Unity at a Time of Polarisation
Written by Johnoi Josephs and Omena Osivwemu
Johnoi Josephs is an award-winning educator, mentor, and Assistant Principal in South London, co-founder of Black Men Teach, and a specialist in Student Climate and Culture whose work centres on representation, visibility, and creating environments where young people can truly thrive.
Omena Osivwemu is a Policy Officer specialising in Race Equality in Education for the largest education union, a freelance writer and speaker, and education and antiracism consultant. Formerly a Primary Teacher, Humanities Lead and School Governor, she has taught in Key Stage 1 and 2 across England and Spain. Currently, Omena works with a range of organisations, such as The Black Curriculum, Lit in Colour, BLAM UK, and BERA.
Political players who are stoking division, hate and fear across our nation and around the world, are better funded and more organised than we have seen in our lifetime. We are witnessing rising misinformation, conspiracy and hateful violence in society, which is bleeding into our schools and colleges. We must ensure classrooms are safe spaces for all pupils to develop historical understanding, critical thinking and media literacy. Classrooms should be the place where children and young people express their ideas, listen to others and develop their empathy and mutual respect- especially in disagreement. Thus, educators are called to be courageous and stand up against hate in all its forms- be it racism, Islamophobia, antisemitism, misogyny, transphobia and homophobia, or anti-migrant sentiments- because we need unity at a time of polarisation.
This was the theme for the NEU’s (National Education Union) annual Black Educators Conference 2025 (BEC), which unified over 600 Black and Global Majority heritage (GMH) educators together in Birmingham across a weekend in November.
“The best BEC I have attended!” (NEU member & teacher)
Attending BEC as a first-time delegate and workshop facilitator, I (Johnoi Josephs) found it an energising and grounding experience. The theme, Unity at a time of Polarisation, could not have been more fitting. What struck me was the collective understanding that meaningful change does not rest on the shoulders of a few. As the conference reminded us, it’s better when we all do a little something, than when some of us do a few things. That framing alone speaks directly to school leaders like myself, navigating increasingly complex educational landscapes.
Over the course of the weekend, we joined the charismatic Jeffrey Boakye on his journey from classroom teacher to widely recognised author and broadcaster. We learnt a thing or two from Dr Lesley Nelson-Addy’s edifying keynote exploring key research reports on issues of school exclusion, misogynoir and the Eurocentric curriculum (see Runnymede Trust’s reporting below).
Central to the conference was the plight of overseas trained/ migrant teachers, who are actively recruited in their home countries, often by large multi-academy chains, to plug the gaps of the teacher recruitment and retention crisis here in England. Yet, once recruited, these overseas trained colleagues receive little relocation support or induction, and are facing inequitable, exploitative pay and working conditions. (Read more here and here.)
BEC 2025 illuminated these issues and more, such as the stunted progression of Black and GMH teachers and long-overdue anti-racist curriculum reform. We explored legal, academic and lived-experience insights that challenge the systemic injustice and inequities facing migrant and racialised staff and pupils in our schools. Esteemed speakers included Professor Paul Miller, a leading voice in Black and migrant teacher experiences in the UK, and Rajiv Sharma, a Public Law Barrister specialising in Immigration and Asylum work. Equally, a selection of the many grassroots organisations doing the work in our schools, communities and institutions were a part of the conversation, including but not limited to, Nadine Bernard and Aspiring Heads, Leaders Like Us, Lit in Colour, The Black Curriculum, Black Men Teach, Justice 4 Windrush, Educate Against Islamophobia, Maslaha and more.
One of the most personally resonant moments came from Jeffrey Boakye’s reminder: “If we are not at the table, we are on the menu.” As a Black school leader, this landed heavily. BEC reminded me that leadership does not exclude us – school leaders – from our community. If anything, it calls us to be even more present. Our communities, our unions, our institutions are strengthened when we take our place within them.
