BLM: Anti-racism a whole school approach

The Issue:

• It is complex.
• Who owns the voice?

The Conversation:

• Chiltern using their platform and their network.
• Modelling how to take responsibility and bring positive change.

The Value:

• Black lives matter.
• We need to focus on Black lives mattering.

The Context:

• We need to be comfortable having uncomfortable conversations.
• Representation of the collective experience by the individual.

The Curriculum:

• We are disenfranchising our society by not teaching our full history.
• CCT: Learn, Reflect and Act.
• Narratives and Contexts – review the Canon and Dominant Perspectives.
• Review what is taught, who is taught and how it is taught.
• Review the library: diversity of texts and representation.

The Actions:

• Giving voice and being seen.
• Reviewing labels – what does it mean to be ‘black’?

The Speakers:

• Alison Kriel
• Allana Gay
• Amjad Ali
• Ann Palmer
• Arv Kaushal
• Carl Belle
• Diana Osagie
• Gywneth Gibson
• Hannah Tyreman
• Lavinya Stennett
• Narayan Deb
• Penny Rabiger
• Pran Patel
• Raza Ali
• Rehana Faisal
• Sarah Owen
• Sheila Thompson
• Sid Sloane
• Stephen Chamberlain
• Sufian Sadiq

 

 

The Language:

• BAME
• Cultural capital
• Social constructs
• History of identity
• History of oppression

The Resources:

• BELMAS
• The Black Curriculum
• The Centre for Primary Literacy
• The History Association
• The Runnymede Trust

The Questions:

Uncomfortable questions for difficult conversations  about complex ideas for white leaders:

• Am I comfortable with the lack of representation in my staff, in my governance?
• Am I comfortable with white curriculum we teach?
• Why do we group all black people into one group?
• Why am I not aware of the black history of the children I teach and the staff I lead?
• Why have I not talent-spotted and invested in black staff?
• Why do we redirect all civil rights models to the US?
• Why do we think that this is a US issue and not a UK issue?
• Why are we hiding our history?
• Am I comfortable in oppressing some of my community?

The Reality:

• It is a white man’s world.
• Systemic racism.

The Research:

• McKinsey Report

The Challenge:

• ITE reform
• Curriculum reform
• Recruitment reform
• Leadership reform
• Governance reform

The Change:

• Schools
• Society
• System wide approach

The Reflection:

• Are we listening to understand?
• How do we get kids to see and talk about race and racism?
• How do we train our teachers to see and talk about race and racism?
• Who will do this work? How equipped are they?

The Thinking:

• What does it mean to be an anti-racist?
• What does an anti-racist curriculum look like?
• Why do we not see racism through the lens of safeguarding?

The Commitment:

• Cross-party strategy
• Cross-system strategy
• Accountability, Monitoring  and Impact

The Journey:

• A long term vision that needs to be turned into action.
• A collective responsibility and a shared approach.