Why Black History Is More Than Just a Month: Embedding Legacy, Learning and Leadership All Year Round
Written by Ellisha Soanes
Ellisha is a multi award-winning Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Specialist. Ellisha worked as Director of Equality Diversity Inclusion for several colleges and adult education in East Anglia, and as a lecturer teaching EDI has worked in the education sector for the over 10 years, and in the health and social care/ Public Health sector for over 20 years. Ellisha works as an international consultant and collaborates with businesses and community projects to empower others and create new opportunities through leadership. Ellisha has worked closely with the Department of Education, and continues to do so on creating changes, sitting at parliamentary boards. She has been featured in global news journals as column writer and papers.
As we mark five years since the murder of George Floyd, the question many of us in education and leadership circles are still grappling with is this: how do we move from reactive to proactive when it comes to race, equity, and inclusion? How do we ensure that Black history is not confined to a single month in October, but becomes a golden thread woven through every aspect of our curriculum, policies, and culture?
The answer lies not in performative gestures, but in intentional action.
Black history is British history, world history, and human history. It doesn’t start or end with the transatlantic slave trade or the U.S. civil rights movement — though those are key chapters. But if that’s all we teach, what message does that send to our Black students and to other students and colleagues? That our legacy begins with oppression?
We must ask better questions and dig deeper. Were we not inventors, pioneers, warriors, scholars? Black Tudors existed. Black soldiers fought in both World Wars. Ancient Kemet — known today as Egypt — led the world in medicine, astronomy, and education. Our contributions span centuries and continents.
So how can educators ensure that Black history is embedded all year round, not just dusted off for October? Here are three practical steps based on my experience:
- Invest in Training and Development – Begin With Yourself
One of the most common questions I ask educators is: Were you taught Black history in school? For most, the answer is no — or if yes, only slavery and civil rights.
This is not just a gap in knowledge. It’s a gap in identity, empathy, and understanding.
You can’t teach what you don’t know. That’s why anti-racism training is vital. But it’s not enough to attend a workshop and tick a box. True transformation starts with self-reflection. What are your biases? What stories are missing from your own education?
Before you try to lead young people, work with your own teams first. Create spaces where educators can learn, unlearn, and build confidence in delivering diverse content. Challenge the assumption that Black history is “extra” – it’s essential.
- Appoint EDI Ambassadors at Every Level
Embedding diversity is not the responsibility of the one Black staff member, the LGBTQ+ colleague, or someone with a disability. It must be everyone’s job.
That’s why I always recommend appointing Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) ambassadors across all levels — from your governing board (yes, even your governors should include an EDI champion) to your reception team.
These ambassadors shouldn’t just represent communities — they should lead change. Help shape policy, organise events, challenge bias, and ensure that inclusive practice is not a side project but a core priority.
By having representation across your organisation, you ensure accountability — and create role models who are visible, vocal, and valued.
- Adopt Student-Led Approaches: Celebrate ‘Heroes on Your Doorstep’
Young people don’t just want to be taught — they want to co-create.
Some of our most impactful work has come from listening to what students want to see in their curriculum. For example, in our public services courses, students highlighted local Black heroes — people whose stories are often forgotten, but who made a lasting impact.
One such figure is Derrick Bobbington Thomas, one of the first Black servicemen from the Windrush generation in Suffolk. His story, shared by students, was a powerful reminder of the richness of local history.
Another initiative included working with Wooden Roots, an African drumming group deeply rooted in African history and culture. Not only did they bring energy and rhythm to our college campuses, but they also played a role in the Black Panther movie — showcasing how African heritage resonates on global stages. https://www.voice-online.co.uk/news/uk-news/2024/06/05/black-panther-african-drumming-company-to-offer-bursaries-for-underrepresented-groups/
Partnering with local charities, community groups, and Windrush societies is a brilliant way to fill in the historical gaps. They offer stories, speakers, and resources that textbooks don’t. And they help students see that Black history is not something far away — it’s here, in our towns, schools, and families, as author and collobarting with young people and communities I’m proud to say linking with your community, helped create black history interactive workbook used across schools in the east of the region and beyond. Elimu little book of knowledge- find your free copy here: https://www.aspireblacksuffolk.org.uk/_files/ugd/63af3a_5af8d55d89244cde90d0a8387a0aaa82.pdf
Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.” That change doesn’t happen overnight — but it begins with honest conversations, committed people, and consistent actions.
Black history isn’t just for October. It’s for every subject, every classroom, and every child.
When we expand the narrative, we empower minds. When we recognise the full spectrum of Black excellence, and when we embed this knowledge into the very fabric of our schools and organisations, we don’t just tick boxes — we transform lives.
So let’s not wait for a headline or a month. Let’s lead with purpose, educate with passion, and celebrate Black history — every day of the year.
Check out these articles to help you find your own heroes on your doorstep..
Nurturing Student Growth
Written by Rachida Dahman
Rachida Dahman is an international educator, a language and literature teacher, and an educational innovator. She started her career in Germany as a teacher trainer advocating the importance of relationships above academics. She then moved to Luxembourg where she teaches German language and literature classes to middle and high school students. She is an award-winning poet, co-author of the best-selling book, ATLAS DER ENTSCHEIDER Entscheiden wie die Profis- Dynamik, Komplexität und Stress meistern.
As educators, we often encounter students who challenge the structures and expectations imposed upon them. These students, who may not fit neatly into standardized molds, compel us to reconsider how we approach learning and behavior. Much like many of our students, there are times when we, too, long to respond with greater patience, understanding, and freedom from ingrained patterns. The complexities, emotions, and individuality of each student are not hindrances but crucial elements of a deeper, more meaningful educational experience. It is essential for us, as educators, to defend and embrace these qualities, even in a world increasingly driven by simplification and conformity.
The Role of Schools
Our schools find themselves in a profound dilemma, and this is reflected daily in their operations. What they have lost in recent years is not only method but also mindset: the opportunity for true engagement, for respectful dialogue between teacher and learner, has in many places been replaced by a culture of acceleration. With the introduction of tablets, the human counterpart—the teacher—has been increasingly replaced by interfaces, overstimulation, and self-directed project work. Teachers recede into the background. Not because they are less important, but because the space for relational presence has eroded. And yet this is precisely what children need: a true counterpart. A voice that explains, resists, supports—and yes, sometimes confounds. A presence against which they can push and, in doing so, grow. Whether in the classroom or at home. Learning is not mere data processing. It is a dialogical process, one that requires friction, attention, and relationship. And yet, feelings continue to be perceived as disruptions rather than as language.
A Case in Point: Misophonia
Imagine this: a student, age 9, repeatedly leaves the classroom. The teacher, exasperated, records “disruptive behavior” in the class register. Classmates shake their heads. This student often weeps, quietly, in secret. The cause? The sound of chalk scraping the blackboard causes them physical pain. So does the click of pens. Months later, they are diagnosed with misophonia, a neurological condition in which the brain processes certain everyday noises as stressors, akin to danger signals. This is not a matter of upbringing, but biology. This student stands for countless children whose nervous systems function differently. Many are highly sensitive, open to stimuli, easily overwhelmed. The resulting tension often manifests physically or emotionally, not as defiance, but as a cry for help. Here lies the crux: what we so often interpret as problematic behavior is, in truth, a sign of overwhelm, not rebellion.
In our classrooms sit thousands of children like this student, for whom chalk squeaks are torment. And rather than support, they are given labels: troublemaker, dreamer, problematic child. Yet these children are not deviations, they are indicators of where the system fails.
