Month: October 2026

Celebrating World Book Day: Representation in the Library Matters - for students and for the staff.

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Written by Belonging Effect

Belonging Effect is committed to shaping intention into impact and supporting people with their Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging strategy and training needs.

Each March the Belonging Effect holds our annual virtual World Book Day event to celebrate the educators in our diverse network who are published authors. 

Our Why?

  • As a Post-Colonial Literature graduate, as a former English teacher, and as an avid reader, Hannah seeks out representative authors and texts throughout the year to spotlight.
  • As the Founder of the Belonging Effect, she is a champion of why representation matters and strives to amplify diverse voices. 
  • As a published author and co-editor of a book, she is keen to disrupt educational voices including who gets published and who gets platformed.

Our How?

  • We host an annual virtual livestream – the authors join me in the Streamyard studio and you watch it on Youtube. The recording then goes on our website.
  • We amplify the author, their voice and their book.
  • The audience gets to share feedback and ask questions about how they got started, how they found a publisher and the challenges they faced in the writing process. 

Our What?

  • We hear about their latest book, what they wrote, who they wrote it for and how they got it published. 
  • You get inspired to put pen to paper as a blogger or as an author.  

You can catch up on all of our WBD events archive from 2021-2026 HERE. 

So who has joined us from our network at our previous events and which books have we explored? 

Our 2021 author line-up: 

You can also buy most of the books here on our WBD 2021 Bookshop shelf.  

Our 2022 author line-up: 

You can also buy most of the books here on our WBD 2022 Bookshop shelf.  

Our 2023 author line-up: 

You can also buy most of the books here on our WBD 2023 Bookshop shelf. 

Our 2024 author line-up: 

You can also buy most of the books here on our WBD 2024 Bookshop shelf. 

Our 2025 author line-up: 

You can also buy most of the books here on our WBD 2025 Bookshop shelf. 

Our 2026 author line-up: 

You can also buy most of the books here on our WBD 2026 Bookshop shelf. 

We are now planning ahead for our next event. You can join us on March 4th 2027 for our next virtual WBD event by booking a free place here.

Our 2027 author line-up:

You can also buy most of the books here on our WBD 2027 Bookshop shelf.  

We hope to see you there! 

Do get in touch if you are from our network, have written a book or have a book in the pipeline. We would love to get you on a future event line up. Equally if you want to put pen to paper and start writing we have our blog and are always looking for new voices to amplify there too.

by Hannah Wilson

A better historical narrative leads to a sense of belonging

Meena Wood portrait

Written by Meena Wood

Meena Kumari Wood is a former HMI (Ofsted), LA Adviser, FE College Principal and Principal of a Secondary Academy, is now a consultant, trainer and leadership coach across the British and International Education sectors.

Original article published in Teach Secondary – Issue 15.6  September 2026 

The government’s recent curriculum review presents a golden opportunity for teachers to tackle some pernicious myths while highlighting the value of active citizenship, writes Meena Wood…“The teaching of history through sourced evidence shouldn’t amount to a binary choice of ‘good versus evil’”.

Some 40% of children sitting in classrooms in the UK are from heritages other than White British. We should be empowering our young people to be truly proud of their individual and collective heritages, and the contributions they make to society.

But if children can’t identify themselves within the historical narratives they’re given, how can we hope to create a diverse and cohesive society?

Lasting legacies

Up to now, generations of young people have been taught that Britain was an intrinsic force for good against Nazi tyranny, and ‘saved the world’ in both World Wars. But how many have also learnt that Churchill’s victory also contributed to the committing of atrocities across the Indian Empire? 

As Shashi Tharoor observed in his 2017 book, Inglorious Empire, the great Bengal famine of 1943 resulted in the deaths of millions, as rice was exported to feed the Empire’s troops. Churchill, however, attributed the famine to the fact that Indians were “Breeding like rabbits”. 

While learning about the history of the British Empire, are students being made aware of the lasting legacies of those employed by the East India Company? Of how certain employees ‘acquired’ riches and subsequently invested them in some of Britain’s finest buildings, and even the de facto ‘purchase’ of a Parliamentary seat? Thomas Pitt, for one, famously founded a Prime Ministerial dynasty (William Pitt, followed by his son) via the purchase of a diamond whilst he was Governor of India. 

No statutory requirement to teach British Imperial history currently exists within the National Curriculum. When selecting their GCSE syllabi, schools may therefore be reluctant to opt for the relatively new ‘Migration’ option, due to the complex perspectives involved and relative scarcity of supporting resources. 

