Our commitment

NAHT is dedicated to promoting equality for all of its members. We aim to achieve sector-wide equal and fair treatment for everyone working and learning in UK schools and equal representation and engagement within our structures and democratic processes.

This commitment is enshrined in NAHT’s constitution, which states NAHT will ‘promote equality for all including through:

1. Collective bargaining, publicity material and campaigning, representation, union organisation and structure, education and training, organising and recruitment, the provision of all other services and benefits and all other activities.
2. The union’s own employment practices.
3. To actively oppose all forms of harassment, prejudice and unfair discrimination whether on the grounds of sex, race, ethnic or national origin, religion, colour, class, caring responsibilities, marital status, sexuality, disability, age or other status or personal characteristic.’

NAHT’s work on equality is overseen by our Diversity and Inclusion Group, a sub-committee of NAHT’s National Executive. The committee meets four times a year to discuss issues relating to diversity and inclusion within the association, the profession and schools themselves.

NAHT’s work around equality and diversity runs across all areas of the association but centres around three main areas:

1. Schools
   As school leaders, NAHT members are ideally positioned to create inclusive learning and working environments for all their pupils and staff, one which welcomes diversity and champions equality. NAHT supports our members by providing advice and guidance to achieve this.
2. The profession
   NAHT is committed to ensuring the education profession (and school leadership in particular) reflects the diversity of the communities and areas that schools work in. This includes establishing inclusive working environments and cultures for staff, lobbying for equal pay for groups with protected characteristics and providing advice and support to members who have experienced discrimination and harassment. As part of its ongoing efforts to improve the diversity at a school leadership level, NAHT has also pledged its own actions and commitments to furthering equality, diversity and inclusion in education for 2021/22.
3. NAHT
   NAHT recognises that we are most effective in representing the views and needs of school leaders when we engage with all of our membership. We are therefore committed to ensuring our own democratic structures are inclusive and reflect the diversity of the educational professionals and learners that we serve. We will take all possible steps to promote and encourage the participation of all members in our democratic processes and actively address areas of under-representation.

Our Statement of action and commitments on equality, diversity and inclusion in education for 2022/23

In September 2022, NAHT, alongside other key organisations working in the sector, outlined its new actions and commitments to help further equality, diversity and inclusion in education.

Find out more and read our Statement of action and commitments on equality, diversity and inclusion in education for 2022/23 here.

NAHT’s equality, diversity and inclusion statements

Following a resolution at NAHT Annual Conference, we are developing a series of policy statements outlining NAHT’s views and commitments around equality, diversity and inclusion. These have been developed in conversations with NAHT’s equality networks, our diversity and inclusion group, and our national executive. Click below to see our equality, diversity and inclusion statements:

• NAHT’s anti-racism statement
• NAHT’s LGBT+ statement
• NAHT’s disability statement

Statements will continue to be reviewed and additional statements may be developed, as led by our membership.

Equality, tolerance and respect are integral to a strong, prosperous and civilised society.

The NASUWT actively opposes all forms of harassment, prejudice and unfair discrimination whether on the grounds of sex, gender identity, race, ethnic or national origin, religion, class, colour, caring responsibilities, marital status, sexuality, disability, age, or other status or personal characteristic.

The NASUWT is committed to challenging discrimination, inequality and intolerance and recognises that schools/colleges play an essential role in this work.

The NASUWT has a diverse membership of women, men, disabled, black and minority ethnic, old and young, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) teachers, and teachers with different religions/beliefs.

The Union is committed to promoting equality for all of its members in order to achieve equal and fair treatment at work. Equality is at the heart of everything that the Union does. An injustice to one is an injustice to all.

As part of the Union’s ongoing inequalities work, the NASUWT has submitted evidence to the Women and Equalities Select Committee inquiry Unequal Impact of Coronavirus (Covid-19) and the Impact on People with Protected Characteristics.

NASUWT Equalities Calendar.

Promoting Equality, Tolerance and Respect.

Founded in 1973, Quest is lay volunteer led and offers pastoral support and community in safe spaces to LGBT+ Catholics, our families and friends. Membership is open to all who are aged 18 or over and who support our aims, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or religious affiliation.

Our regional groups can be found in: Scotland, the North, the Midlands, London and the South East and the South West.

The Quest website and the regular members’ bulletin provide information and opportunities to discuss issues affecting LGBT+ Catholics, thus supporting them to explore their faith and develop their role in the Church.

Our national and regional activities include: a broad range of social, spiritual and other activities, house Masses, retreats, dialogue with Bishops and Priests, an annual conference and supporting Diocesan LGBT+ ministries. We also work with a broad range of faith-based and secular organisations in pursuance of our Constitutional Purpose.