What I appreciated most was being in a space that spoke directly to my visible intersectionality as a Black educator. The language, the framing, the unapologetic celebration of identity and contribution, these were affirmations I didn’t realise I needed. And beyond the sessions, the atmosphere mattered: the laughter, the connections and reconnections, the sense of shared purpose. The “vibes” were not incidental; they were part of the learning. They reminded me that remaining in this profession is not only a career decision, but also a duty of representation, community, and continuity.
Educators left with their commitment renewed, their belonging reinforced and a reminder that unified we are strong and can collectively push for change in education and beyond!
If you too want to unite our communities in love, hope and unity, join the Together Alliance and stand against those sowing division and hate.
Useful links & resources:
- Join the Together Alliance and stand in unity against the far-right.
- Black Men Teach programmes: teacher training, pupil mentorship and values development.
- The Anti-Racism Framework is free to download and supports educators and leaders to develop a whole-school anti-racism strategy.
- Thinking Beyond the Box: A collection of recommendations for change by Black researchers and practitioners.
- NEU’s model policy for Overseas Trained Teachers sets out a comprehensive framework covering ethical recruitment and relocation support to induction, pay, and progression.
- Lit in Colour: Free Teaching Resources KS1- 5.
- Runnymede Trust Report (2025) – History on loop: the sustained impact of school exclusions on Black communities.
- Runnymede Trust Report (2024) – Misogynoir in the Workplace: Understanding the Experiences of Black Women in Leadership Positions.
- Runnymede Trust & Lit in Colour Report (2021) – Lit In Colour: Diversity in Literature in English Schools.
Belonging, Empathy, and a Curriculum that Sees Every Child
Written by Chloe Watterston
Chloe is an educator, athlete, and advocate for inclusive, curiosity-driven learning, dedicated to creating spaces where every young person feels safe, valued, and empowered. Her work across mainstream and SEND education, community projects, and curriculum reform is driven by a passion for amplifying marginalised voices and breaking down barriers to learning.
Belonging is not a bonus; it is a basic human need. Students who feel unseen, misunderstood, or undervalued will never thrive, no matter how carefully a curriculum looks on paper. Too often, belonging is treated as an afterthought- diversity weeks, a handful of posters in corridors, or the occasional themed assembly. These gestures may be well-meaning, but they fall short. True belonging requires more than decoration. It demands integration, empathy, and truth-telling.
Empathy has been stripped from education by a Eurocentric curriculum. When children encounter only one narrative, their own reflected back endlessly, or someone else’s never shown, they are denied the chance to be curious about differences. This absence breeds prejudice, isolation, and a narrow sense of the world. Representation matters, but not as an add-on or a gesture. It matters because it reflects humanity in its full breadth.
Learning outcomes are directly shaped by belonging. Research shows that students who feel they belong are more likely to achieve academically, develop social intelligence, and build resilience. A school that makes children feel like outsiders, whether because of race, culture, gender identity, or ability, unintentionally closes doors. Belonging must be woven into the fabric of school life from the start, not treated as an optional extra. When it is cultivated intentionally, young people gain the freedom to be curious, to trust, and to empathise. Without it, they turn elsewhere for meaning- often online, where they encounter narrow and sometimes toxic narratives about themselves and others.
Our most powerful tool for building empathy is storytelling. Stories act as mirrors, windows, and sliding doors: mirrors so children see themselves reflected; windows so they can look into other lives; and doors so they can step into perspectives far from their own. When children never see themselves in a story, they are told- silently but forcefully- that they are invisible. When they never encounter differences, they are denied the chance to develop empathy. Books, films, oral histories, and local community stories should not be treated as extras outside the ‘real curriculum.’ They are the curriculum.
Narratives that exclude Black contributions to science, art, geography, and literature are not neutral; they are erasure. Inclusive education cannot be about “adding diversity” on top of a whitewashed foundation. It must be about truth-telling. Black histories should be present in every subject, in every classroom, and in everyday conversations. Integration often provokes discomfort, but discomfort is not failure. It is learning. A curriculum rooted in truth will not always feel comfortable, but it will always be necessary.