A binary narrative

Yet the fact remains that the teaching of history really should present a balanced view of colonisation, the British Empire and their impact on peoples from Africa, Asia and Ireland. As Wendy Williams noted in her 2018 review of The Windrush scandal, it was “In part able to happen because of the public’s and officials’ poor understanding of Britain’s colonial history, the history of inward and outward migration, and the history of black Britons.” (see tinyurl.com/ts156-H1).

We can also look to the entrenched binary narrative that surrounds the enslaving of Black Africans by Whites, when the reality was more complex and nuanced. My own birthplace of Zanzibar became (in)famous for its clove plantations, and slavery practised there from the 17th to the 20th century. There are records of Africans sold into chattel by their own tribal chiefs to Arab Traders, for whom Zanzibar served as a key East African trading hub. Slaves were held at Prison Island, worked on plantations there or were transported to other destinations. 

The teaching of history through sourced evidence shouldn’t amount to a binary choice of ‘good versus evil’, if only because the selection of that ‘sourced evidence’ will decide the narrative our students end up learning. The presence of different perspectives has to be a feature of history. Otherwise, immutable, unforgiving and often incomplete historical interpretations can persist as intergenerational legacies. 

A sense of belonging

More broadly, our children need to see for themselves how our collective history is a multi-faceted prism that continues to have considerable influence over how we live our lives today. 

Citizenship, history and geography lessons can and should enable students to learn about the historical unity of European nations when it came to fighting tyranny and fascism alongside the ANZAC, African and Asian troops, the factors that eventually led to the establishment of the EU and the continuing relevance of those factors to today’s ongoing debates over Brexit and migration, among many other issues.

The citizenship curriculum should reference why voting is of paramount importance within a democracy, because it’s only through exploring their identities and communities that children can develop a genuine sense of belonging, pride and active citizenship that will see them supporting efforts towards equality and cohesion. 

Perpetuating a polarised view of British history risks creating schisms in our society and a rise in xenophobia towards migrants. These are counter to young people developing global citizenship. The relevance of migration to children’s lives today is perhaps more tangible now than it ever has been, and was especially visible during the 2026 World Cup – a football tournament in which 80% of the England team (and its three highest-scoring players) were of Black or dual heritage.

Approaches that resonate

Young people will further benefit from acquiring the critical literacy and thinking skills needed to thoughtfully question what they see and read, and develop the curiosity to explore topics more deeply. 

The Finnish education model, in which critical thinking is embedded across the curriculum, encourages students to hone their research skills, weigh up evidence, understand biases, navigate persuasive arguments and substantiate their conclusions. Only as critical readers will British children be able to understand for themselves the true, multi-faceted legacy of the British Empire when presented with source evidence. 

Adopting fresh approaches to the teaching of certain subjects may also simply resonate with children in a more positive way. For instance, learning that the Moghul Empire – and the economic expansion it enabled – lasted in India for 330 years until its dissolution in 1857 by Queen Victoria raises some interesting questions. 

Katie Llewellyn is a lead practitioner in Humanities and Social Sciences at Hatch End High School in Harrow. In her telling argument, taking a ‘revisionist view’ when tackling sensitive topics could involve : “Here’s how a topic has been taught. Does this meet current expectations? Is the 1857 ‘Indian Mutiny’ an uprising against political and economic oppression, or even a War of Independence?  

“Students love to argue their perspective and reach their own conclusions. Teaching history in this way will give rise to a generation of citizens who think for themselves.”

Diverse histories

As educators, we now face the challenge – and opportunity – of radically rethinking our curriculum and what it teaches. The Historical Association, via its work on this year’s South Asian Heritage Month and other such initiatives, has been leading on the history curriculum review, in a way that could eventually see South Asian history accorded equivalent space within the curriculum as African history, Black slavery and Windrush.

As Louisa Dunn and Hannah Cushion of Kensington Palace’s Schools Team point out, “Including the inspiring stories of the Last Princesses of Punjab in the curriculum offers a way into Empire, migration, activism and resistance. As suffragists, their voices are both human and relatable and signpost their important contributions to British society.”

At a more local level, the ‘Hidden Heritages: One School, Many Stories’ initiative aims to assemble an intergenerational oral history project. Students taking part in the project do so as active historians and curators of the South Asian Cambridgeshire community, preserving local histories and heritages, while simultaneously deepening their understanding of British history.

