Below, I post V2 (issued September 2021) of the document previously drafted for approval in November 2020. In this version Critical Race Theory is finally mentioned by name.
Appendix 1 notes:
“A draft strategy for anti-racist schools was developed drawing on expertise from teachers and consultants. This draft was presented for consultation at the November Children, Young People and Skills Committee in November 2020. Funding for the strategy was agreed in March 2021. In the Spring term 2021, the strategy was widely disseminated to a range of stakeholders via email, training events and meetings and feedback invited. The engagement activities took place with headteachers, teachers, school staff, school governors, parents, pupils, the Standing Advisory Council for RE, city councillors and community organisations”.
It also notes that “The Anti-Racist Schools Strategy strategy is underpinned by a CRT analytical lens” though it adds “…the strategy will promote a broad range of perspectives and views…”.
Brighton & Hove Anti-Racist Schools Strategy
for Early Years, School and College Settings – V2
Opening statement and scope of strategy
Brighton & Hove City Council’s Anti-Racist Schools Strategy was first developed and consulted on in 2020-2021. It supports the council’s pledge to be an anti-racist city and builds on good practice already in place including the Schools of Sanctuary programme run in partnership with Sanctuary on Sea.
It must be recognised that racism is a complex issue that is a long-standing problem in British society at large and in our education systems. This strategic plan aims to develop anti-racism practices in the Brighton & Hove education and school system over a 5-year timeframe. This work will build on some good race equality work that has been developed in Brighton & Hove settings over recent years, but also recognises the need to increase and deepen this work.
There is much discussion about which language best describes groups impacted by racism. Some terminology is explained in Appendix 2, but it is likely discussion of terms will continue throughout the delivery of this strategy and that the language used will change over time in consultation with communities. Currently, the terms Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME), “racially minoritised” and “people of colour” are used in this strategy whilst acknowledging that none of these are perfect terms. This strategy recognises that some communities who are racialised as White experience racism, including Gypsy, Roma and Irish Traveller communities and Jewish communities. This strategy aims to prevent and respond to a broad range of racisms and will through its action plan provide training or other support that focuses on the specific needs of particular groups
Guiding principles for the strategy
- Biologically we are all one race, the human race.
- Early years settings, schools and colleges are vital for socialising and equipping all children and young people to part of an inclusive, equitable and diverse society.
- A holistic approach will be taken that examines multiple overlapping areas of practice and makes appropriate links to other strategies and projects in the city for example Schools of Sanctuary, Environmental Education etc.
- Racism is understood to be a structural or systemic or institutional issue as well as an interpersonal issue.
- BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) is a deep, broad, diverse categorisation and the experiences and needs of different specific groups must be considered, alongside more general issues of racism. Some communities who are racialised as White experience systemic racism, including Gypsy, Roma and Irish Traveller communities and Jewish communities. This strategy aims to prevent and respond to a broad range of racisms recognising their similarities and differences.
- An intersectional approach will be taken that recognises how, for example intersections with sex, special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), economic disadvantage, refugee or asylum status, religion, those with English as an additional language (EAL) and lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans identities (LGBT) can impact the needs of BAME people.
- BAME professionals and White professionals must be involved at every level of decision making and delivery in anti-racist work. Emergent best practice for Anti-Racist leadership indicates BAME and White allies working in partnership (CIPD, 2020).
- There must be a balance between dismantling racially problematic practice and supporting BAME pupils, staff, parents and carers with navigating issues of racism.
- There should be an emphasis on sustainable change as opposed to one-off projects and an open sharing and reflection on practice, including learning from practice in other parts of the country.
- A series of measurable outcomes must be established for auditing and monitoring purposes (BAME staff representation, curricula changes, well-being indicators, structural changes, attainment, attendance, exclusions).
Overview
The diagram below shows the main pillars of anti-racist work as applicable to early years, school and college settings. Each area is further detailed below.