With the help of our education lead we are exploring how we can offer support to schools and educators looking to provide safe spaces within schools whilst also meeting the demands of Catholic Teaching.

More information is available on our website.

Our vision is to ensure our voices are heard and understood. Our mission is to provide support and welfare for LGBTQI+ Muslims and promote social justice and education about our community to counter discrimination, prejudice and injustice.

Listen to our podcast.

Harvey Heals is a trauma-informed education and wellbeing consultancy. We champion compassionate mental health across the school system.

Harvey Heals provides accredited Reflective Practice Supervision to education professionals in groups and one-to-one sessions (accreditation approved by the British Psychological Society). We also deliver psychoeducational training on a range of subjects including Psychological Safety, Unconscious Bias, Mental Health in Schools, Racial Literacy in Schools, Mindfulness Tools, and Consultancy Services.

Our founder is Nicola Harvey, a Senior Education & Wellbeing Consultant, qualified Clinical Reflective Practice Supervisor, and Published Author. Nicola has worked in a range of settings with educators, young people, parents and professionals, passionate about making a difference.

A key priority of the union is to make sure all members have a voice in the union, the workplace and broader society; and do not face barriers to promotion, representation or participation.

NEU members work hard to make education workplaces accessible and inclusive and for a vision of education for the UK with equity and social justice at its heart. The NEU campaigns against inequality and prejudice through resources on all aspects of inequality; through research; and through practical guidance to challenge the assumptions, ideas and stereotypes that lead to patterns of discrimination.

Sex and gender equality
Gender equality is not only a human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable workplace.

Race equality
Racism is a structural barrier perpetuated by individuals that lead to discrimination against a person because of their race.

LGBT+ equality
LGBT+ education professionals, pupils and families are vital members of all nursery, school and college communities and of our union.

Disability equality
The NEU works with disabled education professionals and pupils to abolish ablism, disablism and discrimination.

Teaching resources

Toolkits

ASCL is committed to supporting and promoting equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) among school, college and trust leaders, and in our own organisation.

Research shows that a diverse workforce enriches pupils, schools and colleges, and society, promoting greater cultural understanding and inclusion. But while progress is being made, a truly diverse leadership workforce is still a long way off.

ASCL believes that there is more we can and should do as a trade union and professional association, to promote equality, diversity and inclusion among school and college leaders. We will do this by providing support to individual members through our leadership networks and resources on allyship; and by supporting members to embed inclusive employment practices within workplaces.

Supporting Diverse Leaders

Embedding Inclusive Employment Practices

Flexible Working

Allyship

Many schools (primary, secondary, and sixth form colleges) choose to be institutional members of Citizens UK. Their membership is an expression of their commitment to develop student leadership, as well as strengthen their links with families and neighbouring organisations. It is a way for them to address issues beyond the school gates, through Community Organising, as well as issues which have a direct impact on the wellbeing of their young people and families.

In Citizens UK, schools are supported to develop plans which give meaning to their aspirations as they aim to ensure that young people become leaders who can shape society for the better and bring about real change to their communities.

WE HELP SCHOOL COMMUNITIES DEVELOP LEADERS
Teachers at Radford Primary Academy in Nottingham were supported by Community Organisers to engage their young people in a listening campaign to identify issues they wanted to address in their local area. Once issues had been identified, the school was supported to develop a campaign to improve a local park, which had been kept untidy for a long while. Teachers and young people were trained to devise strategies and build a successful campaign. Read all about the campaign here.

WE HELP SCHOOL COMMUNITIES STRENGTHEN THEIR INSTITUTIONS
At Reach Academy in West London, Community Organisers worked with Leaders in the school to develop relational practices which meant that links between parents/carers and the school were strengthened. Rather than developing strategies “”on behalf”” of families, school Leaders have now implemented some strategies for parents/carers to directly contribute to what the school offers in terms of workshops and programmes. The school has moved from a transactional way of doing things, to a relational one.

WE HELP SCHOOL COMMUNITIES WIN CHANGE
Students at Ark Academy in Wembley really struggled with their local buses. They were always too packed and, sometimes, wouldn’t even stop outside the school. Working with their local Citizens alliance in Brent, teachers worked with their local Community Organiser to engage students in a local campaign which saw them build links with their neighbouring organisations, including the local bus company and, eventually, with their local Assembly Member. Together, they went on to negotiate with Transport for London to bring about some much-needed change to their local transport system.

Check out our campaigns.