There is also The British Library’s digital ‘South Asians in Britain, 1830s to present’ showcase, which highlights migrants’ contributions to the country over a span of almost 200 years. These diverse histories include the election of the pioneering political leader Dadabhai Naoroji as MP for Finsbury Central in 1892, as well as the life of Noor Inayat Khan – a British-Indian spy during WWII, who died in Dachau concentration camp for refusing to give up her secrets. South Asian Britain: Connecting Histories, a free web resource 

The British Library’s Discovering Historical Sources resource additionally gives teachers and students access to a range of expert articles, activities and notes to support the study of migration and empire in English, citizenship, history, politics and sociology lessons.

We should enable all of our children to become more knowledgeable citizens, pursue opportunities to learn about the various facets of their own heritage, and ultimately join the dots from yesteryear to the present day – but we’ll only see those efforts have a lasting impact, when reflected through a balanced and nuanced curriculum.

by Hannah Wilson

Building Trust, Cultivating Belonging: What We Have Learned from Working with Our GRT Community

Matthew Parker portrait

Written by Matthew Parker

Matthew Parker is Head of School at Wolvey CoE VC Primary School, part of the Ignite Federation. The school won the B.D.S.C (Black and Diverse Safeguarding committee) Equity and Inclusion organisation of the year in 2026.

At Wolvey CofE Primary School, we are incredibly proud of our school and the unique community we serve. Around 35% of our pupils come from our Traveller community, alongside a significant Nepalese Gurkha community. This cultural richness is an important part of who we are as a school.

Our vision is simple: “Among us, you are equal.” For us, those words cannot simply sit on a website, a wall or within a school improvement plan. They need to be experienced by the children and families who walk through our doors every day.

Our work with our Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) community has developed over many years. We certainly would not claim to have all the answers. What we have learned, however, is that meaningful inclusion begins with relationships.

Trust comes before engagement

Schools often talk about wanting families to engage more closely with education. But before asking why a family is not engaging with us, perhaps we need to ask a different question: What have we done to earn their trust?

We recognise that traditional educational settings have not always served GRT children and families well. Distrust does not disappear because a school says that its doors are open. Trust has to be built.

It grows through consistency, listening, compassion and doing what we say we will do. It grows when families know they will be treated with dignity. It grows when we take time to understand communities rather than expecting communities to understand and adapt to us.

Over time, our relationships with our GRT families have become central to the culture of Wolvey. Families who may previously have felt disconnected from education now engage actively with school life. Attendance has improved and children increasingly experience school as somewhere they feel safe, valued and able to succeed.

Representation matters

Belonging is also about being able to see yourself within the culture of your school.

Our celebration of GRT History Month has therefore become an important part of our work. We have collaborated with local artists, community representatives, Warwickshire County Council and other schools to create meaningful opportunities for children to explore and celebrate GRT culture and identity.

One of these projects culminated in a district-wide celebration at Warwickshire Police Headquarters, bringing together children, families, school leaders, police representatives and members of the wider community.

Another has left a permanent legacy within our school. We commissioned a nationally recognised GRT artist to work alongside our children to create a bespoke wolf sculpture representing our school values. The children were involved in the creative process and were able to share their stories, identities and ideas. The finished sculpture represents courage, belonging, kindness and equality.

For our GRT children, it also says something important: You are visible here. Your culture is valued here. You are part of the story of this school.

Belonging should not require assimilation

Perhaps one of the most important lessons we have learned is that inclusion should not require children to leave parts of themselves at the school gate. We want our GRT children to be ambitious. We want them to attend school, engage with learning and experience educational success. We hold high expectations for them because we believe deeply in their potential. But those aspirations should never require them to become less of who they are.

Our children should not need to change their identity in order to succeed within education. Instead, we need to be willing to ask how education can evolve to include them more successfully. That distinction matters.

Schools can become trusted community anchors

We have also learned that our responsibility does not necessarily end at the classroom door. Some of the families within our community experience barriers when accessing healthcare and other public services. Because relationships with school are strong, we have been able to use that trust to help families connect with wider support.

We have worked alongside NHS teams, local doctors and healthcare providers to improve access to vaccinations and preventative healthcare. We also host a monthly pop-up baby surgery within our community, providing families with access to support in a familiar and trusted environment. Similarly, we have worked proactively with local police teams to strengthen relationships with our GRT community.

