JCoB Education
JCoB Education
We teach about Judaism in non-Jewish schools, seeking to provide basic cultural literacy that helps inoculate children against antisemitism, which like all prejudice, thrives on ignorance. Our workshops provide enrichment and support for Judaism as taught in Religious Education.
We work to improve Judaism Religious Education provision in Berkshire and throughout the UK.
Education Support
Education Support
We support individuals and help schools, colleges and universities to improve the mental health and wellbeing of their staff. We also carry out research and advocate for changes in Government policy for the benefit of the education workforce.
The Inclusive Staffroom: addressing racial inclusion to support better staff wellbeing. Find out more and sign up for support here.
Intersectionality Toolkit
Intersectionality Toolkit
Intersectionality Toolkit
Toolkit collated by Bennie Kara
Intersectionality examines how aspects of identity such as race, gender, class, and sexuality overlap to create unique experiences of privilege and oppression. The concept, coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw and rooted in the work of Black feminist scholars, is central to understanding how systems of inequality operate. The Oxford Dictionary defines it as “the interconnected nature of social categorisations such as race, class, and gender, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage.”
Key works such as Ain’t I a Woman? Black Women and Feminism by bell hooks and Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde emphasize the necessity of acknowledging these intersections. These texts highlight how systems like racism, sexism, and classism reinforce one another, disproportionately affecting marginalised individuals. Crenshaw’s essay in Critical Race Theory: The Key Writings That Formed the Movement explores how focusing on singular issues—like the gender pay gap—without considering dimensions like race or immigration status can inadvertently maintain inequalities within groups.
By integrating insights from books like Patricia Hill Collins’ Black Feminist Thought and Angela Davis’ Women, Race & Class, we see how addressing oppression requires a holistic approach. Tackling inequality in one area, while ignoring intersecting factors, risks perpetuating the very systems of disadvantage intersectionality aims to dismantle.
Understanding intersectionality is crucial because it reveals how social identities function on multiple, interconnected levels, shaping distinct experiences, challenges, and opportunities for individuals. Kimberlé Crenshaw’s seminal article, Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex (1989), illustrates how focusing on a single aspect of identity—such as race or gender—fails to capture the compounded impact of overlapping oppressions. Crenshaw used examples of Black women being excluded from both feminist movements and anti-racist initiatives to highlight how these systems interdependently reinforce disadvantage.
Similarly, Patricia Hill Collins’ work, Toward a New Vision: Race, Class, and Gender as Categories of Analysis and Connection (1993), argues that forms of oppression like racism, sexism, and classism are not isolated but mutually constructing. These articles emphasize that reducing oppression to a single dimension oversimplifies systemic inequality and undermines efforts to create effective change. Instead, understanding these interconnected dynamics is essential for creating policies and practices that address the full complexity of discrimination and privilege.
Ignoring intersectionality results in the oversimplification of social issues and the perpetuation of inequities, as it fails to account for the complexity of people’s experiences. Without an intersectional lens, several negative outcomes can arise:
- Exclusion of Marginalised Voices - Policies, practices, and advocacy efforts may prioritise the needs of more privileged individuals within marginalized groups, leaving those who face compounded discrimination—such as Black women, disabled LGBTQ+ individuals, or immigrant women—unsupported.
- Reinforcement of Inequities - Focusing on a single axis of identity, such as gender or race, can inadvertently reinforce other forms of oppression. For instance, addressing workplace gender inequality without considering racial disparities may primarily benefit white women while excluding women of colour.
- Ineffective Solutions - Non-intersectional approaches often fail to address the root causes of systemic issues. For example, educational policies targeting gender equity that ignore socio-economic and racial barriers may overlook the unique challenges faced by low-income students of colour.
- Marginalisation Within Advocacy Movements - Social movements that disregard intersectionality risk alienating people at the intersections of multiple identities. Feminist movements that neglect issues of race or LGBTQ+ rights, or anti-racist movements that ignore gender dynamics, can fracture solidarity and limit progress.
- Perpetuation of Stereotypes - Ignoring intersectionality can reinforce harmful stereotypes by treating groups as homogenous. This approach often fails to acknowledge the diversity within marginalised communities, perpetuating one-size-fits-all narratives.
By applying an intersectional perspective, educators can identify and challenge practices that perpetuate inequities. This approach enables the creation of more inclusive environments that acknowledge and support the diverse needs of all students, ultimately fostering equity and belonging in the classroom.
