How I recruited a diverse board and why it was important to me

Ninna Makrinov portrait

Written by Ninna Makrinov

Organisational Psychologist with over 20 years' experience in Higher Education. Currently the Chair of Governors at Water Mill Primary School.

On 30 September I Tweeted “I have been re-elected chair of governors at Water Mill Primary School. Such a pleasure to be able to serve. I’ve also recruited for all our vacancies and have the most visibly diverse board I have seen in the school this far. Thanks @Penny_Ten for your ideas.”

Here, (in a blog that was first published on the BAMEed website) I articulate why diversity on the board is important to me. And share some ideas that you might want to try when recruiting new members to yours.

A diverse board:

I am chair of governors in a small one form entry primary school in Birmingham. We are extremely proud of the diverse community we serve. It includes children from all over the world, many who arrive to school without speaking English. Because of our location near the University of Birmingham and Queen Elizabeth hospital, some of our children are only with us during their parent’s studies or work placements. When visiting the school, I see this fantastic diversity. And the children see it too! In our latest Ofsted report, the inspector quoted a child saying ‘We are all unique and great friends from different countries. We are like the united nations here’. We also have children who live permanently in the local area; they also come from diverse backgrounds.

Leadership has historically been another matter. When I joined the board we were all white; I brought some diversity, as I immigrated to the UK (for the second time) with my children and they joined the school with still little English. I did not question the lack of diversity then. It seemed the norm, educated white British people providing a service for the community. We cared, we wanted the best for the children. But we (or at least I) did not see how important it was the diversity of our community was visibly represented within the board.

I have been through a personal journey during the past 4 years that totally changed my focus. For years I have believed in multiculturalism, I have worked in international education, I have lived in three countries. Looking back, I was rather naïve in my beliefs. Maybe because in Chile, where I come from, racism is blatant I did not see it in the UK. I started attending an anti-racist pedagogies forum at work a couple of years ago, that changed my outlook. I will not delve into my process, I imagine it would bore a diverse audience to read about how I realised about my white privilege. I should have known!

Having a visibly diverse board is important to me because I realise I cannot serve a community I don’t understand. All voices need to be heard and mine is not more important than others. Our children will be able to see themselves in us, parents might trust us more. Our discussions will, I expect, be enriched by asking questions coming from different perspectives. I hope that recruiting a visibly diverse board is a starting point to diversifying our leadership, improving our policies and engaging in deep reflection. I genuinely value diversity, I have for some time; but I now know that diversity in leadership doesn’t happen by accident.

Recruiting diverse members:

Recruiting board members for school governance is a challenge in itself. I imagine I am not the only one who at some points has felt that I am begging for members. And we need to make sure we have the right skills set on the table. I know some boards achieve this by having specialised committees and big numbers. At Water Mill, we made a decision that the best governance solution for our school was to have a small board (9 members), with frequent meetings and (almost) no committees. We embarked on a skills development journey using the DfE’s competency framework. And we made a conscious commitment to recruiting diverse members. We also decided not to appoint unless we agreed of the value to the board.

 

As vacancies arose, we openly indicated that we were looking for diverse members. That was, I am sorry to say, not enough. The reason for this was obvious to me when I was delivering a confidence training session to university students and one of them openly discussed what she called the elephant in the room, all were women from ethnic minority backgrounds. She shared her experiences of discrimination and how she would not apply for a job in a place that was not already diverse, to avoid this. In her eyes, a recruitment pack that mentioned diversity was just saying ‘not for me’. How could we make our obviously white educated board the place for those who were not like us? I got advice on ideas to try and came up with some myself.

I still feel that our current diverse board is serendipitous. Three governors were elected by parents and I found my next door neighbour (and good friend) on Inspiring Governance. However, I hope some of the ideas I tried might help:

  1. Commit to diversity: Discuss diversity openly in your board. Create a list of the characteristics you ideally would want to have. Not all diversity if visible, but visible diversity can help demonstrate your commitment openly.
  2. Celebrate the diversity you already have: Think about how your board and/or school is already diverse. Share this and make it visible. Add diversity stories on webpages, for example. Our headteacher updated our webpage recently; I think it looks great.
  3. Ask for what you are looking for: Although I mentioned above that just adding a diversity statement was not enough, I still think this is needed. Make sure it includes your reasoning; I changed ours from ‘we welcome applications from BME backgrounds” to “We would particularly welcome nominations from parents from diverse ethnic backgrounds. We are committed to the diversity of our school; we would like our governing board membership to demonstrate this.” 
  4. Target specifically for the diversity you need: I used Inspiring Governance and Governors for Schools to support my search (if you have not tried them, do!). Inspiring Governance has a shortlisting system. In this occasion we wanted men and minority members; I did not contact any white women in my search. The vacancies were open to all, but I did not reach out to them.

 

I am looking forward to continuing this journey. A diverse board is not only about recruitment, but also about retention. This will require us to effectively listen to each other, value diverse opinions, ensure everyone feels like a valued member. I start this year with 4 new members, almost half of my board. We are integrating opportunities to get to know each other and training sessions during our meetings. My main focus is to build each member’s confidence in their role. I will know that I have succeeded when others are ready to step up and take the responsibility of chairing the board. I love my role, but I believe my board is better served by diversity in leadership.

by Hannah Wilson

“You Can’t Be What You Can’t See”: Growing Future Leaders in Education

Sarah Mullin portrait

Written by Sarah Mullin

Deputy Headteacher and EdD student

 A blog by Sarah Mullin and Dr Deborah Outhwaite

It is widely acknowledged that gender representation, in addition to other forms of diversity, is essential for society to thrive, yet women are still underrepresented globally in politics, health, business, and other organisations. Despite research which highlights the positive influences women bring to leadership positions, many organisations report difficulties in attracting and retaining women leaders. Schools can therefore play an important role in helping girls to realise their potential so that they can be the change that they want to see in society.

How can schools better prepare girls for future leadership positions?

  • Engage men as allies

It is important for us to engage boys as allies by raising awareness of gender privileges so that they feel confident to challenge inequality when they see it. We need boys to appreciate the positive qualities that women leaders bring to the table and to work with girls to so that gender equality can be achieved. 