Key pillars of work
BAME staff and governor recruitment and retention
The workforce and particularly leadership in Brighton & Hove educational settings is overwhelmingly White and there is growing disparity between the ethnic or racial make-up between them and the communities they serve. This disparity is evident in Brighton & Hove at all levels of the education system and in trainee teacher numbers.
Nationally, BAME teachers leave the profession at nearly twice the rate of their White colleagues and cite discrimination in the workplace from pupils, parents and colleagues, lack of career progression, isolation and a lack of support as contributing factors (Haque, 2017).
Lack of diversity in the setting workforce sends powerful messages to all children and young people about who holds authority, knowledge and leadership. Many BAME pupils and parents cite that a lack of BAME adults in schools contributes to a culture that misunderstands them (Wah, 2020). The strategy will aim to:
- Establish a city wide BAME staff network to provide peer-to-peer support, guidance, mentorship, information and training events
- Improve BAME staff recruitment, retention and progression in the Brighton & Hove early years, school and FE workforces and governing bodies
- Support settings and schools in other initiatives to increase the BAME adult presence in their setting or schools e.g., visiting teachers, facilitators, community elders, mentoring schemes and / or remote video teaching
- Compensate BAME staff labour and community members for their time and expertise.
Training for staff and governors
By their own admission, many teachers (both White and BAME) feel ill prepared to promote anti-racism through schooling and the curriculum (Joseph-Salisbury, 2020). The over-whelming White school leadership in schools typically lack understanding of personal and structural racism and what is required to build inclusive school environments (Miller, 2020).
Racial literacy training is required for all staff. Key aspects of racial literacy include a historical understanding of the construction of ‘race’, an understanding of structural or systemic racism and an understanding of contemporary manifestations and reproductions of ‘race’ both in and out of schools. This is in contrast to ‘colour blind’ approaches that have dominated race equality strategies in recent decades (Gillborn, 2008). Building on this racial literacy training, further specific training might be needed by specific groups of staff. The strategy will:
- Develop a programme of racial literacy training and a sustainable approach for rolling this across all staff. A balance of ‘top down’ and ‘bottom up’ approaches are needed.
- Roll out a programme of general and specific training courses for early years practitioners, teachers, school and college staff, leadership and governors across all school settings schools.
- Develop specialist training for specific curriculum areas and key stages, pastoral staff, incident reporting, special educational needs and disability and safeguarding etc.
- Roll out a programme of training with key partners for teacher training and new to career teachers
- Develop drop-in sessions, networks and approaches to share and reflect on practice to learn with and from each other.
Racial literacy for children and young people
There is ample evidence spanning decades that children as young as 3 years old begin to learn the markers of racial categories and racial hierarchy (Apfelbaum, Sullivan, and Wilton, 2020; Brown, 2005) and yet the widespread view that children, particularly young children, are racially ‘innocent’ persists. In addition, children learn throughout their education that racism is an uncomfortable topic for adults and consequently have few opportunities to develop their own understanding and capacity to discuss this complex topic.
Some aspects of pupil racial literacy can be addressed through cross-curricula approaches and learning about race and ethnicity may be part of other lessons. However, key stages 2, 3 and 4 pupils additionally need specific racial literacy focussed lessons as part of their PSHE and critical thinking programmes. The strategy will:
- Review and develop PSHE programmes that include references to understanding and exploring identity, similarities, valuing of and celebrating diversity and development of racial literacy.
- Provide teacher training for delivery of these topics in PSHE.
Incident reporting and handling
BAME pupils, parents and teachers and pupils, parents and teachers of faith indicate that racist and religiously motivated incidents and concerns often go unreported. Reasons cited for this include:
- Previous poor experiences (e.g., dismissive responses, made situation worse)
- A sense that “the school doesn’t want to know”
- A lack of confidence or language to report issues and concerns
- Uncertainty of whom to report to
- Fear of backlash or retaliation
- Challenges the self-image of school
Studies show that many teachers understand racism and religiously motivated hate solely as acts of individual discrimination and thereby only recognise racism in schools when it appears in the use of racial slurs or other overt incidents (Lander, 2014; Asare, 2009). This limited understanding contributes to the way issues/concerns are understood and handled.