To show up in a more intersectional way, it’s essential to approach allyship with intentionality, reflection, and a commitment to continuous growth. Here are some actionable steps to integrate intersectionality into your daily actions:
- Reflect on Privilege - Take time to critically examine the privileges you hold and the ways they shape your perspective. Privilege isn’t just about what advantages you have but also about the challenges you don’t face. Resources like McIntosh’s Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack can help you identify how privilege operates in your life. This self-awareness is the first step toward understanding how to use your privilege to advocate for others without overshadowing them.
- Listen, Learn, and Collaborate - Commit to listening to diverse voices, particularly from those directly impacted by systems of oppression. Engage with books, podcasts, and articles from activists and scholars of varying identities. Ensure your collaborations and partnerships meaningfully include individuals from underrepresented groups, valuing their expertise and lived experiences. For instance, Crenshaw’s work emphasizes how centring these voices can dismantle harmful narratives.
- Make Space, Not Just Take Space - Regularly assess whether you are the right person to speak or act in certain situations. Advocate for those with lived experiences to lead discussions and decision-making processes. When possible, amplify marginalised voices by sharing platforms, redirecting attention to their work, and ensuring they are at the forefront of movements.
- Be Mindful of Language - Language shapes perceptions and can either include or marginalise others. Stay conscious of the terms you use, actively unlearning phrases or words rooted in harmful stereotypes. Be open to receiving feedback when your language causes harm, and correct your mistakes with humility. Similarly, challenge discriminatory language in others, creating a culture of accountability.
By actively engaging in these practices, you can create meaningful change in how you show up, ensuring your actions contribute to equity and inclusion across all intersections of identity.
The Diverse Educators’ Intersectionality Toolkit
- Why is it important to understand intersectionality?
- Who does intersectionality impact?
- How has intersectionality changed over time?
- What does intersectionality mean for us as educators?
- How can we apply an intersectional approach?
Articles
Blogs
Books
Podcasts
Resources
TED Talks
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Our Support Staff Training
Our Support Staff Training
Our Support Staff Training
Our Training Offer
We support operational and support staff in schools, colleges and trusts to develop their consciousness, confidence and competence in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging.
We can deliver face to face and virtually, for pastoral meetings, twilights and conferences.
We can create a safe space to help support staff members to explore their own identities to become more aware of their own unconscious biases and how to navigate them.
- Developing an understanding of key DEIB concepts and language
- Reflecting on our own identities and lived experience
- Exploring our individual and collective power, privilege and blind spots
- Communicating our DEIB commitment through our vision, mission and values
- Developing inclusive behaviours and modelling inclusive language
- Holding courageous conversations to hold one another to account
- Understanding how we can all contribute to an organisational commitment to DEIB, no matter what our role and remit is.
Diverse Educators delivered the session with such care, ensuring they took everyone with them on the journey through the training materials. Hannah and Adrian were sensitive, highly informed, reflective and responsive, working with the room to maximise the impact of the training.
Clarissa Ford, EDI Coordinator & Head of English
This training was something we will remember for a long time. Some staff even shared it was the best CPD they had been part of. We feel it was hugely purposeful and will have a great impact on our school short term and long term. Would definitely recommend!
Katy Nicholls, Deputy Headteacher
Our Thriving in Life-Friendly Schools Training
Our Thriving in Life-Friendly Schools Training
Our Thriving in Life-Friendly Schools Training
Our Training Offer
We support all stakeholders in becoming more conscious of the impact that a life-friendly school culture can have on employees.
Building confidence in how to do things differently in how we recruit, retain and develop our staff will enable us to review our talent management strategy.
Developing competence in reviewing policies through a life-friendly lens and in approaching contracts and timetabling differently empowers us to do things differently to create a more flexible workforce.
We will explore your workplace culture and get you to consider how life-friendly approaches will support your recruitment and retention strategies.
We can deliver face to face and virtually, for twilights, INSETs and conferences.
