Blog

Picture the scene – the new Assistant Headteacher arrives at her dream job, taking responsibility for teaching and learning across the school. Her first decision to make arrives promptly in her email inbox; does the Academy decide to go ahead with the SSAT Embedding Formative Assessment (EFA) programme?

As a prime, core group of St Mark’s academy, we aim to establish significant changes within our school as well as pose as inspirational examples to not only our local community but hopefully regionally. We are a small group, aim for change, B.I.G change. BIG stands for Black is Great.

Two years ago, Westminster Academy’s staff and students felt there was a need to review our curriculum with regards to the lens we see events through, and how it supports the wellbeing of our students who come from a diverse community with lots of different racial groups and different ethnic backgrounds.

Each October our school takes the opportunity to celebrate Black History Month (BHM) through assemblies and links to topics across the curriculum. It is a wonderful opportunity to discuss the importance of Black contributions to science, politics, academia, social change, sport and much more. Staff from across subject areas, not just the history department, speak with passion to our students and have run activities, competitions and poster campaigns celebrating Black excellence.

In 2021, St Michael’s V.A. Junior School in Norfolk were proud to be awarded a Silver Award from the Race Charter Mark and shared their practise at the SSAT Summer Series, speaking alongside Professor David Olusoga. Here, Deputy Headteacher, Sarah Claflin and Co-Race and Conscious Equality Lead, Corri Laniado reflect upon the school’s continued journey: how their achievements and work in overcoming barriers focused the whole school on their mission for racial justice.

Students from Eltham Hill Girls’ School, supported by the school’s Safeguarding, Wellbeing and Student Leadership Lead Ayesha Lahai-Taylor, share their powerful video to help others learn about and challenge anti-Asian hate crime. 

A collaboration between our student cultural ambassadors and the art department at Ricards Lodge High School by Michelle McKenzie and Sebastian Rainsford.

In the light of recent news, Angelina Idun considers the responsibility schools have for tackling discrimination and reflects on how listening to our children and young people can help us move our race equality work forward.

Chorlton High is a large, truly comprehensive school in South Manchester. Our school is extremely diverse in terms of the socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds of our learners; a diversity that continues to expand as we routinely welcome new communities. Given the significant differences amongst our learners and their families in terms of their culture, experience and material wealth, the degree of positive interaction, inclusivity and harmony is a salient characteristic of the school, and one we are very proud of.

Here we reflect on the impact of Covid on our students, the impact of the recovery curriculum and the importance of supporting our young learners. We hear Barry’s reflections on how and what we can teach our young people to support their personal and academic wellbeing as we continue to move forward.