced reasons why someone from whatever counts as a ‘minority group’ in your organisation (one of ours is men!) may not feel as comfortable asking for funding or opportunities as someone from the majority group.

Wherever we can, we remove this barrier by seeking funding specifically for colleagues from global majority backgrounds, or finding other ways to earmark coaching and workshop places. The message is: we have saved a place for you at this table, and it is ready for you when you arrive. It has made a real difference to engagement.

Make Mistakes with Humility and Without Ego

For someone used to privilege (and a people pleaser!), this is easier said than done. I have made mistakes. Things have not worked. Thankfully, I have not caused awful offence along the way but there have been moments of clumsiness borne from ignorance or simply the natural consequence of experimenting and taking a risk. If a strategy doesn’t work, respond with pragmatism: roll with the learning process, reflect and take stock and… do more listening.

References:

MTPT Project, 2020, Diversity and Inclusion Report, https://mcusercontent.com/bda931ab27a93e7c781617948/files/94280f62-c7e3-4ae8-8362-9b20f86dfa17/2020_Diversity_Report.pdf

MTPT Project, 2023, Diversity and Inclusion Report, https://www.mtpt.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/2023-Diversity-and-Inclusion-Report.pdf

DfE, 2024, Schools Workforce Census, https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england

DfE, 2024, School Pupils and their Characteristics, https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics

Beyond the Wall of Diversity

Written by Jonathan Lansley-Gordon

Jon studied theoretical physics at Imperial College London, before embarking on a teaching career in secondary and further education. Co-founder of The Blackett Lab Family – a national network of UK based Black physicists – he is passionate about widening access to STEM for traditionally excluded and underrepresented young people. He is a writer and series editor for Oxford University Press, authoring the Teacher Workbook for AQA GCSE Physics. A former Assistant Headteacher and school governor, he now runs Physics Forward – an organisation that provides support for schools, trusts and higher education institutions on all things science, curriculum, and DEI strategy.

Scenario: the head of physics wants to celebrate diversity in the curriculum. They create a ‘wall of diversity’ for the department, showcasing various historic and current black and brown physicists.

I sometimes give keynotes that get the audience to discuss this scenario. More often than not, there’ll be a few nervous stares back at me – almost expecting to be told that this is something terrible and ignorant.

I quickly reassure my fellow science educators that this particular case study, IMO, is by no means an example of something ‘bad’. Actually, I think – as a starting point – raising the profile and visibility of racially diverse physicists is positive for a host of reasons; black and brown people are typically absent from science curricula (as is the case across many other subjects), which can reinforce the implicit notion that science – and especially physics – is reserved exclusively for people who are [insert dominating characteristics here].

The following questions provoke some deeper thought around this scenario:

Is the intention behind this ‘wall of diversity’ clear to the students?
Does the wall showcase the achievements and contributions of the featured scientists, alongside (and contextualised by) their ethnicity?
Is this project the only reference to diversity, or the only mechanism by which conversations about diversity is introduced in the classroom?
Who contributed to the design and people featured?
How / when will the project be revisited and refreshed?
In what ways is diversity related to gender / age / sexual orientation / neurodivergence / disability acknowledged and celebrated elsewhere?
Does this sit within a wider departmental strategy to incorporate diversity and inclusion?

I won’t pretend that the secondary physics curriculum lends itself to easy and natural opportunities to explore themes related to identity and representation. There is a lot of content to get through: energy, forces, waves, gases and electricity don’t immediately conjure inspiration of thought related to human identity. So, in some ways, it’s understandable that we might turn to “curriculum accessories” – people posters – at the risk of students sussing out our tokenistic nods to inclusion.

This is not to say there is no way to go about doing it authentically. Subject content is one of multiple lenses we can use when thinking about diversifying a physics curriculum – and indeed, the wider curriculum. How the content is delivered (teaching, learning and assessment techniques), and student voice (surveying their attitudes, values and beliefs with respect to physics) are a couple of other lenses that can help frame approaches to weaving inclusive themes through the curriculum.