Grades, too, can be barriers to belonging. Exams reward memorisation under pressure, punishing those who do not thrive in such conditions. For many learners, especially those from marginalised groups, this reinforces inequity rather than reducing it. Success needs to be redefined. Coursework and project-based assessment can value creativity, local histories, and lived experiences. A ‘D grade’ (which, in modern terms, equates to a Grade 3) may reflect extraordinary resilience and achievement in context. True equity means measuring children not against a singular rubric, but against their own journeys.
In classrooms, empathy cannot be demanded without exposure to difference. Curiosity grows when children encounter diverse stories and have safe spaces to talk about identity, race, gender, and belonging. Teachers play a vital role here. Students learn not only from what is said, but from what is modelled. When teachers show curiosity, challenge harmful narratives, and treat difference as opportunity rather than threat, they teach children to do the same.
Next come the practical shifts. Local heroes and community changemakers can be celebrated so that children encounter role models on their own doorstep. Equity, diversity, and inclusion must be reviewed with the same seriousness as safeguarding or attainment. Schools can use existing frameworks, such as the Equality Act and the Gatsby Benchmarks, to embed equity into daily structures rather than treating it as an extra burden. Above all, as discussed, storytelling should sit at the heart of the curriculum across all subjects.
Generations of young people are growing up in a world of polarisation, online radicalisation, and systemic inequality. After years of austerity, many are absorbing harmful narratives from the sources they trust most. They deserve better. They deserve an education that reflects them rather than erases them, and teachers willing to model curiosity and courage. As an Anti-Racism in the Curriculum panellist put it: young people are themselves an oppressed group- no one knows what it is like to be a child in 2025 except the children of 2025. Schools must listen to them, reflect them, and prepare them not only for exams, but for life lived with empathy and justice.
Inherited histories remind us that the curriculum is not abstract. It is rooted in the cultures and communities that shape who we are. My poem (see my article next week) – captures this truth:
“For the ones who carry the world in their veins – and make this island beat.”
This is Britain: a mosaic of footsteps, flavours, languages, and inventions, built by travellers, migrants, and dreamers. It is not a fantasy of purity, but a reality of mixture and connection. A curriculum that denies this truth denies the very heartbeat of the nation.
Now education must prioritise empathy with the same seriousness it gives to literacy and numeracy. Belonging should be woven into every subject, student voice must be valued, and leaders held accountable for equity. Success must be redefined so that growth, creativity, and resilience stand alongside grades. Every child should be able to look at the curriculum and find themselves reflected in it, while also seeing and stepping into the lives of others.
Going forward, if we want to raise a generation capable of compassion, critical thinking, and courage, education must be transformed into a tool for connection, not division.
Belonging is the root. Empathy is the bridge. Truth is the curriculum.
What Makes People Stay Working in a School?
Written by Hannah Wilson
Founder and Director of the Belonging Effect (formerly Diverse Educators).
Schools are more than buildings where learning happens. They are communities shaped by the people who work within them. While recruitment is vital, the real measure of a successful school is not just who it attracts – but who it keeps. People stay in schools where they feel valued, supported, developed, and able to belong as their whole selves.
Creating this kind of environment requires intentional action across recruitment, development, and retention, underpinned by a commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and a genuine culture of belonging.
Recruitment: Attracting People Who Can Thrive
Recruitment is often the first experience someone has of a school’s culture. It sends a powerful message about who is welcome and who belongs.
Inclusive recruitment starts with equitable processes. Job descriptions that focus on essential skills rather than narrow experiences, transparent pay structures, and flexible working options all help to widen the pool of applicants. When schools actively challenge bias in recruitment – through diverse interview panels, structured questioning, and clear criteria – they create fairer opportunities and stronger teams.