Where there has historically been distrust or misunderstanding between families and agencies, schools can play an important role in building bridges. This requires honest conversations, advocacy and a willingness to challenge prejudice when we encounter it.

Sometimes inclusion means welcoming. Sometimes it means listening. And sometimes it means being prepared to stand alongside a community and challenge discrimination.

Small changes can have a significant impact

Our work has also given us opportunities to contribute to conversations beyond Wolvey. We worked directly with the Department for Education to support the creation of a film promoting “Best Start in Life” opportunities for GRT families. Its message encouraged families to “take a leap of faith” with education, while also challenging schools to consider the intentional changes they can make to improve inclusion and engagement.

I have also had opportunities to share our learning through GRT conferences and leadership events. I return repeatedly to the same message – there is no single initiative that creates belonging – it is built through the accumulation of intentional actions, relationships and decisions.

From intention to impact

We are proud that this work was recently recognised nationally when Wolvey CofE Primary School was named Equity and Inclusion Organisation of the Year 2026 at the Black and Diverse Safeguarding Awards. It was an incredibly proud moment for our whole school community, but the award matters because of what sits behind it.

During our 2023 Ofsted inspection, inspectors recognised the behaviour, attitudes and engagement of our pupils. Our GRT children enjoy learning, work hard and participate enthusiastically across school life.

For me, those outcomes are connected to something much deeper: children engage when they feel safe; families work with schools when they experience trust; children are more able to flourish when they know that who they are is not merely tolerated, but recognised and valued.

Our experience at Wolvey has taught us that inclusion cannot be performative or temporary. It needs to be sustained, relational and embedded within the everyday culture of a school.

What might other schools consider?

Every school and every community is different. Our approach cannot simply be lifted from Wolvey and replicated somewhere else.

But there are questions that I believe all school leaders can ask:

  • How well do we really know our GRT families and communities?
  • Have we taken time to listen before deciding what they need?
  • What might their previous experiences of education have taught them about schools?
  • Where do GRT children see their culture, history and identity reflected within our school?
  • Are our expectations high without requiring assimilation?
  • How are we building relationships with parents and carers beyond moments of difficulty?
  • Could our school act as a bridge between families and other services?
  • Are we prepared to challenge prejudice and discrimination when we encounter it?
  • Most importantly, how do we know whether our GRT children and families actually experience a sense of belonging?

Our work continues to evolve. We continue to listen, learn and adapt. But one thing has become increasingly clear to me – if we want families to take a leap of faith with education, schools need to be prepared to take a leap of faith too.

We need to move beyond expecting communities to fit into systems that were not necessarily designed with them in mind. We need to build relationships based on dignity, curiosity and trust because our children should never have to choose between their identity and their education. They deserve both. And they deserve schools in which they know, without question: among us, you are equal.

by Hannah Wilson

Honouring our Communities

Wayne Reid portrait

Written by Wayne Reid

Professional Officer & Social Worker

Black History Month invites us to pause, remember, acknowledge and celebrate.  However, I would like to see Black history and the reflections it invites being recognised routinely – all year round.

At its simplest, I see ‘community’ as people connected by location, common interests, characteristics or social identity.  Although, ‘community’ is much more than just geography or categorisation.  It’s about relationships, experiences, knowledge, stories and values that exist between people – providing belonging, identity, ‘tough love’, support and opportunity.  Communities have the potential to shape us in ways we don’t always realise until much later in life.

One person from my own professional community who has had a particularly significant influence on my life was a previous manager at the National Probation Service.  I refer to him in OUTLANDERS: Hidden Narratives from Social Workers of Colour (in the chapter ‘Ambition Navigation’), because he gave me my first proper frontline role and remains in my orbit.

That opportunity mattered.

Sometimes one person’s recognition of potential can change the direction of a career.  A manager can open a door, a colleague can build confidence and a schoolteacher can shape aspirations.  As a child, a schoolteacher told me that Black people cannot swim…  A stereotype perpetuated by the historic lack of visibility of Black swimmers.

Representation matters – but on its own it’s not enough.  People need authenticity, diverse perspectives and forums to articulate their experiences, share their knowledge and demonstrate their expertise.  That understanding has significantly influenced my approach to care and leadership.

My own cultural insights have taught me the importance of valuing the diversity within communities, which is sometimes overlooked in favour of assuming cultural homogeneity.  We need to move beyond simplistic assumptions about race, culture and identity and appreciate the shared humanity that exists both within and between cultures.  This is partly why I founded the Black & Ethnic Minority Professionals Symposium (BPS) and created the Synergy Sessions.