 

  • Encourage STEM careers

Just 24% of UK STEM roles are occupied by women and these are wide-ranging, technical professions which are critical to the economy.  By harnessing positive role models from organisations such as STEM Ambassadors, we might ignite a passion for future careers in STEM, particularly in young women from households where there is no prior experience in these areas.  

 

  • Financial education

Women live longer but financially poorer lives than their male counterparts, and part of this is around the ownership of finances, occupying lower paid, part-time roles, and the lack of professional careers with occupational pensions.  Although no one young wants to think about retirement, financial education is key.  

 

  • Tackle Imposter Syndrome

For years, girls have outperformed boys academically, yet girls may lack the confidence to believe in themselves and their future potential. We can help girls to be aware that having feelings of self-doubt is normal; imposter syndrome can affect anyone at any time. We can help girls to recognise the positive skills and attributes they possess so that they feel empowered to embrace and celebrate their positive qualities.

  • Encourage Self-Care and Wellbeing

We teach our children and young people to take care of their physical and mental health; it is equally important to encourage girls to invest in their wellbeing. Whether schools are promoting positive body image or banishing berating self-talk, girls need to grow up appreciating that self-care is far from selfish: it is a necessity. 

  • Inspirational Role Models

We can celebrate the multifarious roles that women leaders possess: women can be mothers and partners in addition to being leaders. Let us teach our girls about the possibilities of flexible working patterns, showing them how to be assertive and confident so that they are able to make the future life choices which are right for them. Let us help our girls learn about inspirational women from diverse backgrounds in a range of careers so that they have positive role models to look up to.

For the first time in history, two women shared the 2020 Nobel prize for Chemistry proving that the realisation of a more equitable society is achievable. So, let’s encourage our girls to aim high, dream big and work hard to become the change we want to see in society. After all, you cannot be what you cannot see.

 

To Cite this article, please use:

Mullin, S. & Outhwaite, D. 2020 ‘You Can’t Be what You Can’t See: Growing Future Leaders in Education’, Engage Magazine, issue 21, p9.

Sarah Mullin is a Deputy Headteacher and Doctor of Education student. She is the curator of the bestselling book What They Didn’t Teach Me on My PGCE and the founder of #EduTeacherTips, a YouTube channel for teachers, by teachers. 

 

Dr Deborah Outhwaite is the Director of the Derby Teaching Schools Alliance (DTSA), BELMAS Council Vice-Chair, co-convening a Research Interest Group (RIG) on Leadership Preparation and Development (LPD and a Network Leader for @WomenEd in the East Midlands.

by Hannah Wilson

Wholeness and School Leadership: Why Race and Identity Matter

Viv Grant portrait

Written by Viv Grant

Director of Integrity Coaching

It is my belief that good school leadership has at its heart a desire for wholeness. It is a wholeness which individuals seek to see manifested through a harmonious interplay of their deepest values and beliefs, by fostering right relationships with themselves and others.

 

Recent events sparked by the death of George Floyd have clearly illustrated that we live in a society that is far from whole. Fault lines run through the lives of individuals and organisations, teachers and school leaders, families and their children.

 

We have seen how people have come together to try and repair the damage but there can be no papering over the cracks. For the dream of racial equality to be real, complete healing and transformation is needed.

 

A gradual dawning

I have witnessed over the past few weeks, that there has been a gradual dawning for many white school leaders of what is being asked of them. This has been a significant paradigm shift. There has been a gradual awakening of the need to review and re-shape white identity in order to accelerate the change that the black community has cried out for.

 

I recognise and understand that this is unfamiliar  territory and can be scary for many. Never before in the UK has the debate on race equality in our schools shifted its gaze so steadfastly onto white identity and race. For as long as I can remember, it has  been the other way around. Race equality work has predominantly focused on the black experience of racism and strategies for enabling the black community to overcome the huge injustices and inequalities that they have faced.

 

Now the narrative has changed. White teachers and school leaders are being called to do their own identity work.

 

A range of responses

For some, the immediate response has been defensiveness. And yet for others it has been a quiet, studied introspection; a turning inwards accompanied by a deep desire to learn, to enquire, to change, to understand and to grow.

 

For those who have turned inwards, I am certain that attention to the existential challenge of learning to be whole, will result in, “a net moral gain for all concerned. As that potential grows within us, we join in the potential for personal and social change” (Parker Palmer)

 

It may seem strange to some that I describe this turning inwards as part of a desire to be whole. Yet as a coach, I have seen the many, many ways in which the school leadership role has caused many  leaders to live a divided (and sometimes painful life). Becoming aware of one’s own racial identity and how it has contributed to this can only be an act of service to the greater cause – to a world in which racial equality is a reality for all.

 

Whole person work

For this to happen, white school leaders need to be supported to see that this is whole person work; work that engages emotions, values and beliefs. It is work that requires them  to engage with new personal and professional frontiers. It won’t be easy work, but it will be right work. It won’t come with a National Professional qualification stamp, because the work is ontological. The work is about you.

 

It will require you to:

 

  • Engage in self-enquiry with an open heart and open mind
  • Dig deep and develop greater levels of self-awareness
  • Explore your own cultural blind-spots and biases

 

Essentially, this work will require you to decide how this type of identity work can bring greater agency and potency to your work as a school leader. If you are open and willing, it can bring you to a point where you can say, to be ally in the struggle for greater racial equality my inner truth is:

 

“The plumb line for the choices I make about my life, about the work I do and how I do it, about the relationships I enter into and how I conduct them”

(Parker J Palmer)

 

Our society needs to be healed and our schools need to be places of transformation and healing and white identity work has to be a central part of that healing process. 

by Hannah Wilson

My Wellbeing as a LGBT Teacher

Jared Cawley portrait

Written by Jared Cawley

Being a teacher who identifies as LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) has presented its challenges. I believe a fundamental link between identifying as LGBT and wellbeing is safety. At a basic, psychological level, safety plays an integral part in our wellbeing and ability to function as a human. To feel unsafe, means that feelings of uncertainty, anxiety and fear are on loop in our everyday lives. If we do not feel safe in our environment, then our wellbeing will suffer. When we have good mental health and wellbeing, we can work productively and creatively, feel a sense of purpose and achievement, build strong relationships with friends and colleagues, and thrive personally and professionally. As a gay man, I am not part of the majority. I am marginalised. The working world is predominately heteronormative, where ‘straight’ is the preferred and encouraged sexuality. 