Representation also matters. A diverse workforce brings broader perspectives, lived experiences, and role models for pupils. Schools that value diversity are clear about it in their recruitment messaging, policies, and practice – not as a tick-box exercise, but as a strength that enriches learning and working life for everyone.
Crucially, recruitment should be about values alignment, not conforming to fit in. People are more likely to stay when they are hired for who they are and what they bring, not for how closely they match a preconceived mould.
Development: Investing in People, Not Just Roles
People stay in schools where they can grow. Professional development is not simply about compliance or career progression – it is about feeling invested in and trusted.
High-quality development opportunities should be accessible and equitable. This means ensuring that part-time staff, support staff, early career colleagues, and those from underrepresented groups all have access to meaningful training, mentoring, and leadership pathways. When development is uneven, so too is retention.
An inclusive approach to development recognises that people learn and progress differently. Coaching, peer collaboration, reflective practice, and flexible CPD pathways allow individuals to build confidence and capability in ways that suit their needs and aspirations.
Development also includes emotional and professional support. Schools are demanding environments, and staff wellbeing matters. Leaders who prioritise workload management, psychological safety, and open communication create spaces where people feel able to ask questions, make mistakes, and learn – key ingredients for long-term commitment.
Retention: Creating Reasons to Stay
Retention is not achieved through loyalty alone; it is earned through daily experiences.
People stay in schools where they feel respected and heard. Inclusive workplaces actively seek staff voice, involve colleagues in decision-making, and respond thoughtfully to feedback. When people believe their perspectives matter, they are more likely to remain engaged and committed.
Equitable processes play a critical role in retention. Fair appraisal systems, transparent progression routes, and consistent approaches to performance management build trust. When staff see fairness in how decisions are made – about opportunities, recognition, or challenge – they are more likely to feel secure and valued.
Belonging is perhaps the most powerful factor of all. A culture of belonging goes beyond diversity policies; it is felt in everyday interactions. It shows up in how meetings are run, how differences are respected, how conflict is handled, and how success is celebrated. Belonging means people do not feel they have to hide parts of themselves to succeed.
Leadership and Culture: The Thread That Connects It All
Leadership is the golden thread running through recruitment, development, and retention. Inclusive leadership is intentional, reflective, and values-driven. It recognises power, challenges inequity, and models behaviours that others can trust.
Leaders set the tone for whether a school is a place people endure or a place they choose to stay. When leaders demonstrate empathy, fairness, and accountability, they help create a culture where people feel safe, motivated, and proud to work.
Importantly, inclusion and belonging are not static goals. They require ongoing learning, honest conversations, and a willingness to adapt. Schools that embrace this journey openly send a clear message: everyone matters here.
A School People Want to Stay In
People stay working in schools where they feel connected to purpose, supported in practice, and recognised as individuals. When recruitment is inclusive, development is equitable, and retention is driven by belonging, schools become places where staff can flourish – professionally and personally.
In building diverse teams, inclusive workplaces, and fair systems, schools do more than retain staff. They create communities that reflect the values they aim to instil in their pupils: respect, opportunity, and belonging for all.
Creating Psychological Safety in Schools: Building Trust for Pupils, Staff, and Parents
Written by Hannah Wilson
Founder and Director of the Belonging Effect (formerly Diverse Educators).
In a world that is constantly changing, schools are being asked to do more than ever before. They are not just places of learning, but communities where young people grow, adults work, and families connect. Yet one essential ingredient often gets overlooked: psychological safety – the sense that it is safe to speak up, make mistakes, ask questions, and be yourself without fear of ridicule or punishment.
Coined by Harvard researcher Amy Edmondson, the term “psychological safety” refers to an environment where people feel respected, included, and confident that their voices matter. While the concept emerged from studies of workplace teams, its relevance to education is profound. Schools that nurture psychological safety for pupils, staff, and parents create the conditions for deeper learning, stronger relationships, and healthier wellbeing across the community.