This is also where Shades of Bias (SoB) relates to the idea of community.  SoB is a reflective case-study framework for documenting, analysing and addressing discrimination, oppression and racism.  At its heart, is an invitation to pause, examine what has happened, consider our own perspectives and think about what needs to happen next.  Communities don’t exist outside the influence of bias. They are shaped by the assumptions, attitudes and behaviours of the people within them.

We all have a unique lens through which we see the world.  

Therefore, I would advise anyone starting out in social work to be self-aware: anticipate that others may label, stereotype and categorise you – while recognising your own inescapable racialised lens.  Self-awareness isn’t about pretending that we are neutral or colourblind observers.  Our experiences, identities, upbringings and environments influence how we interpret people and situations.

Reflective practice also means being prepared to ask questions (which may be uncomfortable) – not only of ourselves, but of the people, environments and systems around us.  Such questions include:

  • What might my own racial lens be obstructing me from seeing?
  • Whose perspective, experience or voice is missing?
  • Would the same situation be interpreted, scrutinised or responded to in the same way for different racialised groups?

How can we evidence that our policies, decision-making and organisational practices are effective, equitable and inclusive?  This question connects directly to the Social Care Workforce Race Equality Standard (SC-WRES), which uses evidence to identify racial inequalities, develop action plans and drive continuous organisational improvement.  Its latest findings show that staff from minoritised ethnic backgrounds are 44% less likely to be appointed from shortlist and 50% more likely to face formal disciplinary action, while remaining underrepresented in senior management.

That tells us something important: reflection cannot stop at the individual.  We need to examine cultures, structures, policies and decision-making, asking not only “What did I do?” but “What is happening here?  Why?  Who is affected?  What can we do differently?”

The recent statement from the BPS following the tragic death of Professor Jason Arday reinforces this principle.  The statement calls for reflection on professional accountability, institutional decision-making, racialised scrutiny, media representation and public commentary, while emphasising the importance of fairness, proportionality, humanity and dignity.

That message connects powerfully with SoB.  We can hold people and institutions accountable, while still recognising their humanity; challenge racism while remaining capable of honest conversations about professional standards and scrutinise institutions while appreciating the complexity of individual circumstances.  We can ask difficult questions without losing our compassion.  Reflection should not be mistaken for an absence of accountability.  It should create the conditions for accountability that is thoughtful, proportionate and humane.

This brings me back to Black History Month.  Perhaps controversially, I don’t think Black history, culture and achievement should be confined to October.  Black history should be acknowledged, taught and celebrated all year round.  It should not be reduced predominantly to colonialism, slavery and oppression.  Those histories must be understood, but they are not the entirety of Black history.  We also need to hear about the stories of innovation, scholarship, creativity, leadership, entrepreneurship, community building, scientific achievement and cultural influence.  We also need the countless stories of ordinary people whose contributions have profoundly shaped their families, communities and descendants.  If a broad and representative Black history is integrated throughout all stages of education, it becomes part of the story – rather than tokenistic or an afterthought.

Honouring our communities means celebrating the people who opened doors for us, stories that shaped us and the experiences that challenge us to think differently.  Communities are not static.  They evolve through relationships, disagreements, learning and collective action.  Also, importantly, it means understanding our own responsibility within them.

Black History Month can provide a valuable moment of focus, but the greater challenge is what happens after October.  

Do we revert back to “all lives matter”?  

Or does our learning influence how we see, listen, lead and act?

For me, genuine recognition isn’t a month.  It’s a mindset.

It’s about creating communities and spaces where people are not simply represented, but heard.  Not simply included, but uplifted.  Not simply present, but able to influence the environments we live and work in.

That is how we honour our communities – by remembering our histories (good, bad and ugly), acknowledging our shared humanity, learning from past experiences and helping shape a future in which every community can be seen, heard and valued.

“One world, one race… the human race!”

Have you used Shades of Bias?  

Please share your experiences by completing the SoB survey.

by Hannah Wilson

Beyond Verbal Communication: How to Help Support Multiple Forms of Expression

Tessa Dodson portrait

Written by Tessa Dodson

Tessa Dodson is an education writer passionate about supporting teachers and fostering inclusive classroom environments. She specializes in covering classroom resources, educational trends, teacher wellness, and practical strategies to help educators succeed.