LGBT Maltreatment 

By looking at our recent history, society has not been kind to us queer folk. LGBT people have been spat at, demonised by the press and public, punished and incarcerated by law makers, chemically castrated and driven to suicide (Jones, 2017). The LGBT community has a legitimate right to feel unsafe in today’s world.  Across the planet, seventy-three jurisdictions still criminalise private, consensual sexual activity between adults of the same sex. Roughly half of these are Commonwealth countries.  Terrifyingly, there are twelve countries which impose the death penalty for being gay (Human Dignity Trust).  In a huge number of countries, LGBT victims of sexual or gender-based violence cannot access justice mechanisms or get proper support. 

A recent report shows that LGBT people are at a greater risk of being victim to hate crime compared to heterosexual people, where incidents are continuing to rise (Hudson-Sharp & Metcalf, 2016). Also, in the same report,  if you identify as LGBT, you are more ‘susceptible to mental health problems than heterosexual people due to a range of factors, including discrimination and inequalities’. I may have painted a bleak and depressing portrait of the world, but this is the reality for many LGBT people. Being a teacher, it is paramount to work in an environment that is supportive, inclusive and takes your mental health and wellbeing seriously and makes you feel safe being the person you are. 

Coming Out

The concept of ‘Coming Out’ is a political act. It is a form of rebellion against the heteronormative agenda. We spend our entire lives continuously ‘coming out’ to each new person we meet. This can be exhausting and risky. Making the decision to share your sexuality can be liberating, but we just do not know how that person is going to react. Luckily, I work in a school where I feel accepted, safe, and privileged to share my identity as a gay man. However, being comfortable, accepted, and safe is not always the case for every LGBT person; some LGBT teachers may think it is too risky to ‘come out’, as this could lead to discrimination and hostility from colleagues, parents and students. 

Over the years, I have had to navigate the difficulties of working in a heteronormative environment and tread carefully about how open I am about my sexuality. I work in an international school where difference, otherness and diversity are celebrated and encouraged. In my school, families and students come from all corners of the world, dozens of nationalities and languages are seen and heard in our corridors and playground. There is a real richness of diversity and cultures. Yet, there are still moments where I question my personal feeling of safety and fear whether I will be accepted or not when meeting new families, students, and colleagues. Being open about your sexuality in the workplace is a personal choice. I know some LGBT teachers are comfortable to share their sexuality with everyone. On the other hand, I also know teachers who choose to not disclose their sexuality for many reasons. When meeting parents and families, or even colleagues, we do not know their opinions or beliefs about the LGBT community, or how they will react knowing we identify as LGBT. This feeling of uncertainty perpetuates a feeling of unsafety, having consequences for our wellbeing and mental health. This level of uncertainty may prevent LGBT teachers from applying for promotions or moving on to a different school (Lee, 2019). The anxiety and stress of having to ‘come out’ again to new people or having the school community take more interest in your personal life due to promotion, may be a risk that LGBT teachers are not willing to take. To question whether you will be accepted due to your sexuality, is something heterosexual people do not experience. 

Section 28

Although the UK has made strong advancements in legislation for the protection of LGBT teachers, some teachers still feel fear in their schools today. Catherine Lee, in her research, talks about the consequences Section 28 had on the education profession. From 1988 to 2003, LGBT teachers were silenced, and their wellbeing damaged by law. This piece of legislation stopped maintained schools from promoting the acceptability of homosexuality. Lee’s research shows that LGBT teachers who lived through Section 28 have a very different experience in their workplace, to those who joined the teaching profession after the repeal in 2003. Those teachers who lived through this persecution are less likely to see their personal and professional identities as compatible and less likely to bring their partner to a school social event (Lee, 2019). Not only should schools encourage and foster an inclusive culture for all but have whole-school practices that are uniquely in place to support LGBT teachers. I think when teachers feel valued and supported, they will feel safe having a positive impact on their individual wellbeing. 

What can school leaders do to support LGBT staff’s wellbeing? 

Most LGBT school staff will have experienced some sort of battle with their mental health. For a school to be productive and successful, everyone who works there should have good mental health and be supported when help is needed. Here are some tips to support the wellbeing of LGBT staff:

  •  Use inclusive language 

Making small changes around inclusive language can have a huge impact on either making people feel accepted and/or feeling excluded. If we make staff feel excluded, their wellbeing will suffer. 

Here are my suggestions:

  • When asking about a colleague’s weekend or personal life in the staffroom, be mindful of the pronouns they use to describe their partner. If they do not specially describe their partner as ‘he’ or ‘she’, they make be indicating their partner is of the same sex. Never assume someone is heterosexual and is attracted to the opposite sex. 
  • Instead of greeting your staff team with, ‘Good morning ladies and gentlemen’, say, ‘Good morning everyone’. With this, you have included all genders and identities without assuming everyone identifies with the gender they were assigned to a birth. 
  • Challenge colleagues and students who use phrases that diminish sensitivity or acting like a particular gender. For example: ‘man-up’, ‘you throw like a girl’, and ‘boys don’t cry’.  
  • Visibility

LGBT staff need to feel accepted and be shown that their workplace is inclusive. School leaders should proudly show they support LGBT staff. If we do not feel accepted, then this may have a detrimental effect of our wellbeing and mental health. 

  • This could be by wearing LGBT lanyards, flying the Pride flag outside and inside their school, having displays around school that celebrate diversity and LGBT issues.
  • Have your staff complete a learning walk where LGBT is the focus, can you spot anything in your school that says this is a safe space for LGBT students, families, and staff? 

 

  • Educate Yourself to understand LGBT perspective and experiences 

Read books and use organisations that specifically discuss LGBT voices in education and whole school approaches. It can be difficult for people who are not part of a minority group and see life from their perspective:

The LGBT Primary Hub offers a snappy timeline of our history and glossary of LGBT vocabulary.