Psychological Safety for Pupils: A Foundation for Learning
For pupils, learning inherently involves risk – the risk of being wrong, of not understanding, of standing out. When students feel unsafe to fail or to speak up, they disengage, hide their struggles, or act out. When they feel safe, they take intellectual risks, collaborate, and grow.
How schools can build it:
- Normalise mistakes as part of learning: Teachers who model vulnerability (“I don’t know the answer – let’s find out together”) show that uncertainty is not weakness, but curiosity in action.
- Encourage voice and choice: Giving pupils real opportunities to influence classroom norms, projects, or school decisions signals respect for their perspective.
- Respond to behaviour with empathy: Instead of “What’s wrong with you?”, try “What’s happened for you?”. Trauma-informed approaches remind students that they are seen and supported, not judged.
- Celebrate diverse identities and stories: Representation in curriculum, displays, and classroom discussions communicates that every background and identity belongs.
When pupils feel safe, they do not just learn better – they thrive. They are more resilient, more engaged, and more able to take the healthy risks that learning demands.
Psychological Safety for Staff: The Heart of a Healthy School Culture
Teachers and school staff are the emotional climate-makers of a school. Yet education can be high-pressure, high-stakes, and emotionally demanding. When staff feel psychologically unsafe – afraid to admit mistakes, speak up about workload, or try new approaches – creativity and wellbeing suffer.
Building safety for staff means:
- Leadership that listens: School leaders set the tone by asking for honest feedback and responding constructively. Phrases like “What do you need?” or “What would make this better for you?” open doors.
- Permission to be human: Staff who can talk openly about stress, uncertainty, or failure model the same authenticity we want for students.
- Collaborative problem-solving: Rather than top-down directives, invite co-creation. Involve staff in shaping policies, curriculum, and wellbeing initiatives.
- Psychological safety in meetings: Encourage questions and divergent views without fear of reprisal. Recognise contributions and credit effort, not just outcomes.
A psychologically safe staff culture fuels innovation, trust, and retention. As one teacher put it: “When I know I am trusted, that I can speak honestly and still be respected, I do my best work.”
Psychological Safety for Parents and Carers: Strengthening the School-Home Partnership
Parents and carers are essential partners in children’s education. But they too need to feel that they can approach the school without fear of judgment or dismissal. When parents feel psychologically unsafe – worried they will be labelled as “difficult” or “uninvolved” – communication breaks down, and pupils lose out.
Ways to build parental safety:
- Welcome curiosity, not compliance: Encourage questions and conversations rather than expecting silent agreement.
- Make communication two-way: Use surveys, listening sessions, or informal coffee mornings where parents can speak freely.
- Acknowledge emotions: School issues can trigger strong feelings – about fairness, inclusion, or a child’s needs. A calm, empathic response goes a long way: “I can see this matters to you; let’s explore it together.”
- Be transparent: Clear explanations of decisions, policies, and next steps reduce uncertainty and build trust.
When parents feel valued as partners rather than judged as outsiders, collaboration deepens – and the child benefits most.
Practical Strategies for a Whole-School Approach
Creating psychological safety isn’t a one-off initiative – it is a cultural commitment. Here are some practical steps schools can take to embed it across the community:
- Set shared values and norms: Make “respect”, “listening”, and “learning from mistakes” explicit cultural pillars.
- Model it from the top: Leaders who admit their own learning moments signal that vulnerability is safe.
- Train for empathy and communication: Provide staff development on trauma-informed practice, restorative conversations, and active listening.
- Measure what matters: Use anonymous surveys or student voice groups to gauge how safe people feel – and act on the findings.
- Create visible reminders: Displays or messages around the school that celebrate kindness, courage, and belonging reinforce the norm.