At Physics Forward, we give physics and science educators the thinking tools to develop strategic approaches and practical resources to creating a diverse and inclusive curriculum through these and other lenses. Get in touch to have a chat about how we can support you and your team do the same!

Is there a hierarchy of protected characteristics?

Written by Hannah Wilson

Founder of Diverse Educators

One of the questions we regularly ask in our DEI training for schools, colleges and trusts is which of the protected characteristics are visible within your context.

This question is deliberately wide and can be interpreted in a couple of different ways:

Which of the 9 PCs are visible? i.e. which ones can we see as some are hidden/ invisible.
Which of the 9 PCs are visible? i.e. which are present in our community and thereby which are missing or do we not have/ know the data to confirm they are present.
Which of the 9 PCs are visible? i.e. which are being spoken about, invested in, have we received training on.

Often people ask do we not mean – which is a priority? And we emphasise to focus on visibility and explain the gap between intention and impact as there is likely to be some dissonance between what is happening and how it lands.

The reflections and discussions across a full staff will surface some of the disparities of what is being paid attention to. Moreover, it will also highlight the difference in perspectives across different groups of staff – groups by role/ function and groups by identity.

A key thing for us to reflect on, to discuss and to challenge ourselves to consider is that there are nine protected characteristics – so are we thinking about, talking about, paying attention to all of them simultaneously? Are we balancing our approach to create equity across the different identities? Are we taking an intersectional lens to consider who might be experiencing multiple layers of marginalisation and inequity?

We encourage schools to lean into DEI work in a holistic and in an intersectional way, as opposed to taking a single-issue approach as our identities are not that clean cut. We worry that some organisations are focusing on one protected characteristic per year, which means that some people will wait for 8-9 years for their identity to be considered and for their needs to be met. This is also a problem as we generally spend 7 years in a primary context and 7 years in a secondary context so all 9 would not be covered in everyone’s educational journey.

Trust boards, Governing bodies, Senior leader teams do not sit around the table and decide that some of the protected characteristics are more important than others, but there will be a perception from outside of these strategic meeting spaces that there is a hierarchy. i.e. different stakeholders will have differing opinions that in this school we think about/ speak about/ pay attention to/ deal with XYZ but we do not think about/ speak about/ pay attention to/ deal with ABC.

Another thing to consider about the perceived hierarchy is regarding which of the protected characteristics we are expected to log. If all 9 of the protected characteristics are equal, why do schools only need to log and report on two of them for the pupils’ behaviour and safety – we are expected to track prejudiced-based behavioural incidents of racism and homophobia? Does this mean that transphobia, islamophobia, ableism and misogyny are less important? Does this mean we are holding the student to account but not the staff?

One solution to this specific imbalance is to move from a racist log and a homophobia log to a prejudice log. A log that captures all prejudice, discrimination and hate. A log that captures all of the isms. A school can then filter the homophobia and racism to report upwards and outwards of the organisation as required, but the organisation’s data will be richer and fuller to inform patterns of behaviour and intervention needs.

CPOMs and other safeguarding and behaviour software systems enable you to tailor your fields so see what capacity yours has to add in extra fields. You can then log all prejudice and track for trends but also target the interventions. We have been working with a number of pastoral leaders and teams this year to grow their consciousness, confidence and competence in challenging language and behaviour which is not inclusive and not safe. We are supporting them in making their processes and policies more robust and more consistent to reduce prejudice-based/ identity-based harm in their schools.

Another consideration alongside the student behaviour logging and tracking is to also consider the logging of adult incidents. Do our people systems capture the behaviours e.g. microaggressions and gaslighting that the staff are enacting so that these patterns can also be explored? Do our training offers for all staff, but especially leaders and line managers empower and equip them to address these behaviours?

So as we reflect on the question: Is there a hierarchy of protected characteristics?

Consider how different people in your organisation might answer it based on their unique perspective and their own lived experience. And then go and ask them, to see how they actually respond so that you become more aware of the perception gap – if we do not know it exists, we cannot do anything about it – and the learning is in the listening after all.