 

References 

Dolan, C. (2014) Into The Mainstream: Addressing Sexual Violence Against Men and Boys in Conflict. Available at: “https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Into_The_Mainstream-Addressing_Sexual_Violence_against_Men_and_Boys_in_Conflict.pdf”

Jones, O. (2017, July) Hatred of LGBTQ People Still Infects Society. It’s No Time to Celebrate. The Guardian. Available at: “https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jul/27/lgbtq-partial-decriminalisation-homosexuality-gay-trans”

Human Dignity Trust. LGBT The Law. Available at “https://www.humandignitytrust.org/lgbt-the-law/”

Hudson-Sharp, N., Metcalf, H. (2016) National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR). Inequality Among Lesbian, Gay Bisexual and Transgender Groups in The UK: A Review of Evidence. Available at “https://www.niesr.ac.uk/sites/default/files/publications/160719_REPORT_LGBT_evidence_review_NIESR_FINALPDF.pdf”

Lee, C. (2019) Fifteen years on: the legacy of section 28 for LGBT+ teachers in English schools, Sex Education, 19:6, 675-690, DOI: 10.1080/14681811.2019.1585800

by Hannah Wilson

Excellence Begets Excellence

Jenetta Hurst portrait

Written by Jenetta Hurst

Music specialist with 15 years’ experience working in secondary schools in a range of settings. Currently Head of Department for Music

Does the voice of Black women exist in the literature on school leadership in England?

 

Whilst completing my MA in Leadership, I was astounded by the lack of female Black voices presented to me as recommended reading in the literature.  By contrast, it was exciting, refreshing and unusual to have a module jointly facilitated by a Black female Professor and a White female Professor. Nonetheless, this apparent lack of representation in the literature led me to engage in conversations with an experienced and successful Black female head teacher to enquire as to why she had not yet penned a book on school leadership. 

 

I encouraged her to please go ahead and write a book, my feeling being that there was a voice and perspective missing from the discourse.  Even for me as a thirty-something mid-career professional, the lack of representation had an impact.  I couldn’t see myself in the literature on school leadership in England. 

 

Through my own research and further guidance from my course lecturers I was inspired as I began to discover contributions from Allana Gay (2017), as well as several contributions from Black males in academia such as the esteemed Professor Paul Miller.  These contributions refined my thinking academically and more so, my understanding of some of my experiences as a Black female school leader in England, my country of birth, and my home.

 

The global response to the untimely death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in the spring of 2020 led to the increased amplification of key voices on the importance of diversity in education.  Observing and engaging in discussions and online training some three years after my initial studies had begun, highlighted to me the extensive research, knowledge and insight of those who had long been flying the flag for diversity of school staffing and leadership, both in the U.K. and globally. 

 

Under-representation of Black school leaders in England

On the Leading in Diverse Cultures and Communities module of my MA, I spent hours digesting data and reading about the experiences of predominantly male Black school leaders in the UK and USA.  I carefully considered the importance of place and identity for students in school communities (Riley, 2016) and was hit with the stark reality that at the time of writing, the most up to date data reflected that a mere 2.3% (gov.uk) of head teachers in the UK were of Black and minority ethnic backgrounds.  Looking forwards another three years, we see that alarmingly, this figure has increased to just 3.3% (gov.uk).

My concerns remain the same:

  • What about retention of Black, Asian and minority ethnic teachers and leaders?
  • What about the impact of the lack of representation upon students who, I can say having walked in the role of a middle and senior leader myself, are inspired and energised by seeing teachers working in senior roles, who look like them and may share in their own culture?
  • What about the opportunity for Black, Asian and minority ethnic teachers and leaders impacting the school community in a broader way than their classroom, year team or department?
  • What about personal levels of motivation and stimulation in the workplace?

 

As I continue my teaching and leadership journey, I am reminded of the countless positive role models that have featured in my life, both female and male.  Individuals of influence who are of course, to be respected for their own perseverance and dedication in their chosen fields.  Educators, school leaders, community leaders, sportsmen, civil servants, college Professors and pharmacists, to mention but a few.  I count myself as being very blessed to have always had those who have gone before me, to look up to.

Creating an educational landscape where everyone can grow and everyone can benefit

We need to see representation of all marginalised and minority groups to ensure that every child, aspiring teacher, school leader, school Governor and every aspiring academic sees themselves in society.  As a musician and music educator, I hope in the future to see an increase in the number of teachers and leaders of music who represent the diverse communities that they serve.  I hope for more young role models from all communities to come forwards to pave the way for future generations, ensuring that together everyone can grow and everyone can benefit.

In the week that we celebrate representation in the highest office of Madam Vice President-elect of the USA, Kamala Harris, a self-identifying Black and South Asian-American female (cnbc.com) we remember that excellence begets excellence.  And so I encourage us all to continue to do our best, to go out and be the change that we wish to see.

References:

Feiner, L. (https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/07/kamala-harris-elected-vice-president.html last accessed 10th November 2020.

Gay, A. What does a school leader look like? SecEd. 1st March 2017, http://www.sec-ed.co.uk/best-practice/what-does-a-school-leader-look-like/ last accessed 10th November 2020.

Riley, K. (2016) The Art of Possibilities. (https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youth.be&v=wjzdwlHSBRA last accessed 10th November 2020.

Jenetta Hurst is a music specialist with 15 years’ experience working in secondary schools in a range of settings.  Jenetta is currently Head of Department for Music in a large secondary school in East London, and is a former senior leader.  Jenetta’s interests are staff development, CPDL, ITT and teacher induction and she graduated from UCL Institute of Education with the MA Leadership in 2019.  Jenetta is also an Honorary Member of the Birmingham Conservatoire.

by Hannah Wilson

The importance and power of strong leadership to create sustained change with respect to inclusion and diversity

Jill Berry portrait

Written by Dr Jill Berry

Thirty years teaching across six different schools in the UK, state and independent, and was a head for the last ten. Has since completed a doctorate and written a book.

This post is based on my contribution to the Boarding Schools’ Association online conference on Inclusion and Diversity on 14th October 2020. Thank you to BSA and Ammy Davies-Potter for inviting me to be part of this event.