The Payoff: Belonging, Growth, and Flourishing
When psychological safety is strong, schools transform. Pupils engage more deeply. Staff collaborate more freely. Parents and carers trust more fully. Challenges still arise – but they are faced with honesty and compassion, not fear or blame.
At its heart, psychological safety is about human connection. It is about creating the kind of school where everyone – whether they are five or fifty – feels that they matter, that their voice counts, and that they can grow without fear.
As one headteacher put it:
“We can’t expect children to take learning risks if the adults around them aren’t allowed to take emotional ones.”
So let’s build schools, colleges and trusts where everyone can speak up, be heard, and belong. Creating psychological safety is not a luxury – it is the foundation of a thriving school. When we get it right – for pupils, staff, and parents/ carers – trust, wellbeing and learning all manifest and become embedded in the culture.
Sanctuaries of Inclusion & Incubators of Innovation!
Written by Laura McPhee
Laura McPhee is Director of Education at University Schools Trust. Prior to this, Laura was an experienced headteacher. She has a proven track record of leading transformational change management and successful school improvement journeys across London. Laura is a facilitator for the National Professional Qualification facilitator for Headship (NPQH) and a School Improvement consultant. She holds a number of trustee positions and enjoys guest lecturing for ITT courses. She is the author of 'Empowering Teachers, Improving Schools: Belonging, Psychological Safety & School Improvement' and a co-author of 'Tackling Poverty and Disadvantage in Schools.'
I’m sitting at the back of the teacher training induction session, pretending to read the welcome pack, when a large imposing figure appears at the front. He thanks us all for coming and quickly moves on to a lengthy monologue, warning us of the perils that lie ahead. He informs us in no uncertain terms, that training to be a teacher will be the most challenging thing we’ll ever have to do.
‘Hmmm. Doubt that. I’ve beaten cancer twice,’ says a jolly voice next to me, beaming.
I’ve been hiding in the back row with the other ‘mature’ students – who, as it turns out, are not so mature after all. The beaming voice is Kate, who like me, has a healthy disregard for rules. We become fast friends and slope off for coffee.
But the introductory ‘talk’, with hints of a dark reckoning, is still ringing in my ear. I thought this was the beginning of a new adventure, so why did it already feel like a zero-sum game?
I was yet to realise that the well-meaning individual, terrifying us all into submission that day, was in fact preparing us for the high stakes career that lay ahead.
As educators, we champion accountability. But accountability in the absence of psychological safety, can stifle innovation, limit progress and encourage poor behaviours.
I was lucky. I was a quick learner and, for the most part I was surrounded by exceptional teams and leaders who were extraordinarily generous with their expertise and professional support. But that hasn’t always been the case.
The evidence base suggests I’m not alone.
I would bet my mortgage that you, or someone you know, has at one time or another been worried about expressing their opinion at work for fear of reprisal. Perhaps you’ve thought twice about sharing a concern or idea? Or were afraid to ask a question? Maybe you’ve faced unfair criticism, chastisement or social exclusion.
Perhaps you’ve had to battle systemic barriers in the workplace?
The sector at large has been impacted. In a profession that is high stakes, a lack of psychological safety has, at times, resulted in exclusionary practice. This is amplified when weak education policy creates perverse incentives. For example, through ‘off – rolling’ or exclusionary practice around admissions.
We’re also seeing a direct correlation between staff engagement and pupil engagement. Unsurprisingly, when staff feel trusted, purposeful and supported. So do pupils.
However, research shows that our sense of belonging isn’t evenly distributed, with disadvantaged pupils and Black pupils reporting significantly lower levels of inclusivity. (Jerrim, 2025).
There’s much debate across the sector about what it means to belong, yet too often a crucial part of the conversation is overlooked. Psychological safety is the missing part of the puzzle for many pupils, parents and educators.
Professor of leadership and management, Amy Edmonson describes psychological safety as the ability to share concerns, ask questions and provide supportive challenge, without fear of reprisal.