I recall a moment that encapsulates this dilemma. During a school conference, a senior staff member said to me, “Emotions have no place here (in school).” That sentence not only reveals a deep-rooted fear of the living, but also the difficulty of defending humanity in institutional spaces. Such notions are not merely outdated; they actively obstruct progress. Not just the development of our children, but of the entire system. Because emotions are not obstacles to learning, they are the very foundation of any authentic educational relationship. Without them, we are left with administration, not education.
Supporting Sensory-Sensitive Students
- Shift from labeling to listening: If a student repeatedly leaves the room, the behavior is often marked as “disruptive.” Ask instead, What is this child experiencing internally?
- Identify triggers: Sounds like clicking pens or scraping chairs may be physically painful for misophonic students. Notice patterns and name them with the student, not over them.
- Create safety zones: Offer quiet corners or “calm stations,”not as punishment, but as places for self-regulation and agency.
- Use validating language: Say things like, “I can see this is hard for you. Let’s find a way together.” This reframes the classroom as a space of relationship, not control.
- Collaborate with caregivers and professionals: Sensory processing differences are not discipline problems. While diagnosis may help, daily support begins with you.
When these realities are ignored, schools become sites of deprivation and of subtle violence. But when they are recognized, classrooms become spaces of repair.
Classrooms as Emotional Architectures
School can serve, not only as a site of academic instruction, but as an emotional architecture, a structured space where feelings are not only expressed but entangled, displaced, and ultimately transformed through relational dynamics. Some examples are:
- Parent–teacher storytelling sessions where experiences of conflict or success are jointly narrated and reflected upon.
- Classroom-based emotional literacy routines that help children identify and navigate inner states through language, metaphor, or ritual.
- Collaborative care circles (a variation of restorative practices) that involve students, teachers, and caregivers in discussing emotional challenges without the pressure of “resolution,” but with a focus on recognition and resonance.
- These are low-threshold practices that offer space for reflection and allow children to develop a sense of emotional efficacy and belonging.
The Inner Work of Resistance
In our times, it is of paramount importance to teach children something that often goes unspoken, that the most dangerous path is the one of blind conformity—of falling for vast oversimplifications, whether of a person, a problem, or a system. Children sense when truth is being reduced to something convenient. They feel it deeply, what I would call emotional negative labor which is the quiet, consuming work of learning how to navigate, fit into, or subtly subvert the unspoken rules of a family system or institutional structure. They may not articulate it, but they intuit it—these inner negotiations, the silent effort to belong without betraying the self. Unlike emotional intelligence, which thrives in open, resonant settings, negative emotional labor arises in constricted systems where feelings must be concealed, redirected, or distorted to ensure belonging or avoid conflict. It is not defiance, it is adaptation under pressure. Examples from school contexts include:
- A student smiles and nods, but never speaks in class, afraid their real questions might be “too much.”
- A child forces themselves to endure loud group work although their nervous system feels overwhelmed, then withdraws for hours afterward.
- A teen, praised for being “easygoing,” has learned to suppress discomfort because previous complaints were labeled dramatic or disrespectful.
- A sensitive learner, after weeks of masking sensory distress (e.g., from noise, lights, or proximity), begins showing “unexplained” somatic symptoms like headaches or nausea.
- A student consistently performs well academically, yet feels depleted and detached, school is a stage, not a relationship.
Naming this invisible labor is the first step toward rehumanizing education. To support them, we must cultivate not obedience but discernment. We must help them understand that systems can be questioned, and that complexity is not a threat, but a form of truth.
What Children Truly Need
If we want students to engage with the world compassionately and consciously, we must create spaces where their inner lives are welcomed not in the distant future, but now. Students do not need rigid templates; they need genuine encounters. They need safety and understanding, especially within the school environment, which must be the protective space we offer in a world that is increasingly loud, fast, and uncertain. When that space feels unstable or unwelcoming, it is not the job of schools to control, but to understand. We must become places where inner life matters. Educators, as the key figures in the daily experience of students, play a central role in this transformation. Education does not begin with a set curriculum; it begins with how we listen, how we perceive students’ worlds, and how we respond to their behaviors. We must be attuned to their complexities and defend the space they need to grow authentically. What is needed is not further fine tuning of performance-based curricula, but a broader distribution of reasonable and vital behaviors that focus on equipping students with practical, adaptable behaviors that serve them in a rapidly changing world.
Reimagining School Leadership: Diversity as a Catalyst for Transformation
Written by Krystian McInnis
Krystian McInnis is a Religious Education consultant, advisor, and researcher specialising in decolonising and diversifying Religious Education. With a career that spans the public, private, and charity sectors, he brings extensive national and international experience in curriculum diversification and decolonisation. As the Co-Founder of Reimagining Education, Krystian is dedicated to creating a more inclusive and equitable educational system where everyone feels seen, heard, and that they belong.
The conversation around diversity in education often focuses on students, but one of the most powerful avenues for change lies in rethinking the governance structures that steer the educational experience. School governing boards are not just responsible for overseeing budgets and policies; they shape the very culture and ethos of a school or trust. In an increasingly diverse world, the importance of creating governing boards that reflect the community’s broad spectrum of experiences cannot be overstated.
As the UK’s demographics continue to evolve, it’s crucial that school governing bodies mirror the diversity of the student populations they serve. However, too often, governing boards remain stagnant, with leadership teams failing to represent the multifaceted identities of their school communities. This lack of representation impacts not only the policies implemented but also the approach to leadership and the school culture itself.
The Case for Diverse Governance
The need for diversity on school governing boards goes far beyond a simple call for fair representation. It is about creating governance structures capable of addressing systemic challenges, championing inclusive practices, and ensuring equitable educational opportunities for all students. A governing board composed of individuals with varying cultural, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds brings diverse perspectives that enrich the decision-making process. As George (2022) notes, diverse leadership fosters innovation, empathy, and policy relevance, qualities that are essential for navigating today’s complex educational landscape.
Research also points to the tangible benefits of diverse boards. Carter (2021) highlights how cultural awareness among board members directly impacts policy priorities and curriculum content, leading to a more inclusive school culture. When governing bodies mirror the student population, they are better equipped to address the unique needs of all learners, from ensuring cultural sensitivity to promoting inclusive teaching practices.
Begum (2020) emphasises that diversity on governing boards isn’t just about policy changes but about student engagement and motivation too. When students see their identities reflected in the leadership, they feel a greater sense of belonging, which directly impacts their academic performance. Moreover, when parents and community members see themselves represented, trust and engagement between the school and its broader community grow, resulting in stronger partnerships that benefit everyone.
Reimagining Leadership for a Modern Education System
The impact of diverse school boards extends beyond the student body to the staff and the broader school community. A diverse governing board sets the tone for inclusive hiring practices and supports the development of a workforce that reflects the diversity of the students it serves. UK school governance has long been dominated by a small group of individuals with limited diversity. It’s time to break free from outdated models and embrace a more inclusive, adaptable leadership structure that can respond to the evolving needs of a multicultural society.
Reimagining leadership means moving away from traditional, hierarchical structures and creating space for a broader range of voices. This isn’t just about “ticking boxes”, it’s about recognising that a more diverse leadership team brings unique lived experiences that allow for a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by students and staff alike. Schools that adopt this mindset create an environment that is flexible, innovative, and, most importantly, inclusive.
From Recruitment to Retention: Building an Inclusive Governance Model
Recruiting diverse members for school governing boards is an essential first step, but it’s far from sufficient. Schools must also invest in ongoing training and support to ensure these members are prepared to be effective contributors. Too often, once new members are appointed, the assumption is that the job is done. In reality however, the work is just beginning. Schools must rethink their induction processes, ensuring that new governors receive the necessary training to navigate the complexities of modern, multicultural educational systems.