In their chapter “Dealing and not dealing with incidents”, Richardson and Miles (2008) highlight how while dismissive responses and punitive responses are both common in schools, they fail to meet the needs of the person or people that have been harmed, and the person or people that have caused harm and the wider school community. A dismissive approach can normalise the harmful behaviour in the school community, and leave the children harmed feeling unsupported. A punitive approach can leave the children who have caused harm, socially judged and excluded. They call for a restorative approach that aims to:
- Attend to the needs of the person or people that have been caused harm
- Enable the person or people who have caused harm to take responsibility for the impact of their behaviour and reintegrate them into the school community
- Ensure that the broader school ethos, curriculum and practices support any concerns and issues that arise from incidents.
Therefore, under this strategy there will be:
- A review of current approaches and guidance policies.
- Further development of a restorative justice approach to dealing with school incidents and issues raised.
- Provision of educational and other interventions to those who have caused harm
- Staff training on effective approaches.
BAME pupil and parent support and empowerment
It is important that BAME children, pupils and parents are supported with the realities of navigating racialised experiences, as well as being empowered to be active in resisting and challenging problematic practices. Racism causes harm and can be an adverse childhood experience (EIF, 2020). Challenges for BAME pupils and their families can be exacerbated if they have a special educational need or disability or other intersecting identities. As outlined in the previous section, pupils and parents report facing a range of barriers in reporting incidents and issues. Therefore, this strategy aims to develop:
- Focus groups and other methods to gather information on and understand the lived experiences of BAME pupils, BAME parents, parents of BAME children and pupils.
- Identified trained staff allies in settings and all schools for reporting and supporting (similar to LGBT allies in some schools).
- Pupil support groups and training, which may include work on identity and consider specific needs of different groups for example dual heritage children and young people
- Parent support groups and training including responding to specific needs for example needs of parents with SEND children.
- BAME Mentoring (e.g., Brighton University, internal mentoring schemes) for pupils.
- Work with the Universities re. role models & aspirations
- Opportunities for pupils to contribute to the review and development of anti-racist practice.
School Curricula
The broad aims of diversifying and decolonising the curriculum is to
- teach a more inclusive, accurate and balanced world view (move away from a Eurocentric approach)
- Embed Black History in the curricula
- develop critical thinking skills
- ensure that BAME pupils feel included and reflected in the curriculum, resources and environment
- challenge and deconstruct racial stereotypes (Moncrieffe et al,2019).
- Review all language used in the curriculum and school environment
- Understand the impact of particular areas of the curriculum on BAME pupils e.g., sensitivity to the needs of Jewish pupils when teaching the Holocaust, sensitivity to Black pupils when teaching about the transatlantic slave trade.
This is a substantial and complex undertaking with different concerns, requirements and constraints for different subject areas and key stages. Constraints of exam syllabuses, for example, can severely limit the scope of schools to address the curriculum at key stages 4 and 5, but this does not mean that there is not scope for diversifying the curriculum in all key stages. Some examples include ensuring the history curriculum adequately addresses colonial, pre-colonial and post-colonial history, early years and primary story books reflect a diverse range of characters and perspectives, and scientific and mathematical knowledge from across the globe are recognised. There are a plethora of resources and guidance related to diversifying and decolonising the curriculum, and therefore potential value in coordinating efforts across schools.
- Establish a program of curriculum review and development over 5 years.
- Provide subject and key stage specific training and guidance.
- Provide structures to share practice across settings and schools e.g., recruit practising teachers who specialise in subject and key stage practice.
School policies
Certain school policies can have a disproportionately negative impact on BAME communities. Examples include attendance (religious holidays), uniform (religious clothing e.g., Kippah, Hijab, turbans), rules for hairstyles, behaviour policies and food provision.