Every student deserves the opportunity to express themselves authentically. For autistic and neurodivergent learners, nonverbal communication serves as a vital pathway to engagement and self-expression. By embracing varied approaches to communication development, educators can create inclusive classrooms that empower students to share their unique perspectives. 

 

Understanding Nonverbal Cues and Body Language 

 

With around 1 million people in the UK affected by autism, understanding and supporting a variety of communication styles has become increasingly important in today’s classrooms. Communication happens through a combination of words, tone of voice, facial expressions, gestures and body language. For neurotypical individuals, these nonverbal signals occur naturally and help create a shared understanding. 

 

However, autistic and neurodivergent students may process or express these cues differently. Behaviours that appear unusual can simply reflect a different, equally valid way of communicating. For example, their forms of nonverbal communication may include averted eye contact to reduce sensory input and improve focus or repetitive movements like hand-flapping. They may also present unique postures or movements, such as toe-walking, or speak in a monotone.

 

Effective communication development begins when teachers learn to recognise and respect each student’s authentic signals. The first step is attentive, open observation, such as noticing how a student communicates when they are calm, overwhelmed or stressed. Over time, educators can better understand individual communication patterns and respond in ways that support trust and inclusion. 

 

Incorporating Sign Language for Clearer Communication

 

In UK classrooms, British Sign Language offers a complete language system for nonverbal or minimally verbal students to express their wants, needs and ideas. For some learners, this form of nonverbal communication can reduce frustration by providing alternative ways to express themselves clearly.

 

Sign language also lays the foundation for communication by teaching the essential back-and-forth of interaction. For example, making a request or responding to another person helps students develop functional communication skills that can support broader communication development. Applied Behaviour Analysis methods often incorporate sign language to teach these essential communication skills while helping individuals strengthen connections with others. Reliable interaction through signing creates opportunities for social interaction, friendship and classroom participation. 

 

Using Visual Supports to Enhance Understanding

 

Visual supports help transform spoken information into something concrete and easier to process. For those who think visually, seeing information can make language more predictable, understandable and memorable. 

 

Some examples of visual tools include:

 

  • Daily visual schedules showing the activities planned for the day.
  • Visual timers to visually indicate the passing of time .
  • Choice boards that allow students to select preferred tasks or materials.
  • Feelings charts to help students identify their feelings.
  • “I need a break” cards for students to request time away without speaking.

 

Incorporating Assistive Technology in the Classroom

 

Assistive technology refers to tools that help students learn, communicate, participate or complete everyday tasks. These tools can range from simple resources such as communication boards to advanced digital solutions. Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices, for instance, allow students to use tablets or other devices to convert words or symbols into speech. 

 

Emerging technologies such as virtual reality (VR) are also expanding opportunities for experiential learning. VR allows educators to create controlled simulations to practice skills and explore environments safely. By reducing unpredictability and allowing students to practice at their own pace, VR provides a comfortable space for improving communication and social interactions. 

 

Why Inclusive Communication Is an Essential Equity Approach

 

Recent data reveal that approximately 13,000 autistic pupils miss 4.5 months or more of school annually. About 20% of these absences occur because many schools lack the structures to support their needs. While many strategies support meaningful inclusion, embracing multiple forms of expression can help improve equity and access for neurodivergent learners. 

 

When educators respect and integrate nonverbal communication, classrooms become more accessible both physically and culturally. Students can participate more fully in lessons, whether using a communication device to answer questions or expressing needs through a visual card. Most importantly, communication creates connection. Students who express themselves naturally can build friendships and develop a stronger sense of belonging.

 

An equity approach also needs to work at the system level. It’s essential to provide regular staff training on diverse communication and audit classrooms for sensory and communication access. Educators also need to set clear measures to track participation and progress.

Best Practices for a Multiexpression Classroom

 

Creating a classroom that supports different communication styles requires curiosity, patience and a willingness to adapt. Teachers should consider these practical strategies:

 

  • Presume competence: Approach every student with the belief that they are capable, intelligent and have valuable ideas to share.
  • Observe before interpreting: Learn each student’s communication patterns and personal ways of expressing emotions.
  • Reduce sensory barriers: Create supportive spaces such as quiet areas and offer tools like noise-cancelling headphones to help students remain comfortable.
  • Prioritise connection over correction: Spend one-on-one time engaging with students’ interests and concerns. 
  • Build a collaborative support team: Work with specialists, parents and families to create consistent strategies across different settings. 