I would suggest therefore, this includes tailored training on cultural competency, anti-racism, and inclusive leadership, which are essential to support not only the school community but also the board members themselves. Furthermore, schools can benefit from building collaborative networks with community organisations and support systems, expanding the resources available to both staff and students. These networks help enrich the educational experience, provide additional resources for families, and strengthen ties between the school and the wider community.
Moreover, tracking diversity metrics is also a critical component of this work. Schools must be intentional about gathering and using data on ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, and disability. This data should not be collected for the sake of numbers but should serve as a tool to inform decisions, address gaps, and ensure all voices are heard. Accountability is key to ensuring that diversity is not just a buzzword but a sustained, meaningful practice that guides decision-making at every level of governance.
Towards a Future of Inclusive Governance
The path to inclusive governance requires commitment, not only in diversifying the membership of school governing boards but in ensuring that diversity is embedded in every aspect of the governance process. When school boards truly reflect the communities they serve, students, parents, and community members are more likely to feel engaged and invested in the school’s success. Diversity in governance is not just a “nice-to-have”; it is essential to the development of a school system that is truly inclusive and capable of addressing the needs of all its stakeholders.
The journey towards inclusive governance may be challenging, but the rewards are immense. Schools with diverse governing boards are better positioned to create environments where every student feels valued, engaged, and empowered to succeed. Therefore, as we look to the future of school governance, we must ask ourselves:
- How can we ensure that our governing boards are truly representative of the communities they serve, in ways that go beyond numbers to reflect the richness of experience and perspective?
- What steps can schools take to dismantle the barriers that prevent underrepresented groups from accessing leadership roles in governance?
- How can we move beyond viewing diversity as a “nice-to-have” and recognise it as an essential driver of student success, community engagement, and educational equity?
References
Begum, H. (2020). The Importance of Representation in School Leadership.
Carter, J. (2021). The Role of Cultural Competency in Educational Leadership.
George, R. (2022). Reforming Leadership: The Shift Towards Inclusive Governance.
Women of a certain age: The menopause at school
Written by Sarah Wordlaw
Sarah Wordlaw is a headteacher working in an inner-city South London primary school. She has successfully rewritten the curriculum in her school and is passionate about how teachers can use the curriculum to make the next generation better than us! She has led various subjects and areas of the school over her educational career and worked in many different capacities in a wide range of educational establishments. She identifies as a queer woman of mixed heritage and often felt unseen in taught subjects, both as a child and as an adult, which has fuelled her interest in diversity and inclusion.
Developing an anti-misogynist culture in your school starts from the top. There must be a commitment from leadership at all levels, and it must be threaded throughout all school practices and policies.
However, women remain under-represented within school leadership (Bergmann et al, 2022). In England, the school leadership characteristics and trends report (DfE, 2022) reveals that at primary level, 85% of primary teachers are female compared with 74% of headteachers.
Traditionally, notions of leadership are connected to perceptions of masculinity – having “strength” or “gravitas”. In reality, being a successful primary school leader requires someone who is both strong and vulnerable, someone who is driven and compassionate, someone who is commanding and empathic.
Female teachers are less likely to be promoted to headship or senior leadership than their male counterparts, and part-time teachers are 45% less likely than full-time to be promoted to both headship and even to middle leadership (DfE, 2022).
That being the case, I wonder if the reason we don’t talk about menopause as much as we should is because senior leadership teams can often be male-dominated.
Menopause in schools
Menopause is a significant time for women, usually occurring between the ages of 45 and 55. The menopause is defined as when a woman’s periods have stopped for at least 12 consecutive months.
The first step to take as a school leader is to understand what the menopause might involve for a colleague – and it is not just hot flushes!
A report from the Fawcett Society reminds us that that 84% of women describe the lack of sleep and 73% the brain fog that can come with the menopause as being difficult – this compared to 70% who said this about the hot flushes or night sweats; 69% say they experience difficulties with anxiety or depression due to menopause (Bazeley et al, 2022).
The report is cited in a recent Headteacher Update article written by employment law expert Kelly Rayner. In this piece – which is well worth a read, as indeed is the Fawcett Society report – we are also reminded that 8 in 10 women experiencing menopausal symptoms are in work and that 44% of women said their ability to work had been affected by the menopause, while 1 in 10 have left work due to menopause symptoms.
The National Education Union reminds us that the menopause is “an occupational health issue for women educators, as well as also being an equality issue” (NEU, 2025). Symptoms can include:
- Hot flushes or night sweats
- Heavy or light periods
- Headaches/brain fog
- Insomnia
- Urogenital issues
- Loss of confidence
- Low mood
- Poor or reduced concentration
- Anxiety and panic attacks
- Joint pain and muscular aches
However, despite the clear impact these symptoms might have on someone’s working life, sadly, the menopause is rarely mentioned in many workplaces, particularly when the leaders are male.
Women should be able to work in a supportive and understanding environment with reasonable adjustments made when going through menopause. The NEU offers a range of resources, including checklists for school leaders, posters to raise awareness, and a model school policy (see further information).
Practical issues
There are a number of practical questions that we can consider immediately. Drawing on the NEU’s advice, these include:
- Do you have a menopause policy and are all staff aware of it, especially line managers? Again, templates can be found via the NEU and The Key among others.
- Is the staff team “menopause-aware” – this will avoid female members of staff having to raise it as an individual issue?
- How do you ensure adequate ventilation in classrooms and staffrooms? Do staff have access to good temperature control for classrooms?
- Other simple provisions can include leaving doors open, ensuring that windows can be safely opened, access to fans, and fitting blinds to windows.
- What systems are in place for cover if a staff member needs to go to the bathroom or get a cold drink mid-lesson? Indeed, is there ready access to cold drinking water?
- Ensure you have sanitary products available in toilets – you could have a basket of a variety of different products in your women’s toilets
- What systems are in place to ensure swift permission for absence to attend menopause-related medical appointments.
The NEU advises leaders to support requests for flexibility, such as undertaking non-contact time at home or requests to reduce hours or change hours temporarily. Remember, offering cover in the short term is better than having to hire new staff members in the long term
Its advice for leaders states: “Give control to individual teachers and support staff over their immediate working environment – a clear message will empower staff and reduce requests to the leadership team.”
A positive culture
Your approach and your written menopause policy must create a culture in school which is positive. For example, supporting staff members experiencing difficulties helps to improve the wellbeing of staff, retains great and experienced teachers, reduces recruitment costs, and works towards gender equality. These are key messages.
Other advice for school leaders includes:
- Get to know your staff: Have regular catch-ups so you build trust and are in touch with how they are feeling and what they are experiencing.
- As the NEU advises above, give control to female staff over their immediate working environment – this is empowering
- Research and encourage access to support services locally. Many local authorities run menopause working groups for local government employees – make your whole staff team aware of this and offer cover if there were women who would like to attend the support meetings.
- Understand that every woman’s experience of the menopause is different. Build a supportive culture at work by having an open-door policy. Ensure a private conversation can take place if needs-be and make sure you follow-up and review any actions alongside agreed adjustments
Final thoughts
Having a menopause policy helps to develop gender equality in schools (and beyond) as it addresses the specific health needs of women going through menopause, which can impact work, potentially leading to unequal treatment and career progression disadvantages.
Further information & resources
Bazeley, Marren & Shepherd: Menopause and the Workplace, Fawcett Society, 2022: Click here
Bergmann, Alban Conto & Brossard: Increasing women’s representation in school leadership: A promising path towards improving learning, UNICEF Office of Research, 2022.