- Consult on and review and develop relevant policies ensuring all policies consider the needs of all groups and do not discriminate against some groups.
Example of anti-racist practice in a school setting
Anti-racism lead practitioner(s)
Appoint suitably qualified BAME and White joint leadership. In settings where two appointments are not feasible, settings can work in partnership with another setting.
Facilitated focus groups
Conduct facilitated focus groups for BAME pupils / parents / staff to effectively capture lived experiences and well-being information in the organisation.
Audit and action plan
Develop an audit and action plan approach so that early years settings, schools and colleges can track their progress. The following documents might be useful whilst the strategy develops its own audit tool:
- NEU Anti-Racist Framework
- The Key for School Leaders Whole school anti-racism audit
- Runnymede Trust School Policies for Race Equality and Cultural Diversity
- Equality and Diversity Audit (2019) Brighton & Hove (www.BEEM.org.uk)
Audit data should include:
- Overall and breakdown data on BAME practitioners, teachers, leadership, staff and governors
- Attendance data
- Overall and subject specific attainment data
- Behaviour and exclusion data
- Racial literacy training data for staff and governors
- Reported incident and issues data and information
- BAME pupil, parent, carer and staff experiences and well-being indicators
Potential barriers to implementation
- Resource and capacity within the council and education settings is required to make a significant impact
- With the many competing pressures in education, and the discomfort for many with issues of race and racism, anti-racist work can sometimes be marginalised and or sabotaged.
- Backlash and resistance to anti-racist practices from staff, parents, community members and national organisations
All education settings have obligations under the Equality Act (2010) and the strategy will continue to provide support and challenge to ensure schools are meeting the Public Sector Duty of the Equality Act. However, this strategy takes a deep and nuanced approach to the duty to pay due regard to the need to:
- Eliminate discrimination and other conduct that is prohibited by the Act,
- Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it
- Foster good relations across all characteristics – between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it.
We will listen to concerns raised, reassure when we are able to and continually review and reflect on our approach to ensure it meets the needs of children and young people in Brighton & hove education settings.
Appendix 1
Context and approach
How the strategy was developed
In June 2020, following concerns raised by several teachers of colour about anti-racist practice in Brighton & Hove schools, the council’s Children and Young People and Skills Committee committed to a programme of training and curriculum review.
A draft strategy for anti-racist schools was developed drawing on expertise from teachers and consultants. This draft was presented for consultation at the November Children, Young People and Skills Committee in November 2020. Funding for the strategy was agreed in March 2021.
In the Spring term 2021, the strategy was widely disseminated to a range of stakeholders via email, training events and meetings and feedback invited. The engagement activities took place with headteachers, teachers, school staff, school governors, parents, pupils, the Standing Advisory Council for RE, city councillors and community organisations. Engagement with some groups, including children and young people was limited by lockdown. In total approximately 300 people were engaged with. The feedback received overwhelmingly supported the overall approach outlined and education settings have confirmed that there is a need for this strategy and commitment to the work. This second version of the strategy incorporates critical feedback given.
Education settings will be encouraged and supported to engage with their communities to inform and support action planning and delivery of their anti-racist practice, tailored to reflect the needs of their communities.
The strategy will be subject to review when required over the next five years.
Approach
In the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd, a Black American man, at the hands of a White American police officer in May 2020, anti-racist protests were spurred internationally. In Brighton & Hove up to 10,000 people took part in one such protest, walking through the city streets (BBC, 2020). Simultaneously, with the pandemic highlighting the disproportionate negative impact on communities of colour both nationally and internationally, issues of racial justice have been clearly on the agenda. It is in this context that many organisations and individuals have been prompted to examine their own understanding and position on these issues. There has been an increase in interest in understanding racism as a systemic issue using a Critical Race Theory approach, and a move away from framing racism as only an issue of interpersonal interactions.