“I want to conclude this opening session by focussing on the role of leaders in schools, if we are to move forward and achieve progress with respect to how diverse and inclusive our schools are.

I was a head in the independent sector for 10 years – until 2010.  Since then I have worked with many schools and leaders at all levels, focussing on leadership development, so I am still very much involved in the world of education.  I am keen to do all I can to support leaders so that THEY can support, and constructively challenge, those they lead to achieve their professional best.

I think it was Vic Goddard, the head of Passmores Academy, who said ‘as a head, you make the weather’.  School leaders have the opportunity to model the behaviour they hope others will emulate – students, staff, other leaders across the organisation, governors, even parents – all members of the wider school community.  The best leaders I know have a strong sense of moral purpose, integrity and humanity.  Their leadership is based on clear principles, and the groups and communities they lead know what these principles are.  Ideally, leaders need to LIFT those they lead, rather than grinding them down.

So modelling a principled commitment to respecting diversity and increasing inclusion is going to be part of this.  I expect that if you’re in this webinar you share this commitment, and you’re not just ticking a box to show you’ve paid lip-service to the issue.

How do leaders model this commitment?  I think it’s about proving yourself to be a strong ally, as Matthew has already mentioned this morning.  It’s about being determined to stand by those who face barriers as a result of their ethnicity, religion, culture, age, gender, sexuality or disability – whichever protected characteristic, or, taking into account the issue of intersectionality, whichever multiple characteristics, apply.  It’s about giving support to ensure others can take a seat at the table, and they can use their voice and be heard.  Can we help to amplify those voices and ensure we model receptivity, especially when what we hear may be challenging and difficult?  Can we be strong, powerful allies and encourage those we lead to embrace allyship too?  Can we stand up, not stand by?  Can we embrace discomfort and recognise that saying nothing doesn’t show respect?  Following the killing of George Floyd and the #BlackLivesMatter drive, I was really struck by the Martin Luther King quotation:

‘In the end what we remember will be not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.’

Sometimes when a situation is sensitive, we can feel reluctant to speak up out of fear of saying the wrong thing, choosing the wrong words.  I think we’ve realised in recent months that saying nothing could be the worst thing of all.  We have to have dialogue.  We need to listen and learn, raising our awareness and acting on what we learn. I really liked what Temi said earlier about moving from ‘intention’ to ‘impact’.

I’m very aware that I only have a few minutes, so I’ve given Ammy some recommendations to share with you – podcasts and readings, including an excellent blog post by Hannah Wilson about how to be an effective ally.  There are also links to two online events coming up – one specifically for governors, which I hope may be useful for you to pass on to others. See the references at the end of this post.

What do I think is important with respect to strong leadership to create sustained change in this area?

I have four suggestions to make this morning:

  1. Be clear about your school’s vision and values, and how a respect for diversity and inclusion is reflected in any statement of purpose and priorities and what your school stands for.  Ensure your principles are clearly communicated and understood within and beyond the school community, and that these principles are LIVED in the day to day life of the school – in your relationships, practices and policies.
  2. Be prepared to talk openly about the importance of respecting diversity and fostering inclusion – keep listening and learning.  Accept it will be uncomfortable at times, but be willing to embrace the complexity rather than shrinking from it.  This involves heads and governors working together, having robust conversations and ensuring you are aligned and pulling in the same direction.  It also involves engaging your students in discussion so that they know they are listened to and they are aware of different perspectives and the importance of equitability.  They are the next generation – the future and our best chance of achieving sustained change.
  3. Be willing to advocate for your students where there are tensions, for example between parents and their children over any issue to do with inclusion.  I think this is what good schools have always done – while trying to bring parents and children together when there is conflict, helping to resolve difficulties and find a way forward, schools still need to be clear that they are on the child’s side rather than (in the independent sector) automatically on the fee-payer’s, if their principles and moral purpose clearly indicate that this is the right thing to do.   Schools have to do the RIGHT thing, not the EASY thing.
  4. Lastly – work on the curriculum, alongside subject experts, to consider the curricular repercussions of a commitment to diversity and inclusion.  I’ve recently read ‘Leaders with Substance’, by headteacher Matthew Evans and he is excellent on the centrality of the curriculum and the focus on WHAT we are teaching and WHY we are teaching it, rather than just HOW we are teaching.

In summary, I think strong leadership is about being a strong ally, and encouraging those you lead to do the same. Courage is clearly needed – there may be pushback from some parents, some governors, some students, some staff.  As a head I remember the “This isn’t the kind of community I am buying into” conversation.  But if the behaviour or approach behind that sort of comment is actually discriminatory, we have to be strong enough to stand against it.

The resources and links will give further information and sources of support as school leaders determine to do all they can to be strong allies, to address inequity, to make progress and to move forward.

I recognise it isn’t easy.

I strongly believe it IS possible.  I don’t think you’d be here if you didn’t share that conviction.

I hope the rest of the day helps to confirm that.

Thank you for listening.”

References:

Anti-racist education – selected resources collated by The Chartered College

Black Lives Matter podcasts

Hannah Wilson (@Ethical_Leader) blog post on how to be an inclusive ally – which contains further resources within it

by Hannah Wilson

A Reflection - For my daughters and young girls everywhere

Evelyn Forde portrait

Written by Evelyn Forde

TES Headteacher of the Year 2020, Future Leader participant 2008, NPQH, ASGS Board Member and ASCL Council Member

Whilst I am revelling in the success of winning HeadTeacher of the Year at the TES Awards at the weekend, I thought it timely to capture what this truly means to me as I consider my own personal journey, the unstinting support I have had along the way and my continued commitment to raise the profile of BAME leaders through my work with ASCL and how I can use my  privileged position as Headteacher to influence and make a difference.

When I won on Friday, my 16 year old daughter asked me how I felt and I said, overwhelmed and that I would have loved my parents to have been around to celebrate with me so that they could see that the sacrifices they made for me and my siblings was worth it.   It’s also hard to put into words what it means to have left school with no qualifications, to have raised two children whilst juggling University, cleaning people’s houses and thinking about how I could put food on the table (we often talk about our lemon curd sandwiches!) to this point in my life,  now.