DfE: Transparency data: School leadership in England 2010 to 2020: Characteristics and trends, 2022: www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-leadership-in-england-2010-to-2020-characteristics-and-trends
NEU: Working through the menopause: Resources including template policy and school leader checklists: https://neu.org.uk/advice/equality/sex-and-gender-equality/working-through-menopause
Supreme Court Ruling - Key Information for Educators
Written by DiverseEd
Diverse Educators started as a grassroots network in 2018 to create a space for a coherent and cohesive conversation about DEI. We have evolved into a training provider and event organiser for all things DEI.
Introduction
On Wednesday 16th April the UK Supreme Court shared their ruling on the case For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Minister, which interprets the legal definition of the word ‘sex’, as used in the context of The Equality Act 2010.
Since the court handed down, the ruling has been spoken about extensively in the regulated media, unregulated social media, and in Parliament.
We have read and listened to much of the coverage from diverse sources, and responses to the ruling have ranged widely. Some have exaggerating, misinterpreting or misrepresenting the details of the case, and others have expressed strong emotional reactions, which may act to exacerbate the fear that many trans people are currently experiencing.
Our intention in this piece is to present the details as accurately and clearly as we can. In order to do so, we have tried to avoid presenting our own opinions in much of the following piece. However, we think it is important to be transparent before we begin. We know trans people, we love them, we live our lives alongside them, and we are deeply concerned about the way this ruling is already impacting their lives. We believe that it is the duty of our government to enact laws which provide workable and inclusive protection from discrimination, and ensure dignity and respect for all people – including transgender people. With that clear, let’s begin.
Background
In 2018 the Scottish Government presented a new law, which aimed to get more women on public boards. The Scottish Government included trans women who had obtained a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) within this aim, which they felt was in-line with The Equality Act 2010, and the Gender Recognition Act 2004. However, the group For Women Scotland disagreed – they felt The Equality Act 2010’s protected characteristic of ‘sex’, and specifically its use of the word ‘woman’, was not intended when written to include trans women.
For Women Scotland therefore brought a judicial review to the UK Supreme Court, requesting they review the lawfulness of the Scottish Government’s position in relation to The Equality Act 2010. Therefore, it was the job of the UK Supreme Court to provide a statutory interpretation of the meaning of ‘man’, ‘woman’, and ‘sex’ as used in The Equality Act 2010, and specifically whether that definition includes trans women who have a GRC.
The Ruling
The UK Supreme Court unanimously agreed that, for the purposes of interpreting the word ‘sex’ under the Equality Act 2010, Parliament’s intention was to refer to ‘biological sex’ (a term which neither the law or the court defines clearly) rather than legal gender acquired through a GRC. This means that legal protections associated with the characteristic of ‘sex’ may not apply to trans women in most contexts. The decision was made because to include transgender people who have a GRC within The Equality Act 2010 definition would make the law unworkable.
There are some details of the ruling which we think are important.
Firstly, the ruling is specifically addressing the definitions as used in The Equality Act 2010. The judge, when handing down the ruling, explained that the origins of the language used in The Equality Act 2010 is the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, which the judge stated, ‘adopted a biological interpretation of the terms men and women’. Note the wording here – the Acts have adopted an interpretation. This ruling does not define what a woman is – it interprets what it means in the specific context of a 15-year-old Act, which pulls on an interpretation used in 1975.
Secondly, this ruling does not justify the discrimination of trans people. The court clarified several times during their hand down that trans people are still protected from discrimination under The Equality Act 2010, which includes ‘Gender Reassignment’ as a protected characteristic. The judge explained that this protection extends to cover trans people whether they have a GRC, or not. Furthermore, there is some legal precedent that non-binary people may also be protected under this characteristic – although this is legal precedent and not case law. The judge also clarified that transgender women can still be protected under the characteristic of ‘sex’ through associated or perceived protections of women. We think it is also important to note that the language used by the judge presenting the ruling was mostly respectful, and used correctly gendered language at all times when talking about trans people – stating clearly that this ruling should not be seen as a triumph for any one group over another.
Finally, we think it is contextually important to understand that the court system in the UK interprets the laws which are enacted by Parliament. This ruling is thus an interpretation of law, and our current government can clarify this interpretation, or change the law to make it workable and inclusive, should they wish to.
What does this mean for society, and for schools?
The legal implication of this ruling is that it is legally possible for provisions of services to be single-sex, and exclude trans men or women. Our understanding is that the Supreme Court ruling does not state provisions of services have to exclude trans people, but they may legally choose to be single-sex provisions if they can demonstrate this is a ‘proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim’, and in such cases these single-sex provisions may legally exclude trans men or women.
In society, this may impact: workplaces; services open to the public such as hospitals, shops, restaurants, leisure facilities, refuges, and counselling services; sporting bodies; schools; and associations (groups or clubs of more than 25 people which have rules of membership). The Equality Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has released an interim update on practical implications of the ruling, in which they suggest that it is compulsory to provide sufficient single-sex toilets in workplaces, and changing and washing facilities where these are needed – this is not compulsory for services that are open to the public. The EHRC interim update suggests that such spaces should be separated based on the Supreme Court interpretation of the Equality Act 2010, meaning that “trans women (biological men) should not be permitted to use the women’s facilities and trans men (biological women) should not be permitted to use the men’s facilities” (please note this is a direct quote of the EHRC guidance, and not language we would choose to use). The guidance goes on to explain that “trans people should not be put in a position where there are no facilities for them to use”, and that “where possible, mixed-sex toilet, washing or changing facilities in addition to sufficient single-sex facilities should be provided”, or facilities in “lockable rooms (not cubicles) which are intended for the use of one person at a time” – these can be used by anybody. The details set out in the EHRC interim guidance were not mandated by the Supreme Court Ruling. However, as stated previously our understanding is that services may legally choose to be single-sex provisions if they can demonstrate this is a ‘proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim’, and in such cases, these single-sex provisions may legally exclude trans people.
In schools, it has never been possible for young people to obtain a GRC, but this ruling may still impact: single-sex schools; school toilets and changing spaces; physical education and sport; and residential accommodation. In each of these areas, our understanding is that a school may now legally choose to hold single-sex spaces, if they can demonstrate that this choice is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim, and in such cases these single-sex spaces may exclude trans young people (or trans staff). The EHRC interim guidance introduced above suggests that schools “must provide separate single-sex toilets for boys and girls over the age of 8” and “single-sex changing facilities for boys and girls over the age of 11”. Following the Supreme Court ruling, the guidance suggests that “pupils who identify as trans girls (biological boys) should not be permitted to use the girls’ toilet or changing facilities, and pupils who identify as trans boys (biological girls) should not be permitted to use the boys’ toilet or changing facilities”. They clarify that “suitable alternative provisions may be required”. Again, please note this is a direct quote of the EHRC guidance, and not language we would choose to use.
The details set out in the EHRC interim guidance were not mandated by the Supreme Court Ruling, but as state previously our understanding is that schools may legally choose to hold single-sex provisions if they can demonstrate this is a ‘proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim’, and in such cases, these single-sex provisions may legally exclude trans people. For example, it would be legal for a school to have a single-sex sports group which does not allow trans young people to participate – or for schools to prevent trans young people from accessing the toilet aligned with their gender.
Although this is currently the only legal implication of this ruling, we are already seeing the misrepresentation of this ruling creating social implications beyond the legal bounds of the case. Transgender discrimination is increasing, and cis-gender people are already being discriminated against because of false assumptions about their gender. Although single-sex provisions excluding trans people are legal, and encouraged by the interim EHRC guidance, it is difficult to enforce or police without making assumptions which could be false. Furthermore, we are already hearing from teachers that this ruling has created further uncertainty, particularly around staff confidence in discussing trans identities and the protected characteristic of ‘Gender Reassignment’, which could impact the inclusive quality of Relationships, Sex, and Health Education (RSHE) and Personal, Social, Health Economics (PSHE).