Let’s be clear, this is a well-researched field, with a robust evidence base that points to the benefits of psychological safety across industries.
Research shows that organisations with the highest levels of psychological safety are more resilient and innovative. They perform better than others.
When we remember we’re people first, professionals second; we can connect the dots. Higher levels of psychological safety positively impact staff retention and productivity.
Remarkably, there’s very little information for school leaders about how to practically apply the principles of psychological safety. And yet, there has never been a more urgent need to consider the psychological safety and belonging for staff and pupils.
Hence my research in this area was borne out of personal and professional frustration…
Whilst cross-referencing the evidence base, with qualitative data from schools and universities nationally that have strong cultures, recurring themes began to emerge. This took the form of 10 pillars, or areas of school strategy that we want to ensure are underpinned by psychological safety to foster inclusivity:
- Leading with purpose
- Creating a culture of belonging
- Cognitive diversity
- Learning from failure
- Professional Development
- Coaching and Mentoring
- Distributed leadership
- Flexible working
- Innovation
- Place-based support for the community.
I’ll be using this blog to explore these 10 pillars; sharing research, evidence informed practice and case studies that exemplify psychological safety in schools for staff, pupils and the wider school community.
Frameworks for implementation:
Typically practitioners engaged in developing psychologically safe environments are signposted to Dr. Timothy Clark’s, 4 stages of psychological safety:
- Stage 1 – INCLUSION SAFETY: feels included and part of a team
- Stage 2 – LEARNER SAFETY: safe to learn and ask questions
- Stage 3 – CONTRIBUTOR SAFETY: safe to contribute and share ideas
- Stage 4 – CHALLENGER SAFETY: safe to contribute and challenge the status quo
Whilst this model prompts some useful thinking, it’s not without its challenges. We know from our own experience that progress is rarely linear! However, we could be forgiven for interpreting this framework as though we should be smoothly transitioning from one stage to the next. In reality there may be very good reasons why teams or individuals stall or need to revisit key principles to deepen their understanding. Of course, it’s also quite possible for team members to be moving at a different pace.
We know that too often underrepresented groups are required to carry out their roles in workplaces that are not inclusive or reflect the systemic barriers that exist in wider society. Yet these colleagues still need to move beyond stage 1 to find agency and autonomy.
For this reason, many practitioners have embraced Amy Edmonson’s 4 Domains of Psychological Safety as outlined in ‘The Fearless Organization Scan’:
- Attitude to failure and risk
- Inclusion and diversity
- Open conversation
- Willingness to help
This model reminds us to keep all four domains in mind when cultivating psychological safety. We can see how these domains are intrinsically linked and interdependent.
What might success look like if we’re brave enough to hold ‘open conversation’ and become ‘willing to help’? How can this approach drive more impactful solutions and tangible outcomes when it comes to inclusion?
Furthermore, we know that when it comes to psychological safety, the work is never done. Rather it is constantly evolving. It’s dynamic and shifts based on each new interaction and or shared experience…
“Psychological safety creates sanctuaries of inclusion and incubators of innovation.”
Dr. Timothy Clark
When 'Belonging' Replaces 'Equity': The Silence of White Male Educators
Written by Hannah Wilson
Founder and Director of the Belonging Effect (formerly Diverse Educators).
Across schools, colleges and trusts, a quiet linguistic shift has taken root. Many white male educators – often in leadership roles, often well-meaning – are talking less about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and more about belonging. At first, it sounds like progress. Who could possibly argue with belonging? It’s warm, inclusive, even healing.
But beneath that linguistic comfort lies something more complicated. When white male educators embrace “belonging” while sidestepping conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion, they risk participating in a subtle but powerful form of avoidance – one that centres comfort over accountability, and cohesion over justice.
The Appeal of ‘Belonging’
There’s no denying the emotional resonance of belonging. Everyone wants to feel seen, valued, and part of a community. The word signals care and connection – qualities deeply needed in our schools.