Critical Race Theory (CRT) is a framework that has been used for decades to analyse social and organisational systems based on the premise that:
- Racial groupings are not grounded in meaningful biological differences between humans, but are socially constructed ideas
- Racism operates both in acts of overt discrimination (by individuals or formal rules), and in subtler operations (biases, individual or organisational power)
- The unequal distribution of power in economic, political, social and cultural structures and systems, between White people and People of Colour, must be considered in examining issues of racism
- Issues of racism must be understood both in a historical context, and through the lived experiences of marginalised peoples.
(Gillborn, 2008)
The Anti-Racist Schools Strategy strategy is underpinned by a CRT analytical lens. However, the implementation of the strategy will, as described in the principles include intersectional approaches, respond to the needs of faith communities and include disadvantaged groups. The strategy will promote a broad range of perspectives and views and reach out to all groups in education settings with the aim of inclusive educational communities for all.
Appendix 2
Terminology
‘Race’ is a social construct and language used to describe racial categories is therefore inherently problematic. Acceptable terms used to describe racialised groups does change over time, geography and context. However, it is necessary to use the language of racial groupings to address issues of racism. Racial terms used in this document are explained here.
People of Colour (PoC) – this term, that has its origins in the USA, is used to describe all racialised people that are in groups other than White. It must be acknowledged that this is a broad and deep category and groups included in this umbrella term will be subject to both similarities and differences in how they experience racism, and that racist attitudes and practices also exist between and within groups. It is also acknowledged that some communities who are racialised as White, also experience systemic racism. This includes Gypsy, Roma and Irish Traveller communities, Jewish communities and other groups.
BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) – this term is used by government agencies and academic researchers in reference to ethnicity data in the UK, and groups together all people that identify in ethnic categories other than White British. Therefore, this term is used when referencing official data, academic studies, research and statistics.
Anti-Racism
Anti-racism goes beyond thinking of racism as an issue of individual actions, and incorporates the examination of racism in systems, structures and institutions, and includes the role of implicit biases in attitudes, behaviours and policies (Kendi, 2019).
References
Apfelbaum, E.P., Sullivan, J. and Wilton, L (2020) Adults Delay Conversations About Race Because They Underestimate Children’s Processing of Race
Asare, Y. (2009) ‘Them and us’: race equality interventions in predominantly white schools. London: Runnymede Trust.
BBC (2020) Black Lives Matter: Brighton protest attended by thousands https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-53037041
Brown, B (2005) Unlearning discrimination in the early years, Trenthan Books.
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (2020) Developing and Anti-Racism Strategy
Early Intervention Foundation (2020) Adverse childhood experiences: What we know, what we don’t know, and what should happen next | Early Intervention Foundation (eif.org.uk)
General Teaching Council for Scotland (2000) Educating for Anti-Racism
Gillborn, D (2008) Racism and Education – Coincidence or Conspiracy? Routledge
Haque, Z (2017) ‘Visible Minorities, Invisible Teachers’, The Runnymede Trust
Independent (2020) https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/kemi-badenoch-black-history-month-white-privilege-black-lives-matter-b1189547.html
Joseph-Salisbury, R (2020) ‘Race and Racism in English Secondary Schools’ The Runnymede Trust
Kendi, Ibram X. (2019) ‘How to be an Anti-Racist’, One World.
Lander, V. (2014) Initial Teacher Education: The Practice of Whiteness.
Advancing Race and Ethnicity in Education: Palgrave MacMillan
Miller, P (2020) Anti-racist school leadership: making ‘race’ count in leadership preparation and development
Moncrieffe M, Asare, Y, Dunford, R and Youssef, H (2019) Decolonising the Curriculum, University of Brighton
Page, S. (2020) ‘‘People get killed cause of their skin. It cannot be stopped’: a midlands case study considering experiences of racism amongst pupils in uk secondary schools and the community. British journal of community justice
Richardson, R & Miles, B (2008) ‘Racist incidents and bullying in schools’ Trentham books.
Wah, I (2020) ‘This is why diversity in schools matters so much’ https://www.tes.com/news/racism-school-teachers-diversity-inclusivity-importance-education