There is a lot of misinformation, which is leading to worsening, and at times unlawful, discriminatory language and behaviour. Government Ministers have stated the ruling requires transgender people to use toilets related to their sex assigned at birth, which is also set out in the EHRC interim guidance – this is not stated in the ruling. The Prime Minister has claimed the ruling offers clarity by defining women as biological women – this is misleading as the court judgement only pertains to an interpretation of what was meant by Parliament in The Equality Act 2010, and as clarified above it is parliament who enact and change law. Our current government could clarify or change law to make it workable and inclusive, should they wish to – the courts do not dictate definitions to Parliament.
Actions you may wish to consider taking
We hope that reading this piece has helped you to feel more informed about the Supreme Court ruling. Below are some actions you may wish to undertake as a result of what you have read:
- Please challenge mis-characterisations of this ruling and clarify that transgender people are still legally protected from discrimination, and that any decision to exclude them from provisions of services, whilst legal for single-sex provisions, and encouraged in the EHRC interim guidance, were not mandated by the court ruling. It is important that the ruling is spoken about with as much accuracy as possible.
- Revisit policies – this ruling may require more accurate and thought-out language in policies which reference men and women, boys and girls, or The Equality Act 2010 protected characteristics of Sex and Gender Reassignment.
- If you are concerned about this ruling, then you may wish to take the time to write to your local MP and express your concerns. Remember, Parliament makes the laws, and the courts can only interpret them – our current government can change The Equality Act to include more clear and inclusive definitions which provide workable protections and dignity to all people – including transgender people.
- If you are concerned about the EHRC interim guidance, then they have stated that a consultation will launch in mid-May and last for two weeks. You may wish to use this consultation to share your view.
- Read and share our Diverse Educators Resources to support you and your school community. Here is our Transgender Rights’ Toolkit and here is our Growing Trans and Non-Binary Awareness Training.
This piece was written by members of the Diverse Educators’ team and is intended for informational purposes only; it does not constitute legal advice nor a formal legal interpretation. This blog was published on 26/4/25, and all information was to the best of our understanding at the time of publishing.
Further Resources
- A clear and accurate legal explanation from Kalina Hagen – Click Here
- Trans Actual Response – Click Here
- An interim update on practical implications from the EHRC – Click Here
What Is the Point of Dialogue?
Written by Sharon Booth
Founder & Director, Solutions Not Sides. Sharon has an MA from Cambridge University in Theology and Religious Studies. She taught English at Amideast in Tunisia and then went on to work in Amman, Jordan as a Productions Manager. She was employed as PA to the Defence Attaché at the British Embassy, then returned to the UK and began work in Israeli-Palestinian conflict resolution, founding the Solutions Not Sides Education Programme in 2010. Sharon speaks Arabic and French and has studied ancient Hebrew. In January 2016, she was awarded a master’s degree with distinction from King's College London, specialising in nationalism and religion.
Dialogue is fundamental to building relationships and resolving differences. It is a crucial tool for addressing conflicts, yet when pain and injustice run deep, the idea of engaging in dialogue can feel futile—or even wrong.
When faced with deep moral disagreements, people may question whether dialogue is worthwhile. Engaging with opposing viewpoints can feel uncomfortable and even counterproductive. In such moments, the instinct may be to advocate solely for what feels right. Yet, it is precisely during these times that dialogue becomes most valuable—not necessarily to achieve agreement but to foster greater empathy, reflection, and mutual understanding.
Dialogue in a Polarised World
These challenges are heightened in times of deep societal division. When issues are viewed in black-and-white terms, conflicts become entrenched, and meaningful conversations break down. This dynamic has been evident in Britain in recent years on topics like Brexit, immigration, and the Israel-Palestine conflict. Though often framed as binary, these issues are complex and multi-layered. Recognising this complexity is key to breaking through entrenched positions—but it can feel overwhelming, particularly for educators navigating these discussions in schools.
In England, the Department for Education requires teachers to maintain political impartiality in the classroom. While this guidance is intended to prevent partisan bias, it has also led to uncertainty about how to approach difficult topics. Some educators, lacking expertise in areas like the Middle East conflict, may choose to avoid these discussions altogether. However, shutting down conversations about political and social issues does a disservice to young people.
Without education on these topics and training in how to engage in difficult conversations, students miss out on opportunities to develop a nuanced understanding of the world. Worse, they may grow up ill-equipped to engage thoughtfully with societal challenges.
Dialogue as a Tool for Empowerment
This is where dialogue finds its true purpose—not as an end in itself but as a means to empower young people. At Solutions Not Sides (SNS), we developed the Olive Branch Award for schools, colleges, and community institutions as a framework for discussing Israel-Palestine. Rooted in values of non-violence, equality, and the rejection of hate, the programme takes a “win-win” approach to contentious issues. Within this structure, dialogue becomes a tool for critical thinking, helping students articulate their beliefs while respecting others’ perspectives.
The Olive Branch Award is not about reconciling opposing views or forcing agreement. Instead, its purpose is to foster understanding—of social dynamics, emotional experiences, and conceptual frameworks—so that students can make informed decisions about how to act. By engaging in dialogue within this framework, young people learn how to stand up for their beliefs while recognising that others may hold different views. Crucially, they also learn that hatred has no place in a diverse, compassionate, and fair society.
To be effective, dialogue must be approached with care and supported by specific tools that become embedded in school culture over time. Skills such as active listening, effective communication, and empathy are cultivated over a three-year period through the Olive Branch programme.
One common concern is that engaging with differing perspectives could be seen as endorsing them. However, dialogue is not about validating all views equally but about understanding why different perspectives exist. This allows students to reflect critically without feeling pressured to accept or condone harmful viewpoints.
At SNS, we emphasise that education is not about excusing or justifying views but about understanding why people hold them. This approach enables students to develop both intellectual rigour and emotional intelligence—essential qualities for active citizenship.
Supporting Schools Through the Olive Branch Award
Schools and colleges that participate in the Olive Branch Award benefit from a range of activities and resources designed to foster dialogue. We support staff and students through training, networking, an annual conference for staff, ambassador programmes, priority places on our residential courses for students, and opportunities to engage with peacebuilders from Israel-Palestine.
This summer, the first cohort of Olive Branch schools will complete the three-year programme and receive accreditation. Some of the initiatives we’ve seen include:
- Lunchtime and after-school clubs exploring conflict-related topics like journalism
- School murals dedicated to peace and justice
- Students founding interfaith initiatives in their schools
- Peer-to-peer learning projects following SNS workshops
These initiatives show that, when given the tools to navigate complex discussions, students become empowered to address difficult topics with inclusivity and empathy.
The Bigger Picture: Why Dialogue Matters
In today’s polarised world, it’s easy to feel disillusioned about dialogue, especially when faced with deep-seated divisions. But avoiding difficult conversations only fuels misunderstanding and hostility. Through structured dialogue, we can equip young people with the skills to engage with complexity with confidence and compassion.
The point of dialogue isn’t just to resolve differences; it’s to empower individuals to think critically, act ethically, and engage constructively—even with those they disagree with. In doing so, we prepare the next generation not just to lead but to build a society rooted in mutual respect and shared humanity.
At its core, dialogue is about more than talking—it’s about listening with purpose and acting with integrity. Within a framework that prioritises education over division and understanding over hate, it becomes one of the most powerful tools for creating a better future.
What can we learn about masculinity and misogyny from the Netflix drama 'Adolescence'?
Written by Bold Voices
Bold Voices is an award-winning social enterprise preparing and empowering school communities to recognise and tackle gender inequality and gender-based violence through the delivery of educational talks, workshops, training and resources for young people, teachers and parents.