Soon after having my second daughter I quickly realised I needed to go back to school and get the education that would make a difference for all of us.  I needed to show my girls the value and importance of education and I needed to pay the bills!   I didn’t have privilege, class or money and so I drew upon support of friends and family.   I started with a night course in child development, then I did an Access course into higher education and it was here my teacher encouraged me to look further than my local University and took me to visit SOAS.  This was probably the first time throughout my time in education that someone took the time to ‘tap me on the shoulder’ and to believe in me, to show me that there is a world of possibilities out there, and for that I am immensely grateful.

From my NQT year at White Hart Lane to now as Headteacher  at Copthall School, I have had people on the side-lines supporting me on my journey, from my friends who would help with childcare, who would hold me up when at times it was all too much, to colleagues and Coaches who would steer me in the right direction, offering advice and guidance at the most crucial of times.    So that is why I know the HT of the Year Award, is not just about me, it is about everyone who has travelled the road with me and shared in the highs and lows on the way.

A fellow Head messaged me and said winning the award sends out important messages to the next generation, inspiring girls and children from minority backgrounds to believe they can make a difference, and I firmly believe that too.   I also hope it sends a message to all my fellow BAME colleagues in education, that whilst the journey to leadership will require hard work and will still come with challenges, those challenges are not insurmountable.   Working with ASCL to make systemic change is really important to me, as my lived experiences are what drives me ever more.   I also want to be part of a system that has true and not tokenistic representation at all levels of leadership so that our children can see people that look like them.  I also want to use my position as a Headteacher to talent spot, to tap colleagues on the shoulder and to always remember never to pull that ladder up behind me as the journey to success is rarely achieved by you and you alone –  and don’t I know it!

by Hannah Wilson

The need for a trauma-informed, bias-aware and compassionate curriculum

Laila El-Metoui portrait

Written by Laila El-Metoui

Equality Advocate | Stonewall Lesbian Role Model 2020 | Pride 365 Champion | Helping leaders foster inclusive & diverse workplaces through training and consultancy | Founder of Pride in Education and Educating OUT Racism

A massive thank you to DiverseEd for organising such a comprehensive event. 

My reflections are about us having a trauma-informed, bias-aware and compassionate curriculum, so what does that mean?

 

One of the previous panelists (Amanda) mentioned refugees and trauma in the previous panel and my curriculum background is in ESOL , EFL teaching English to migrants, refugees and people seeking refuge which is better than referring to them as ‘asylum seekers’. I will be talking about it from a Further Education perspective in the UK and looking at the language we use. 

 

Trauma-informed: 

We can look at it from many angles but I’d like to suggest a couple 

Firstly personal trauma , you cannot look at someone and guess what their background and experiences have been. Secondly historical trauma – which includes decolonising the curriculum and not looking at subjects in silos for example when teaching French one could look at where it is spoken in 29 countries, why ? because France colonised those countries, the language we use is important, these countries were not ‘conquered’ as stated in britanica.com but invaded.  From an ESOL perspective it means being mindful of potential triggers and having systems in place to support them but also the trauma that people may have experienced as a result or leaving their homes or the current pandemic. 

 

Bias-aware: 

Breaking down stereotypes and being aware of our own prejudices is a good way to start. 

Looking at LGBT+ lives for example, some of the myths commonly heard within the sector include – you cannot embed LGBT+ within classes where people have low level of English, looking at the the language we use and teach for example  asking about pronouns for referring to partner and sibling rather than husband and wife, sister brother will lead to a more inclusive curriculum. Other panellists (Lisa) mentioned stories in the previous panel  and Chris talked about the lack of visibility in course books, for those very reasons I have  designed my own resources, one  can embed any themes within a story.  I have written narratives which included themes such as domestic violence, social isolation, my journey to the UK.  By creating relatable and meaningful content we will develop  more than reading, writing, speaking and listening skills, skills like empathy, critical thinking and compassion. 

 

Compassionate:

Compassion is about kindness and fostering an environment where people are free to make mistakes, to experiment and express their authentic selves. Challenging discrimination compassionately, eliciting the difference between understanding, agree and accept; eliciting the difference between an insult and an opinion. This needs to be contextualised within a whole organisational approach and include: 

 

  • the use and collection of data so that the content reflects local population
  • understanding achievement, success and progression 
  • a zero tolerance policy with regards to discrimination 
  • easy access to resources knowledge sharing and training 
  • making different groups visible and represented (365 days a week) not just for black history month, LGBT HM or disability week

 

Organisations also need to have: 

  • supportive forums to raise issues
  • a clear and visible commitment from senior leadership 

 

But we also need funding, the ESOL funding has been slashed by the UK government more than halved in fact in the last 5 years.  Other factors include the imminent exit from the EU, the immigration  Law and many other socio-economic factors which contribute towards a hostile environment for people of colour. 

 

Digital exclusion has been highlighted by this pandemic with the most vulnerable groups not being able to access ESOL provision due to not having  a mobile phone or access to the internet. Giving people the tools to access learning is part of having a compassionate curriculum. 

 

To end on a positive I want to  highlight how kind people have been and I’d like to invite any ESOL practitioner watching to join the newly created Facebook group called Digital pedagogy for ESOL teachers, where practitioners can get practical tools and resources to share knowledge and support each other: https://www.facebook.com/groups/741096156803038/?ref=share   

 

Laila El-Metoui she/ her / hers

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lailaelmetoui/ 

 

Equality Advocate | Stonewall Lesbian Role Model 2020 | Pride 365 Champion | Helping leaders foster inclusive & diverse workplaces through training and consultancy | Founder of Pride in Education and Educating OUT Racism

by Hannah Wilson

Remembrance Day

Sajid Gulzar portrait

Written by Sajid Gulzar

Founding CEO of the Prince Albert Community Trust (PACT) and National Leader of Education

On October 31st 1914 a 26 year old gunner and his machine gun crew managed to hold their position against a German onslaught. The Germans were using more effective weaponry and outnumbered the gunner and his crew five to one. A second crew fighting alongside the gunner were killed as a result of a direct shell hit. The consequences of the machine gun crews being over-run were potentially devastating. The goal of the German offensive was to capture the vital ports of Boulogne and Nieuport. 