Empowering PSHE Leadership: Leading with DEI Principles

Written by Malarvilie Krishnasamy

Malarvilie is a seasoned leadership consultant, coach, and trainer with over 20 years of experience in education. As a former history teacher and senior leader, she passionately advocates for coaching as a catalyst for transforming school cultures. Malarvilie offers accredited courses, endorsed by The Institute of Leadership, which develop emotional intelligence and assertive leadership skills. Her reflective and supportive programmes enhance staff morale and well-being, promoting humanity in leadership. A vocal proponent of equity, diversity, and inclusion, she actively engages as an ally through speaking engagements, workshops, and amplifying the work of others. Malarvilie is also deeply committed to promoting Personal, Social, Health, and Economic (PSHE) education, recognising its pivotal role in nurturing well-rounded individuals.

I’m excited to tackle a topic that’s not just important but essential in education: leading PSHE with a DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) lens. As educators, we know that PSHE isn’t just about teaching facts; it’s about nurturing well-rounded individuals who are equipped to navigate the complexities of life. That’s why it’s crucial to infuse DEI principles into our PSHE curriculum, acknowledging and respecting the diverse cultural backgrounds and experiences of our students. Join me as we explore how embracing DEI principles can transform PSHE education and create a more inclusive learning environment for all.

In many cultures, discussions about puberty, relationships, and sexual education may not happen at home. This leaves young people to rely solely on their friends or inaccurate information from the internet. This highlights the importance of PSHE education as a reliable source of accurate information. By providing comprehensive and inclusive PSHE/RSE in schools, we can ensure that all young people have access to the correct information, regardless of their background or cultural context.

Moreover, fostering an inclusive environment in PSHE lessons creates a safe space where students feel comfortable discussing their experiences and asking questions. This helps break down barriers and ensures that every student feels valued and supported in their journey through puberty and relationships, not just in terms of biological changes but also emotional and social aspects.

But leading PSHE isn’t just about delivering lessons; it’s about cultivating a whole-school approach to well-being and inclusivity. This involves considering staff values and providing them with comprehensive training sessions to navigate sensitive topics effectively, ensuring alignment with the values of the school, the curriculum, and the 2010 Equality Act. Staff members, while bringing their own values, must understand and adhere to the principles outlined in the Act, which mandates the promotion of equality and diversity within educational settings.

Additionally, understanding local and national statistics regarding teenage health issues, such as drug use, alcohol misuse, underage sex, lack of condom use for teenagers, and teenage pregnancies, equips educators with evidence to emphasise the importance of PSHE education. By sharing this information and ensuring staff awareness of their duty as PSHE teachers within the British curriculum, we can empower them to confidently and effectively deliver PSHE education, thereby supporting the well-being of our students.

But PSHE leaders often get left out in the cold. Schools know PSHE is important, but they don’t always give leaders training to lead effectively.

The challenges faced by PSHE leaders extend beyond traditional teaching roles. Effective communication with staff, parents, and students is paramount, but the support in developing these skills often falls through the cracks. PSHE is a whole school subject. Unlike other subjects, it’s rare to have dedicated PSHE teachers, and leaders must coordinate a diverse group of educators, each with their primary subject expertise. This aspect is often underappreciated, with a mere 1 management point failing to reflect the intricacies of PSHE leadership.

Additionally, the unique pedagogy required for PSHE is often overlooked in training programs, preventing the ability to deliver PSHE effectively. It’s time to invest in the professional development of our PSHE leaders.

That’s where the Level 5 Inclusive and Progressive Leadership of PSHE Course comes in—a comprehensive solution to bridge these gaps. This course equips PSHE leaders with the skills, knowledge, and awareness needed to excel in their roles. From diplomacy and communication to the unique pedagogy of PSHE, this program addresses every facet of effective PSHE leadership.

Conclusion

Leading PSHE with a DEI lens is not just a responsibility; it’s a commitment to creating a safe, inclusive, and empowering learning environment for all students. By incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusion into our approach to PSHE, we ensure that every young person receives the support and education they need to navigate the challenges of puberty, relationships, and well-being.