Originally published here: https://www.boldvoices.co.uk/blog/2025/3/20/what-can-we-learn-about-masculinity-and-misogyny-from-the-netflix-drama-adolescence
On March 13 Adolescence premiered on Netflix, a week on and the show has a 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and has sent waves across media, starting conversations about themes of masculinity, the ‘manosphere’, incel culture and gender-based violence more widely. It is a show that has driven home the fear of what happens when harmful attitudes and beliefs develop into extreme violence.
If you’re looking to understand some of the key terms used in the series take a read of this article first: https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/andrew-tate-incel-meaning-adolescence-netflix-b1217106.html
The question of ‘why’ runs throughout the four-part series. What made this 13 year old boy brutally stab and murder his school mate, Katie. Where did his behaviour come from? Was it the ‘masculinity’ modelled by his father? A generally kind man who displays a couple of emotional and physical outbursts throughout the show (including physically intimidating and handling a child who vandalised his work van)? Was it his friends at school who ultimately provided him with the murder weapon? Was it the misogyny influencers and their ideas? Or the social media sites platforming these influencers and offering young people the impunity which allows them to say harmful and destructive things to and about each other?
Throughout the show we are trying to understand if Jamie is a good kid at heart who was ultimately misguided and has done something devastating, but out of character. Or whether he is a bad kid that has been able to manipulate and hide his darkness from his parents, and even us as viewers. But then again how bad of a kid can you really be with planet wallpaper and stickers of tiny astronauts? These minor and seemingly unremarkable, but ultimately essential, details about Jamie’s room make up the final scenes of this powerful show. They are a reminder that Jamie could be any young boy in any family. It is just how unremarkable he is as a character that makes this story so poignant.
So what themes about masculinity, and adolescence, can we draw out from the show?
Masculinity, the ‘manosphere’ and ‘incel’ communities
Jamie is a boy who we come to understand has been spending time online, getting drawn into ‘manosphere’ and ‘incel’ communities. During the second episode that takes a look at Jamie’s school, we learn about the “call to action by the manosphere”, the meaning behind ‘red pills’ and ‘blue pills’ and the 80/20 rule (that 80% of women are attracted to 20% of men).
“Red pill is like I see the truth, it’s a call to action by the manosphere. Which is where the 100 comes in, the 80/20 rule. 80% of women are attracted to 20% of men. Women, you must trick them because you will never get them in a normal way… she’s saying he’s an Incel dad” – Episode 2 | 29:50 – 31:00
When we hear from Jamie about this, he acknowledges that he knows about these ideas and that “he had a look but didn’t like it” although in talking about the 80/20 rule he says “I do think they’re right about that though”.
The writer, Jack Thorne, is very honest about the fact that through his research he realised that “there was a logic to this and how they see the world”. It is through Thorne’s vulnerability in admitting this that we are reminded of an uncomfortable truth, that the attitudes and beliefs displayed by many of these online forums and communities are attractive to boys and young men and resonate with a vulnerability they actually feel.
In the third episode Jamie is asked about what he thinks about men, about masculinity. In particular, he’s asked about his dad and grandad, what he thinks about them and what type of men they are. We get insights into the stereotypes that pervade about masculinity; his dad as a hard worker who provides for his family, who can get angry and lose his temper, who loves his wife and is good to women, but doesn’t have any female friends. None of this is positioned as ‘good’ or ‘bad’, but it holds a mirror up to the expectations we have of men and masculinity that continue to frame a ‘real man’ as someone who is physically and emotionally strong and dominant, who protects and provides for loved ones and who sees women as objects of love and affection, but not necessarily giving space for relationships to women that exist outside of caregiver, nurturer or romantic partner.
These questions are vital, and they connect back to the extreme views many boys and young men are consuming online. Rhetoric that is based on the inherent idea that a ‘real man’ doesn’t show vulnerability or weakness, protects and provides for those around him, is successful at ‘getting women’, and gains status through money, physical strength, women and material markers of success such as fast cars and displays of wealth.
Jamie couldn’t necessarily clearly articulate what makes someone ‘a man’ but he knew exactly what makes someone ‘not manly’ and his visceral rejection of those ideas were far more natural for him to display, when asked if he was friends with women he says “no” and “I’m not a twt though*”. His disdain for feminine traits and femininity is far clearer than his ‘love’ for ‘manliness’, a nuance that is powerfully captured in the show.
Femininity, objectification, power and misogyny
Not only do we get insight into how Jamie feels about himself, we are able to understand a little of how he views girls and women. The fact that he sees girls as objects and that viewing explicit images of girls that he knows (and girls and women he doesn’t know) is not something that he questions; when asked about whether he thinks the girls would be happy about him seeing explicit images of them he responds, “everyone else did”. The normalisation of girls as objects, and the non-consensual sharing and viewing of explicit images of girls, is so normal it is not worth denying or lying about.
It becomes further apparent that Jamie’s relationship to girls is far from healthy. He lies about having had sexual experiences with girls, he shrugs off the fact that he doesn’t have any friends that are girls, when asked about whether he was attracted to Katie after seeing an explicit image of her he makes an objectifying and dismissive comment about her body, saying, “no” and that “she was flat”. Jamie articulates a desire to have a girlfriend however he doesn’t seem able to articulate, or even understand, what that dynamic might look like aside from him owning or receiving sexual gratification or pleasure from a girlfriend. In the fourth episode we are presented with a stark contrast to this when Jamie’s parents are reminiscing about their first date as 13 year olds at the school disco, we hear about teenagers in the first moments of genuine connection, something that feels completely inaccessible to Jamie.
Despite answering “no” to the question of whether he feels powerful viewing explicit images of girls he knows, there are subtler insights into how Jamie feels about power and women. In one moment he stands over the psychologist and shouts in her face, a male member of staff comes to the door but she indicates that she’s okay. In response, Jamie says “what was that? hey? what the fk was that? signalling him away like a fking queen yeah?”. He is angry and riled up when faced with a woman in control.
We also get insight when Jamie reveals the impact that rejection has on him. We hear that Jamie had previously asked Katie out to the fair but that she wasn’t interested and said no to him. Although he insists multiple times that he did not “fancy” her and that he was not attracted to Katie because she’s not “his type”, Jamie shares that he assumed she would be feeling weak after explicit images of her had been shared round the school. Jamie wanted to take advantage of this vulnerability and ask her out, which meant when she rejected him, he was left feeling all the more insulted and angry.
“I just thought she might be weak after all that, cus everyone was calling her a slag or flat or whatever so I thought if she was that weak she might like me. It’s clever, don’t you think. I said I was sorry and that the guy who shared her picture was a wanker and that I’d take her to the fair if she liked… she just laughed and said – I’m not that desperate.” – Episode 3 | 42:00 – 44:00
A culture of misogyny and gender-based violence
A common reaction I’ve heard from parents and adults in response to Adolescence is fear. In particular, a fear that is centred around the online world and the harmful content that children and teenagers may be consuming without us realising. While this fear is incredibly valid and understandable, we must also be wary of not letting this fear distract us from the roots of this problem that exist far beyond the internet and the communities found there.
It is in the subtler moments in the show that we see these roots and an acknowledgement that it isn’t just the online world that led to Jamie’s actions, it is a wider ‘culture’ of gender inequality:
- Jamie does not address his mum or sister at all – exclusively reaching for the support and validation of his father.
- Jamie implies that having female friends makes someone a “twat”.
- Jamie exaggerates and lies about having had sexual experiences with girls to the psychologist and then immediately takes this back and reveals the true extent of those sexual experiences.
- Jamie feels confident enough to shout and scare the female psychologist, someone in a position of authority who is at least 15 years his senior.
- Jamie shares his awareness of his dads disappointment/shame at the fact that he wasn’t ‘sporty’.