Our Training Session Includes
- Outlining the current recruitment and retention landscape
- Exploring the reasons why are we losing so many mid-career teachers
- Reviewing the research and gaining insight from research findings into who is leaving the profession
- Discussing what “life friendly” mean, and how “life friendly” schools attract and retain teachers and leaders
- Reflecting on interactive case studies, using life friendly leadership strategies to explore new approaches to teacher wellbeing and retention
- Discussing what needs to be done to improve communication between schools and teachers to address the retention crisis
- Reflecting on how a positive school culture that supports teachers as they become parents does not just benefit mothers and fathers
- Engaging with the practical strategies to improve balance for all staff, that will help colleagues, whatever their role or level of responsibility, to create “life friendly” schools
The #DiverseEd training was excellent – it challenged us to think about ourselves and our school critically through the lens of ‘being curious’ which was so helpful. It encourages critical reflection in a low-threat way.
Claire Tasker, Headteacher
The series of webinars have been invaluable. They have made us as a school develop our thinking, become more conscious of additional barriers and most importantly developed confidence and competence in staff.
Francesca Porta-Rios, Inclusion Assistant Headteacher
Diverse Educators came highly recommended and they certainly did not disappoint on the Inset day, engaging all staff in a meaningful and informative way. As former teachers who occupied senior positions, they were able to speak with real authority, humanity and clarity.
Caroline Bond, Assistant Headteacher
The training session from Diverse Educators delivered everything that it promised to do. Not only did we gain the valuable insight of a well-informed and engaging speaker, we also took away a lot of new ideas for our school to develop upon. The CPD has provided the perfect springboard to further conversations and actions to improve the inclusivity of our school environment.
Tom Guest, Head of History and DEI Lead
Our Curating Diverse Events Training
Our Curating Diverse Events Training
Our Curating Diverse Events Training
Our Training Offer
We support training hosts, event organisers, CPD leads and TSH directors in developing their consciousness, confidence and competence in considering how inclusive and accessible their events are.
We will review the things we can do to the organisation of the event and the physical space to enhance levels of inclusion. We will consider how we organise resources and use our communication methods to create belonging.
We can deliver face to face and virtually, for twilights, INSETs and conferences.
Our Training Session Includes
- Articulating our commitment to DEIB as event organisers
- Designing events, big and small, with inclusion in mind
- Curating diverse and representative speaker line-ups
- Identifying and removing barriers to inclusion at events
- Considering accessibility needs to enhance the experience of all participants
- Holding others to account for meeting the needs of diverse participants
The training was engaging, clear and delivered with openness and honesty. It promoted great discussion between different groups of staff.
Sharon Khan, Assistant Headteacher
The training was inspiring, and the sincerity and commitment of the presenters shone through.
Nicky Winder, Teacher of English (part time)
Our Shaping a DEIB Strategy Training
Our Shaping a DEIB Strategy Training
Our Shaping a DEIB Strategy Training
Our Training Offer
We support DEIB leaders and working parties in developing their consciousness, confidence and competence in how to create a culture of belonging so that everybody feels psychologically safe.
We will create a safe and open space for you to explore the culture of your workplace and what is working/ needs improving to ensure that all stakeholders understand the relationship between the organisational vision, mission and values and how this underpins a commitment to DEIB.
We can deliver face to face and virtually, for twilights, INSETs and conferences.
Our Training Session Includes
- Articulating an institutional commitment to DEIB
- Activating the organisational values in clarifying the expectations of all stakeholders
- Shaping the DEIB infrastructure
- Framing the role and responsibilities of a DEIB leader
- Enlisting a DEIB working party
- Engaging with stakeholder voice to assess how pupils, staff and parents/ carers are experiencing the culture of the organisation
- Considering an annual calendar of DEIB events
- Curating DEIB training to empower all stakeholders to be more conscious, to feel more confident and competent in handling DEIB matters
Hannah’s presentation on equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging was incredibly impactful. Delivered at the start of the school year, it refocused our entire staff body on our commitment to our pupils and each other, and sharpened our focus on the part we play in creating a more inclusive community.
Sachin Choithramani, Assistant Headteacher
Hannah from Diverse Educators provided truly outstanding DEI training for our whole staff team which was accessible to all members of our community. She was so positive, well spoken and knowledgeable. We all found her to be inspiring and motivating. It’s always nerve wracking booking speakers but I fully recommend Hannah and will be considering how we can work with Diverse Educators in the future too.
Lizzie Hedderson, Assistant Headteacher
Our Empowering Women Leaders in the Workplace Training
Our Empowering Women Leaders in the Workplace Training
Our Empowering Women Leaders in the Workplace Training
Our Training Offer
We support leaders and talent managers in developing their consciousness, confidence and competence regarding the development opportunities for female educators to progress into leadership roles.