Equipping staff with the necessary training and awareness of their duties under the 2010 Equality Act empowers them to deliver PSHE education effectively, promoting the health and well-being of our students. Let’s continue to champion a holistic approach to PSHE leadership, where every student feels valued, respected, and supported in their journey toward adulthood.

Click HERE to download your free PSHE DEI self-assessment!

Click HERE to download your free KS2 or KS3 Diverse Perspectives self-assessment!

Also for further resources have a look at the The Diverse Educators’ Inclusive RSHE Toolkit – Inclusive RSHE Toolkit | Diverse Educators We are collating a growing bank of resources to help you to review and develop how inclusive the RSHE provision is in your school.

The Differences Between Equality and Equity

Written by Governors for Schools

Governors for School finds, places, and supports skilled volunteers as governors and trustees on school and academy boards. They support schools across England and Wales to run effectively by finding high calibre governors to bring their skills and expertise to the table – and improve education for children.

One of the reasons many governors volunteer their time to local school boards is to help make the educational landscape a fairer and more inclusive place. However, for all pupils to thrive, governors must appreciate the diverse and complex ways in which some members of the school community face a disproportionate number of educational obstacles compared to their peers. Such groups of pupils can include, but are not limited to:

Pupils from less advantaged households.

Students who have English as a second language.
Pupils who have a disability as outlined by the Equality Act 2010.
Members of the LGBTQ+ community.
People from ethnic minority backgrounds.
And much more.

Since launching our Inclusive Governance campaign, we’ve noted that one of the best ways governors can do their bit to make schools more inclusive is to make a conscious effort to discuss equality and equity in board meetings. But what do these terms mean?  

Put simply, equality means treating everyone the same way, irrespective of factors such as status or identity. Equity, on the other hand, means treating people differently in certain circumstances for equality of opportunity to be possible. 

Creating equity is important within society as it puts students on a more level playing field, leads to better social and economic outcomes across wider society, allows students to feel more engaged and looked after, and leaves staff feeling more confident that they’re succeeding in their role.

The following illustration from the Interaction Institute for Social Change demonstrates that while equality means giving everyone access to the same resources, some people may not be able to utilise these resources due to factors outside of their control. As such, governing boards must put measures in place to ensure their actions are both equal and equitable, ensuring every pupil has the same experience. 

When it comes to speaking about providing equity within schools, it’s important that governing boards are…

Advocating for equality and equity within the wider vision and strategic direction of a school.

Consider whether the school’s vision and strategic direction is relevant and beneficial to all pupils. Governors could, for example, ask questions about targeted measures the school is taking to raise attainment among less advantaged pupils or those with special educational needs and disability (SEND), as well as how they will measure success in this area. Beyond academic attainment, governors may ask questions about whether the school is living up to its stated values, such as community-mindedness, compassion, or friendship. For example, does the school provide reintegration support for vulnerable pupils who may have spent time outside of school? Is this support appropriate and tailored to their different and potentially complex needs?

Having discussions with students, caregivers, staff, and other stakeholders to understand how policies and actions being taken by the school are likely to affect them.

Having meaningful discussions across the school community can be a great way to catch underlying flaws in current plans. For example, ensuring lighting and paint colours on walls take into consideration visually impaired children. Other issues could include talking to people within the transgender community about changes to policies surrounding changing their names on registers.

Looking closely at budgets and determining whether the school’s financial decisions benefit pupils in an equitable way.

As a board, listening to every governor’s perspective about the allocation of resources is a great way to ascertain whether funds are appropriately spent. For example, a governor with a background in SEND issues may have a very different perspective from a governor with experience of an alternative provision education. As this campaign highlights, attracting governors from a wide range of backgrounds onto school boards is one of the best ways to ensure pupils from across the community are well-represented.

Catch up with the rest of our Inclusive Governance campaign 

For more support on pushing for inclusive practices within your governing landscape, you can have a look at our campaign webpage. You can also follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and/or Facebook for updates on the campaign.  