- The school teacher only introduces the male police officer and then has to quickly introduce the female police officer when she realises her omission a few seconds later.
- The treatment of female staff members in the school where we hear male students shouting “Shut up miss!”
- The response to Ryan after he is punched by Jade (Katie’s best friend) in the playground – when another student says “You just got banged by a girl you sausage”.
- The way the female psychologist is made to feel uncomfortable by the male CCTV operator.
What happens if we watch the show without focusing on investigating the crime itself, but instead, understanding the culture all around it? The show perfectly presents the subtleness of gender stereotypes and gender attitudes that are pervasive in society. How they are shaping the way we talk to and about each other based on gender, what we expect from ourselves and each other based on gender and how we treat ourselves and others when those expectations are not fulfilled.
Adolescence confronts us with the truth that acts of gender-based violence are not committed by ‘bad apples’. Jamie is a 13 year old child who has been indoctrinated and who has had gender-based violence normalised and even glorified. There are moments that we feel deep empathy for Jamie and moments where we are scared of him, moments that ranged from the casualness with which he displayed misogynistic attitudes to the outbursts of anger and rage. But Adolescence raises the questions rather than providing the answers. The answers lie in the communities around young people coming together to prioritise education that gets to the root of the issue and addresses the gender stereotypes and attitudes that seem harmless in isolation, but together contribute to a culture that normalises gender-based violence and misogyny.
Questions to start conversations based on Adolescence:
- Why is being able to get girls or female attention so important to being seen as ‘manly’?
- Are all young boys as likely to be influenced by these messages as each other? If not – why?
- When Jamie calls himself “ugly” we get an insight into how he views himself and his self-esteem, how does this connect to his actions?
- We know many of these ideas are consumed online, where else do we learn these ideas?
- Why did the boy who received the photo of Katie spread it round? What did he gain by doing this?
- Why did Jamie think Katie was “easier to get” after the photos were leaked? How do you feel about that?
- What did Jamie feel when Katie rejected him? Why might he have felt that way?
Resources and places to learn more about these issues:
Toolkit: School of Sexuality Education – ‘A Look Into the Incel Movement: A Guide to Tackling Online Cultures of Misogyny for Schools, Colleges and Universities’
Book: Laura Bates – Men Who Hate Women
Ted Talk: Jackson Katz at TEDxFiDiWomen – ‘Violence against women—it’s a men’s issue’
You can’t just teach a child out of poverty
Written by Sean Harris and Katrina Morley
Sean Harris – Co-author and Director of PLACE (People, Learning and Community Engagement) at Tees Valley Education. Katrina Morley OBE – Co-author and CEO of Tees Valley Education.
One of the most urgent and complex issues schools face today is the deep-rooted impact of poverty on the communities they serve. For school leaders and educators, this isn’t just about data, it’s about real lives, and the daily reality of hardship affecting pupils and families.
The challenges of poverty extend well beyond the school gates. It influences everything from children’s learning experiences to their long-term life chances, often reinforcing cycles of inequality that are difficult to break.
But poverty and inequality do not have to be an inevitable part of the story we write in schools and communities.
Practice to Page
In Tackling Poverty and Disadvantage in Schools, we set out to create more than just another education book.
This is a collaborative guide, designed to support busy educators and stretched school leaders with practical tools and real-world strategies to help dismantle the complexity of inequality.
It reflects the voices of those working at the frontline, educators, leaders, and organisations who know what it means to walk within communities facing adversity.
This book is built on shared experience. It’s by the sector, for the sector, and with the sector.
It also challenges the rhetoric that the only or best way to tackle inequality is through excellent teaching alone.
‘While research consistently highlights the importance of high-quality teaching, policy and practice too often lean on this narrative to imply that a great teacher alone can overcome deep-rooted inequality. In reality, the schools making meaningful strides in addressing disadvantage recognise that delivering education in their communities requires a far more nuanced and holistic approach.’
Sean Harris: co-author
Director of PLACE (People, Learning and Community Engagement) at Tees Valley Education
No egos, no silos
What makes this project distinct is its collective approach. We brought together perspectives from across the UK and beyond: educators, researchers, policymakers, and thought leaders who are tackling educational inequality every day.
Each contributor brings school-based insight, evidence-informed thinking, and grounded practices. From making classrooms more inclusive and curriculum more equitable, to fostering a culture of social justice across whole-school systems, the book is packed with adaptable and proven strategies.
‘Schools alone are not the solution to tackling inequality, but they are an essential part of it. That’s why it was vital for this book to be shaped by the expertise and lived experiences of schools and organisations that are actively driving change. True progress comes through collaboration. Only by working together can we begin to understand and address the complex, enduring nature of disadvantage.’
Katrina Morley OBE
Co-author and CEO of Tees Valley Education
And let us be clear: while schools play a vital role in addressing disadvantage, they cannot do it alone. Education is only one component part of system change.
Optimism included
This book arrives at a critical moment.
Schools are contending with the lingering effects of COVID-19, the rising cost of living, and increasing poverty-related barriers to learning. We wanted to offer something constructive: a resource that doesn’t just highlight the issues, but offers a roadmap for making a difference.
The book has been written with busy leaders and educators in mind. We wanted to help educators foster environments where every child feels seen, supported, and capable of thriving, no matter their background.
Using the book
We know there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Schools are diverse, complex places where staff face many competing demands. That’s why we designed this book to be both accessible and flexible.
The content is organised around three core themes:
- Whole-school approaches (e.g. leadership and school culture)
- Classroom practices (e.g. including teaching methods and curriculum design)
- Wider interventions (e.g. mentoring, family support, and industry partnerships)
These strands provide different entry points, depending on where your school is in its journey. Whether you’re a new or established teacher looking for classroom ideas or a senior leader seeking systemic change, we hope this book meets you where you are.
Each chapter follows a consistent and easy-to-navigate format:
Research Recap: We summarise key studies and evidence that help contextualise the topic. It’s rigorous but digestible, with signposts for further reading if you want to go deeper.
Case Studies: Real examples from schools and organisations that have put theory into action. These are not silver-bullets but grounded insights from practitioners who’ve tested and refined their approaches.
Reflection: Tools and activities for applying the ideas in your own setting. These can be used individually or with your team. Plus, we’ve included access to an online hub with templates, planning guides, and reflection exercises to keep the work going beyond the page.
Each chapter also ends with concise takeaway points—perfect for sharing over a quick chat with a colleague (caffeine optional, but encouraged!).
Professional generosity
What truly sets this project apart is the generosity and dedication of our contributors. Everyone involved has donated their time and waived royalties. Profits from the book will go directly to supporting initiatives that benefit children and young people living in poverty, through our work with Tees Valley Education.
This spirit of collaboration and shared purpose is at the heart of everything we’ve created here.
We didn’t want to produce another title that simply restates how hard things are or overcomplicates the problem. Instead, we focused on creating a useful, empowering, and hopeful resource for professionals in education.
Importantly, we’ve also been careful to approach the topic with dignity and respect. Children and young people facing poverty are not “problems” to be fixed. The real challenge lies in the systems and structures that make life harder for them. It’s those systems we must work to change—and we believe schools can be powerful agents in that process.
We hope Tackling Poverty and Disadvantage in Schools contributes something meaningful to the ongoing conversation about equity and education. Our thanks go to every school, leader, and educator who continues to show up, innovate, and stand with their communities.
I Am Not Afraid
Written by Rachida Dahman
Rachida Dahman is an international educator, a language and literature teacher, and an educational innovator. She started her career in Germany as a teacher trainer advocating the importance of relationships above academics. She then moved to Luxembourg where she teaches German language and literature classes to middle and high school students. She is an award-winning poet, co-author of the best-selling book, ATLAS DER ENTSCHEIDER Entscheiden wie die Profis- Dynamik, Komplexität und Stress meistern.