The gunner and his crew held the Germans off, they continued to fire at the enemy all day. When all around him had been killed, despite being shot, the gunner continued to fight. Eventually, he was left for dead. The stand made on that autumn day on water-logged ground during the First Battle of Ypre, allowed reinforcements to arrive and the German advance was curtailed. The gunner would later be awarded the Victoria Cross. His citation noted ‘remained working his gun until all the over five men of the gun detachment had been killed.’ 

The gunner was born in the Punjab province of what is now Pakistan and his name was Khudadad Khan. This young man, a member of the Duke of Connaught’s Own Baluchis helped to ensure that two ports used to supply British troops with vital supplies, remained in Allied hands.  He was the first Muslim soldier to be awarded the Victoria Cross and there is a commemorative stone in his honour at the National Memorial Arboretum. 

During the course of the Great War, hundreds of thousands of young men left their homes behind to travel to Europe and fight for Great Britain. Many would never return. My mother recalls her father telling her that some villages were almost cleared of their young men. The level of sacrifice is indescribable. Khudadad Khan’s story is one amongst countless others of courage and lives cut short on the battlefields of Europe. 

Many of you reading this may be reading about Khudadad Khan for the first time. I first heard about him about 10 years ago. I didn’t know about the Indian contribution to the war effort until well into my twenties. That is despite being taught history at school. Despite teaching history at school. It wasn’t until 3 or 4 years into my teaching career that I discovered that 1.3 million Indians including 400,000 Muslims fought during WW1. That many thousands of them died on foreign shores, having never been to the nation they were sacrificing their life for. I didn’t know that 12,000 wounded Indian soldiers were sent to Brighton, that many of them died and were buried there in the cemetery at Horsell Common. 

Soon after I started teaching, the events of 9/11 changed our world. I remember watching the news in horror in 2005 as the details of the 7/7 attacks in London were emerging. I was actually on a visit to the school where I would be taking up a new role in the approaching September. Following the London attacks in particular, there has been a lot of soul searching about identity and belonging. What must the level of disenfranchisement be for someone born and brought up in a country to attack it from within. This is of course the extreme end of the spectrum that goes all the way from not quite feeling you belong to all out war.

I know this may appear a gross over-simplification but identity and belonging are definitely a part of the mix. So, where does Khudadad Khan and his regiment fit in? I spent much of my youth feeling like I don’t belong, particularly when it came to The World Wars. More than once I can remember being told that I didn’t deserve to be here, that the good people of Britain had sacrificed their lives for the freedoms that my family and I were enjoying. That somehow my being here was a betrayal of that sacrifice. I remember that my defence, at least as an adult, was based on the need of the country to rebuild post war and the importance of the migration of my father’s generation to Britain. At the time though, I didn’t know that my grandparents peers had fought and died too, in their hundreds of thousands.

I remember visiting a great aunt on a trip to Pakistan when I was 20 (I didn’t feel I belonged there either but that’s a whole other blog!). Her son had gone to fight for Britain in Burma during WW2. He never returned. 50 years after he left for war, she still waited for him to return. Would my knowing these stories have made a difference growing up? Had I known about the sacrifice of my forefathers to secure our freedoms, had I known about the extraordinary bravery of Khudadad Khan and countless thousands like him? Had I been taught that I had a vested interest, a shared history of blood shed for the cause? Quite possibly yes to all of the above. 

What is quite striking is the missed opportunity at this time of year to use this shared history, this shared sacrifice to bring communities together, cement feelings of belonging and to help secure identity. It is not just schools that miss this opportunity, from film to the media, opportunities are missed or just ignored. The recent Dunkirk is an excellent case in point. The film completely ignores the Indian soldiers who were present and took part in the events depicted in the film. I’ve seen many a film and a documentary, chronicling the World Wars. What I haven’t seen very often is a true depiction of the scale of the commonwealth contribution to the cause.  When in the epic and beautifully shot 1917, there was an attempt to include commonwealth representation, one right wing commentator described the presence of non-white soldiers in the film as ‘incongruous’.  I would suggest that the reason for this is that their stories have never been told. As far anyone learning about the World Wars in school or watching films about them is concerned, they were fought by white men, predominantly in Europe. 

The commonwealth contribution needs to be compulsory learning. Our children need to know that the poppy clad fields of European battlefields are soaked in the blood of the non-white commonwealth soldier as well as the English Tommy. Part of this shared history is that our children often live in neighbourhoods, streets and even houses that sent very young men off to war. In some cases these children also have forebears who left their towns and villages more than 3000 miles away to fight in the same war for the same cause. 

If you read this whilst thinking about your school’s plan for marking VE Day and Remembrance Sunday, then please share the stories of the young men and women who came from afar as well as those closer to home. Let the poppies you sell symbolise shared sacrifice and shared history in this age of divisiveness.

by Hannah Wilson

“It’s a numbers game, but sh*t don’t add up somehow.”

James Fornara portrait

Written by James Fornara

20 years of experience in teaching and runs Dpat that is engaged in education consultancy, youth work, music, production and DJing.

In the wake of John Swinney, Scotland’s Education Minister announcing that all Scottish A-level and GCSE grades will be marked exclusively from teacher predictions and coursework marks, it is worth examining what “thinking” lies behind this debacle. Sadly once again it is an example of the antagonistic and short-sighted dogma of the DfE. Any objective person would consider the best people to judge the quality of students’ performance to be the teachers that taught them, not some statistical nonsense that artificially manufacturers the data that the department wants. But teachers just can’t be trusted can they? Certainly not to stick to the constructed reality of exam reforms and the data sets created by the Orwellian fantasy of “school improvement” undertaken over the last decade. Of course if we’d stuck with modular examinations and kept significant coursework elements to qualifications we wouldn’t be in this mess would we…

And now the tarantula troubling Secretary of State for Education Gavin Williamson has announced a “triple lock” – which could boost the replacement grades for exams cancelled in the pandemic. It means pupils getting A-level & GCSE results can accept that estimated grade, or change it for a mark gained in a mock exam. Or they can instead choose to take a written exam in the autumn!? And this guidance comes a day before the results are released, with no consultation with the teaching profession. Furthermore schools minister Nick Gibb has the chutzpah to refuse to apologise for what he describes as “solutions” to a problem he has been instrumental in creating!?