 

Creating a More Accessible Learning Environment

 

The most empowering learning environments are those that adapt alongside their students, combining human understanding with practical tools and technology. Supporting multiple forms of expression begins with recognising that communication is multilayered. Every gesture or sign represents an opportunity for connection and participation. By remaining flexible and student-centred, educators ensure every learner feels seen, heard and, most importantly, valued in the classroom.

by Hannah Wilson

Belonging Begins Before the Classroom: What I Learned from Recruiting Global Majority Career Changers into Teaching

Ayesha Shaikh portrait

Written by Ayesha Shaikh

Ayesha is a Career Change & Recruitment Specialist at Now Teach, where she led the recruitment element of the Mission 44 Diversity in Education Fund pilot, supporting efforts to increase representation within the teaching profession. A former teacher and senior leader, she brings over 10 years of experience in education across the UK and Dubai. She is passionate about creating more inclusive pathways into teaching and ensuring that people from diverse backgrounds can see themselves reflected in, and feel that they belong within, the profession.

This blog was previously published on the NASBTT website – thank you for agreeing for us to republish it.

What makes someone believe they could become a teacher?

Perhaps it starts with a moment of recognition: seeing someone like themselves standing at the front of a classroom. Perhaps it’s a conversation with a teacher who inspires them. Or perhaps, after years in another career, it’s the realisation that the skills, experience and perspective they’ve built could make a difference to children and young people. For many career changers, deciding to become a teacher is a significant leap of faith.

So, when we talk about creating a more diverse teaching profession, we need to look beyond how we attract people to teaching. We also need to think about what happens once someone takes that first step. Does the journey into teaching make them feel that there is a place for them? This is one of the biggest questions I’ve been left with after leading the recruitment element of the Mission 44 funded pilot at Now Teach in partnership with Mindful Equity UK and the National Institute of Teaching.

Creating a different route into teaching

The Mission 44 funded pilot was designed to increase the number of teachers from Global Majority backgrounds entering the profession, with a particular focus on career changers aged 35 and over. Funded by Mission 44, a collaborative pilot brought together Now Teach, the National Institute of Teaching (NIoT), and Mindful Equity UK to recruit Global Majority career changers across the West Midlands, with a portion of those recruits joining NIoT’s September 2026 teacher training cohort.

As Project Lead at Now Teach, I led the recruitment element of the pilot. I developed our recruitment approach, built relationships with potential candidates and partners, supported candidates through their journey into teacher training and worked closely with colleagues across the partnership to understand what candidates needed and, where possible, implement those things. Now that the recruitment phase has come to an end, I’ve had the opportunity to step back from the day-to-day work and reflect on what the experience has taught me.

The biggest lesson is a simple one: belonging begins before the classroom.

A candidate doesn’t experience a recruitment funnel

We often describe recruitment as a funnel. Someone hears about an opportunity, expresses an interest, applies, is assessed, receives an offer and eventually begins training. From an organisational perspective, this makes sense. But no candidate experiences their journey as a funnel. They experience it as a series of human interactions, each one shaping their perception of whether this is a profession, and an environment, in which they can see themselves thriving.

A message can make someone feel encouraged to take the next step. A conversation can give them confidence. An application form can feel manageable or overwhelming. A question about eligibility can either provide clarity or create uncertainty. A wait for an answer can either feel reassuringly short or leave someone questioning whether they are making the right decision. An interview, a decision and every interaction in between all contribute to the overall experience.

For a career changer, this can be particularly significant. They may already be questioning whether they are making the right decision, while also considering the financial implications of retraining, balancing wider life or family responsibilities or wondering whether their previous professional experience will really be valued in a school.

This has made me think differently about the role recruitment plays in building confidence. Every interaction is an opportunity to reassure someone that they belong, rather than create another barrier to entering the profession.

Start with listening

One of the most valuable parts of the pilot was the opportunity to listen closely to candidates and understand what was influencing their decisions. It’s easy for organisations to decide what people from underrepresented backgrounds need and then design initiatives around those assumptions. But the more we listened, the clearer it became that there is no single “Global Majority candidate experience”.

People brought different careers, circumstances, ambitions and concerns. For some, finances were central to the decision; for others, location or childcare mattered. Some needed clarity around eligibility, while others needed reassurance that the skills they had developed over many years outside education would be relevant in the classroom. These might sound like practical issues rather than questions of belonging, but they are closely connected. If the route into teaching doesn’t feel accessible within the reality of someone’s life, it becomes much harder for that person to imagine themselves succeeding within the profession.