We will identify the internal and external barriers that can hold women in education back in their careers including the confidence gap, the motherhood gap and the flexibility gap.
We will consider proactive strategies to support and develop women in their career goals.
We can deliver face to face and virtually, for twilights, INSETs and conferences.
Our Training Session Includes
- Identifying and removing the external and internal ‘glass ceilings’
- Promoting inclusive and empathetic leadership behaviours
- Supporting female leaders in working flexibly, if required
- Dismantling the barriers that can hold female educators back from progressing into leadership roles, especially when they are parents/ carers
- Disrupting the limiting beliefs that fuel the confidence gap
- Considering the constructive feedback and developmental experiences that female leaders need to be exposed to
- Supporting female educators in preparing for leadership interviews
I’ve gained more out of it when I thought I would. It’s also challenged me to think of things that I have never considered before. It’s also enabled me to perhaps understand the challenges faced, which I’ve been able to make more sense of.
Aimi Knight-Allen, Sports Centre Manager
I think what it offers is really unique and enables women to speak in a much more supportive environment than when there are men around as well. Women do have different issues and the forum has enabled all of us to be really honest and authentic with each other.
Delyth Lynch, Senior Leader
Our Representing Diverse Families in RSHE Training
Our Representing Diverse Families in RSHE Training
Our Representing Diverse Families in RSHE Training
Our Training Offer
We support teachers, leaders and governors in developing their consciousness, confidence and competence in how to design a RSE/ RSHE curriculum with DEIB at its foundations.
We will create a safe and open space for you to explore your curriculum, your community and your challenges to co-create solutions and share best practice.
We can deliver face to face and virtually, for twilights, INSETs and conferences.
Our Training Session Includes
- Establishing what we mean by the fundamental elements for fostering healthy and respectful relationships
- Reflecting on what a diverse, equitable and inclusive health education looks like
- Considering how to represent diverse families, friendships and relationships
- Exploring how to teach the relationship aspect of RSE in primary schools
- Exploring how to provide students with relationships and sex education in secondary schools
One of the most engaging DEI sessions I’ve attended. Highly recommend!
Aishwarya Chandran, Coachbright
We received exceptional training from Hannah who empowered us to reflect on our own DEI journey as a school. We had a collaborative space to reflect and share our own lived experiences as well as those of the children and the community we serve. Hannah gave us tools to explore each protected characteristic and continue building and reimagining inclusive spaces for all stakeholders. As a team we came away with a clear understanding that our DEI work is a journey not a destination and we need as individuals to do the inner work in order to the outer work of DEI. Sessions led by DEI Leaders like Hannah create a culture shift where all staff can feel seen and heard. There was a definite sense of belonging and togetherness as a school community from this session and we hope to build on this with future training from Hannah and the Diverse Educator training team.
Janine Sawh, PSHE Lead
Our Leading Inclusively Training
Our Leading Inclusively Training
Our Leading Inclusively Training
Our Training Offer
We support school, college and trust leaders in developing their consciousness, confidence and competence in how to be more inclusive in their leadership.
We will create an open space to reflect on how well we are meeting the needs of our colleagues. We will discuss what leaders can do to create a more inclusive environment to support the needs of diverse staff.
We can deliver face to face and virtually, for twilights, INSETs and conferences.
Our Training Session Includes
- Recognising and appreciating identity differences among team members
- Deepening our understanding of diversity and embracing it as a strength rather than a challenge
- Considering how our inclusive leadership fosters a diverse and inclusive workplace
- Discussing what we can do to ensure that our teams feel valued, respected, and are motivated.
- Reflecting on the impact of an inclusive workplace environments
- Developing inclusive leadership as a style of management that values and includes a variety of backgrounds and perspectives
- Understanding the benefits for an organisation including: Improved culture, Increased employee retention, stronger relationships and higher performance and productivity
Hannah was an engaging and knowledgeable speaker who brought a wealth of insight to the discussion on derogatory and inclusive language. She skillfully captured the audience’s attention, presenting complex topics in a way that was both accessible and thought-provoking. Beyond her informative delivery, Hannah fostered a safe and respectful environment, encouraging open dialogue and creating a space where participants felt comfortable asking questions and sharing their perspectives. Her ability to engage meaningfully with the audience made her session both impactful and memorable.
Taf Mpandawana, EDIB coordinator