What an absolute disgrace this all is. A perfect example of the misguided and uninformed policy credenda obsessed with a bogus improvement of “standards” and a fundamental mistrust of educators. This systematic denigration of the teaching profession is a dangerous political endeavour that is destroying an education system that used to be seen throughout the world as exemplar.

Links to some of the articles, research etc. that this blog post is based on:

ASCL Coronavirus Briefing 90 11th Aug. 2020

Not entirely sure of the veracity of this study but some interesting reading, did you know the cost of examinations has more than doubled thanks to Gove’s reforms!?Examination Reform: Impact of Linear and Modular Examinations at GCSE

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-53746140

Broad and Balanced

 

There’s some interesting observations in the work of the Accountability Commission group of the NAHT which “sought to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the current accountability system”, but there were three points that caught my eye from the excellent summary provided by Ross Morrison McGill:

 

Where performance is a measure, schools prioritise parts of the curriculum over others (‘teaching to the test’).

 

Where systems focus on “borderline” measures, targeted teaching limit pupils’ experience of the curriculum.

 

I am sad to say that both these observations are entirely accurate based on my experience of over twenty years of working in education in London, and particularly in my area of specialism – performing arts and creative media production. I would point out that this is not because school leaders or teachers want to but the perverse incentives of our current school accountability system force them to do so.

 

I was also struck by the quote below from the text of the report:

National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), September 2018 (page 35)

If Canada, Finland & Singapore do not have school inspection feature in external evaluation (I) and these countries perform better than England in PISA tests; cited as places to visit, we must question OfSTED’s future within the English system.

 

It will be interesting to see how the DfE will respond to the commission’s findings I do hope it will fair better than the good people at The Black Curriculum who were outrageously rebuffed by the tarantula troubling secretary of state for education who declined to meet them to discuss their most excellent work. 

Given the idiocy of the foreign secretary you’d have thought Gavin would want some help in educating his peers let alone the nation’s youth…

Thanks to @TeacherToolkit & @curriculumblack for the tweets this piece is based on.

A vision for the “new normal”

Amidst all of the tragedy of the covid-19 crisis there could be a preverbal silver lining. We have a chance to transform our education system and there is much debate about how we must change and adapt to our new reality. In particular two articles this week caught my eye. The first by Fiona Millar in the Guardian is an excellent examination of the failures of government policy over the last decade. In particular she highlights how the dogmatic promotion of “academic” subjects, academisation (privatisation in plain sight) and the misinformed notion that sees schools only “…as vehicles for the transmission of knowledge…” must change if we are to meet the challenges our education system faces. 

One of my biggest irritations working in education is the erroneous hierarchy of subjects taught in school. I bristle every time someone talks about academic subjects. Firstly, the use of the word academic to describe subjects such as maths, science, English rather than music, PE or drama is a misuse of the word. Academic means being taught in school, therefore any subject taught in school is in fact ACADEMIC! The use of the word academic as a shorthand for subjects that matter is highly revealing of the outdated thinking that has sadly dominated education policy for far too long. It is why we disregard areas of study that the UK is a world leader in. Since the introduction of progress 8 & attainment 8 there has been a reduction in the number of students taking GCSE drama of over 30%. Likewise lack of funding has led to the decimation of music tuition within state schools and despite ever increasing concern about fake news and the need to improve the media literacy of our young people, media studies is still considered a ‘mickey mouse’ subject rather than a key part of any 21st century curriculum. As Rufus Norris (director of the National Theatre) wrote two years ago we need “…an education system fit for the 21st century, one that champions this country’s creativity as the foundation of its economic health.”

The second article in Schools Week by Angela Ransby is a call to arms for schools and local communities to work more closely together. I have to confess to arching an eyebrow at a CEO of a MAT extolling the benefits of local collaboration, rather like how local education authorities used to work!? That said, Angela’s central point that alternative provision is often the crucible of innovation is one that unsurprisingly I wholeheartedly agree with. We must rebuild our current “fractured” system prioritising collaboration and local accountability and reject systems and structures that prevent this. Progress, standards and improvement do not need a marketplace, the commodification of teaching and learning or the curse of managerialism to occur. In fact they thrive when we share, collaborate and respond in a locally co-ordinated and democratically accountable manner to the needs of the communities that our schools serve.

Curriculum and what we teach our children is a thread running through both articles and a friend of mine introduced me to The Black Curriculum this week and I am very grateful. There is a long, long overdue imperative to improve the way in which our entire education system serves ALL students and I would whole-heartedly recommend the writing of Darren Chetty, Jeffrey Boakye and Akala for those interested in this hugely important work. Reflecting on my own education and in particular the history curriculum I followed, is it any wonder that there is a lack of understanding in the UK around issues of structural racism, intersectionality and white privilege when the history we teach our children is: the Romans, 1066, some stuff about kings and a couple of queens, skip over the savagery of the British Empire and finish off with the two world wars that we supposedly won!? We have to teach the real history of the British empire and examine some of the darker aspects of Enlightenment thinking in order to help create a fairer and more just society.

Some big ideas to transform our education system:

  • Rip up our current curriculum and replace it with a much broader one. Forget about the utterly misplaced notion of academic and vocational subjects. There must not be a hierarchy of knowledge, understanding how the plumbing works is as important as knowing what the periodic table is.
  • Dispense with almost all nationally standardised tests. We could keep something like A-Levels but any new system cannot be solely reliant on terminal examinations and must include coursework/formative assessment activities.
  • Create a national curriculum that takes account of all the cultures and history that make up our country. The diversity of our little island has always been one of our greatest resources and our schools must be the place in which we celebrate and develop our understanding of the multicultural country that we live in.
  • Place control of our school system back into the hands of local education authorities who are clearly best placed to support schools to meet local needs and increase collaboration, which in turn will drive improvement.

 

James Fornara is the recently resigned Principal of Wac Arts College the first alternative provision free school in the country with a specialist curriculum of performing arts & creative media production. 

 

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by Hannah Wilson