This reinforced an important principle for me: we need to design with people, not simply for them. Inclusive recruitment starts with curiosity. It means asking candidates what they need, listening to the answers and being willing to adapt, rather than assuming that one intervention or one approach will work for everyone.

Career changers bring more than a career history

The pilot also reinforced for me the enormous potential of career changers. Someone who enters teaching later in life doesn’t arrive empty-handed; they bring years of experience, knowledge and skills that can enrich a school and, ultimately, the experiences of the children and young people within it. They may have led teams, managed complex projects, worked with communities, solved problems, communicated with different audiences, built businesses, worked across cultures or developed deep expertise in a particular field.

At the same time, changing career can mean feeling like an outsider. Career changers are entering a profession with its own language, structures, expectations and traditions, and they may have questions that someone coming directly from university doesn’t. They are also making a significant transition, often alongside financial, family and practical considerations that can make the decision to retrain feel particularly daunting.

That’s why I think we need to stop thinking about career changers simply as another recruitment pool. They are people bringing a wealth of experience into a new profession, and our role is not to lower the bar or remove the standards that make teaching a profession. It’s to make the route into teaching clear, navigable and supportive, while recognising the strengths that people already possess and helping them understand how those strengths can translate into the classroom.

Inclusion lives in the details

The pilot also changed how I think about inclusive recruitment. When we think about diversity and inclusion, we often think about big things: targeted campaigns, dedicated programmes, diversity strategies and new initiatives. These matter, but sometimes inclusion is much quieter and can be found in the details of someone’s experience.

It’s a prompt response to someone’s question. It’s explaining a process clearly and making someone feel comfortable enough to say, “I don’t understand this, can you help me?” It’s recognising that a candidate’s previous career is an asset rather than something they need to leave behind. It’s being flexible when someone’s circumstances require it and taking the time to understand the individual behind the application.

None of these things, in isolation, feels revolutionary. But together, they can fundamentally shape someone’s experience of entering a profession. They can determine whether someone feels that the system is working against them, or whether they feel that there are people within it who genuinely want to see them succeed.

And that’s where I think the connection between diversity and belonging becomes particularly important.

From representation to belonging

Increasing representation matters enormously. Children and young people deserve to see a teaching profession that reflects the diversity of the communities around them, while schools benefit from the breadth of experiences, perspectives and knowledge that a diverse workforce brings.

But representation is not the end point. We also need to think about what happens once people are through the door. Do they feel valued? Are their experiences recognised? Can they see opportunities to progress? Do they feel able to contribute their perspective? Most importantly, do they feel that they belong?

Recruitment can open the door, but belonging is what makes someone believe they can stay on the other side of it. This is why I think diversity and belonging need to be considered together. We cannot focus solely on changing who enters the profession without also thinking about the experience we create for those people once they arrive.

For me, this means that the goal of diversity recruitment shouldn’t simply be to increase the numbers. It should be to create a profession where people can see themselves, recognise the value of what they bring and believe they can thrive.

What I will take forward

When I began working on the Mission 44 pilot, I was focused primarily on recruitment: how could we reach the right people, encourage them to consider teaching and support them through the process and into teacher training? I still care deeply about those questions, but I finish the recruitment phase thinking about something broader: what does it take for someone to believe that they belong?

Sometimes it starts with seeing themselves represented. Sometimes it’s someone believing in their potential. Sometimes it’s a straightforward answer to a difficult question, or a system that is flexible enough to recognise that people arrive with different circumstances and different strengths. And sometimes, it’s simply another person saying, “You have something to offer here.”

That, for me, is the real opportunity within diverse recruitment. It’s not simply about increasing the numbers or meeting a target; it’s about widening the doorway into teaching and helping more people recognise that the experience they’ve accumulated throughout their lives can have a place in the classroom.

The Mission 44 recruitment phase may now be complete, but the questions it has raised will stay with me. If we want a teaching profession that better reflects the communities it serves, we need to think about the whole journey into teaching, not just how we get people through the door, but how we make them want to walk through it.

Because belonging doesn’t begin on a teacher’s first day in school. It begins much earlier – with the first moment someone starts to believe that there might be a place for them in the profession, and that sense of belonging can ultimately benefit countless pupils.

by Hannah Wilson

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