School hallways are noisy. So much simmers in those corridors during breaks, and even more seems to ferment in teachers’ lounges, in the spaces of our schools as a whole. One might call it a festival of unresolved relationships, one that struggles to keep pace with the relentless pressure of coexistence, confrontation, and interdependence. By the end of a school day, we often stand slightly hunched, worn out, with restless legs that refuse to find stillness.
Amid this disorder, schools often become arenas of fear, environments where anxieties are not merely tolerated but systematically nurtured. These fears dance unseen and unchecked while the guardians of order, the teachers and educational institutions stand by as mere spectators. But what if this breeding ground of fear is not simply the result of carelessness or overwhelm, but rather the consequence of constant monitoring, control, and evaluation?
In my own school days, things were not so different. Students were expected to know little, challenge nothing, provoke no one, and certainly not disrupt. Teachers, on the other hand, constantly provoked, carried their small scandals into the school and sometimes even into the classroom. They unsettled us, and when we went home after school, we had little to report. Math, German, English, sports—subjects isolated from one another. Even the teachers lacked unity; how could the subjects possibly converse?
I remember a history teacher who filled gaps in knowledge with half-truths about controversial topics, as though he were a chronicler from another era. His stories brought the past to life, yet within the fog of his legends, the facts remained hidden. In math class, so-called wisdom from “great thinkers” was often reduced to hollow phrases—”Einstein probably said something like this.” These words sounded clever but were no more than glittering packages. In physics, correlation was sold as causation, “The moon and bad weather? That can’t be a coincidence!” Stereotypes were used so liberally that distinguishing between reality and fiction became a challenge.
In sports, fear was a constant companion. Our physical education teacher constructed scenarios of dread, “No training? That could lead to serious long-term damage!” The art teacher presented false dichotomies: “Either you draw like Van Gogh, or not at all.” Where were the nuances? Where was the space for creativity and individual thought? The music teacher, meanwhile, sought constant excuses to shield herself from constructive criticism: “It sounded fine, didn’t it? The acoustics were just bad.” The pursuit of excellence seemed replaced by a need for approval.
Parents observed this strange game, unfolding beyond grades and lesson plans, a struggle for “the best” for their children, though it was unclear what that even meant anymore. The best opportunities, the greatest potential, the most tailored support, concepts they discussed without ever fully grasping, haunted by the question of how much of their desires were genuine and how much were projections of societal expectations.
Children sensed what adults dared not articulate — that this was as much about demands as it was about support. What simmered here weighed on all of us, a pervasive burden whose origins no one could pinpoint but whose presence was undeniable.
This was a time when sports and music icons of the 1990s sparked cultural revolutions. With their bold hairstyles and extraordinary performances, they left powerful impressions that extended far beyond their fields. They influenced not only fashion and trends but also the values and norms of an entire generation, embodying success, individuality, and determination. Yet the school corridors simmered. A cacophony of invisible tensions echoed between the walls, while the daily routines left unspoken feelings like a tangled web between teachers, students, and parents.
Parents understand that children learn as much about social dynamics in school as they do about academic content. The lessons taught in classrooms are only a fraction of the school’s essence. It is the interpersonal relationships and encounters that leave lasting imprints, shaping self-worth. Sadly, this invisible yet essential layer often remains untouched and unformed. Students seem to be molded into compliant chess pieces in the game of knowledge dissemination. But what of their independence, their ability to express themselves, their courage to be authentic?
“Tell me how you speak to my child, and I will tell you who you are to them.” Language shapes our self-perception, and this is especially true in schools. The way a teacher speaks to students often reflects how they perceive their relationship with them. Are the words mere rhetorical phrases repeated out of habit, or is there genuine dialogue? Students are perceptive, quickly recognizing whether a teacher’s words make them feel valued or dismissed.
When communication is honest and direct, it creates a space where students can trust that their thoughts and feelings are welcome in school. Sadly, this is not always the case. Too often, we encounter linguistic “theater tricks,” half-truths, exaggerated dramatizations, or the subtle construction of false dichotomies, “Either you understand it, or you just don’t have what it takes.” Language, however, could serve a different purpose, reducing fear and building authentic connections.
The days of teachers as untouchable authorities, almost divine in stature, are over. This venerable role, where educators not only imparted knowledge but also moral judgments and ethical frameworks, has been increasingly supplanted by social media. Today, it is platforms and influencers, not teachers, that shape the values and norms of our students. Algorithms and digital streams dictate what is right and wrong, eroding the teacher’s role as a moral compass.
When I ask educators, “What do you think was truly happening then, and is it definitively different today?” I rarely receive a clear answer. Perhaps the point is no longer the answers but the questions themselves. Asking the right questions is a form of resistance in this era. Questions that inspire rather than inflame, that touch rather than coerce.
The fear of new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) may be significant, but the greater threat lies in the erosion of human connections that should form the bedrock of education. True education requires profoundly personal and meaningful relationships, not just to address technological challenges but to renew and solidify the interpersonal foundations of teaching and learning.
Children are acutely sensitive to language. They are deeply aware of repetition, which is why rituals carry emotional weight. As adults, especially in classrooms, how we speak to them matters immensely. Every word, every gesture reflects what we hope for them and believe in them. Relationships cannot thrive in utter chaos; they falter when they cannot take root in fertile ground. We must create spaces where these relationships can flourish, enabling genuine connections and fostering a positive learning environment. It takes courage to step into these spaces of vulnerability and to cultivate an atmosphere where students not only learn but also experience what it means to be part of a community. Every child has the right to sovereignty over their feelings and their story, and these spaces should be defined by openness and respect.
The future of education lies in empowering these voices, breaking rigid structures, and rethinking what is possible. As educators, we must rise to the challenge of creating spaces of vulnerability where students can safely express their fears and hopes, fostering an environment where learning is not only possible but joyful. By engaging in true dialogue, we can transform the corridors of our schools from places of fear into spaces of growth and understanding.
Only then can schools become what they were meant to be, vibrant places of learning where every person, regardless of their background or history, has the opportunity to thrive and find their voice. In honoring children as autonomous beings with their own stories and inalienable emotions, we unlock the fundamental relationships that make learning meaningful and transform schools into places of deeper humanity.
Ramadhan in Schools: building welcoming and inclusive spaces
Written by Maslaha
Maslaha works to change and challenge the conditions that create inequalities for Muslim and Black and brown communities in education, criminal justice, health and on the basis of gender, in a continued climate of Islamophobia, racism and negative media coverage.
For many Muslims, Ramadhan is a time of joy, community and to recharge spiritually. Yet whether it’s choosing to pray at lunchtime or wear a hijab during these days, visible expressions of faith are often met with hostility – expressions of ‘Muslimness’ are treated as a threat. In this way, Ramadhan exposes the Islamophobia that persists throughout the rest of the year.
As educators, we know that when young people feel safe bringing their whole selves to a space, it directly impacts their self-esteem, confidence and sense of belonging. This psychological safety affects not only wellbeing, it directly influences students’ engagement, attainment, and overall success in school.
Young people and families have shared how Islamophobia in schools and policies like The Prevent Duty have left them feeling isolated and led them to self-censor out of fear of judgement or even punishment.
We asked young people and their families what they would like their teachers to know, or do during Ramadhan. We put together what they said into this resource, and share five practical ways to create safe and inclusive spaces for students who choose to observe it: Ramadhan in schools
For more resources to support you build your anti-racist classroom, deliver a culturally-relevant curriculum and nurture safe spaces for all young people, see Education | Maslaha