Yet belonging, in its current popular use, carries a kind of neutrality that makes it especially attractive to those uncomfortable with conversations about race, power, and privilege. It sounds universal and non-political. It doesn’t demand that we ask who has been excluded, whose histories have been erased, or whose comfort is prioritized.
For many white male educators, “belonging” feels like safer ground. It lets them express empathy without stepping into the uneasy territory of systemic inequity. It invites community-building without requiring structural change.
But that safety is precisely the problem.
What Gets Lost When We Skip DEI
Belonging, when untethered from the work of diversity, equity, and inclusion, risks becoming a hollow promise. It shifts the focus from systems to feelings – from justice to comfort.
- Diversity asks: Who is here? Who is missing?
- Equity asks: Who has access to opportunity and resources? Who are the gatekeepers?
- Inclusion asks: Whose voices shape our culture and decisions? Who is being silenced?
- Belonging, in its best form, should ask: How do we ensure everyone feels valued within equitable systems?
But too often, belonging is invoked instead of those questions, not because of them. It becomes a way to soothe rather than to solve – a way to look caring without confronting the root causes of exclusion.
In that sense, “belonging” can function as the linguistic comfort food of educational leadership: it fills us up emotionally but leaves the deeper hunger for justice untouched. In other words, it is a plaster on a problem, the problem just becomes hidden.
The Silence of Power
Language choices are never neutral, especially when made by those in positions of authority. White male educators still hold disproportionate power in most educational spaces – whether as principals, governors, professors, or thought leaders. Their voices shape what counts as acceptable discourse.
When those voices go quiet around diversity, equity, and inclusion, the silence speaks volumes. It signals to colleagues and students that DEI is passé, divisive, or optional. It allows institutions to drift away from equity work under the comforting banner of belonging.
And when belonging becomes the new vocabulary of leadership, it risks recentring white male experience – transforming a call for justice into a call for harmony, where discomfort is avoided rather than embraced as part of growth.
This silence doesn’t just maintain the status quo; it legitimises it. It says, “We care, but not enough to change.”
The Cost of Comfort
The consequences of this linguistic shift are real.
- DEI initiatives lose funding or visibility because “we’re focusing on belonging now.”
- Educators of colour are asked to “bring everyone together” instead of naming inequity.
- Students from marginalised backgrounds hear that they “belong,” but still experience microaggressions, biased pedagogy, and uneven discipline.
The rhetoric of belonging, when detached from diversity and equity, offers inclusion without transformation. It becomes a story we tell ourselves about progress, even as the systems of inequity remain intact.
True belonging is not created through slogans, surveys, or drop down days. It grows when power is redistributed, voices long ignored are amplified, and systems are redesigned to ensure fairness. Without that foundation, belonging is little more than an emotional gloss over structural inequity (or some pretty icing on some stale cake).
A Call Back to Courage
None of this is to say that belonging doesn’t matter. It matters deeply. But belonging must be built on top of equity, not in place of it.
White male educators, in particular, have a responsibility to stay in the discomfort – to speak not just about togetherness, but about justice. Silence is not neutrality; it is complicity. And shifting the language without shifting the practice is not progress – it’s retreat.
Belonging that is worth having will always be born from honesty, from the willingness to look directly at inequity and to act against it. It requires courage, humility, and a refusal to choose comfort over truth.
A Final Thought
If we are serious about belonging, then we must be serious about diversity, equity, and inclusion. Because real belonging does not come from soft language – it comes from hard work.
Belonging without equity is not inclusion.
It’s avoidance dressed as empathy.
The challenge for white male educators – and indeed, for all of us – is to ensure that our words do not outpace our courage.
Thus, we must become more conscious of who we are when we are doing DEIB work, we must be confident we are tackling problems and not causing further harm, we must be competent in navigating each layer of our workplace culture as belonging is only surfaced when diversity, equity and inclusion are established and embedded in the foundations.
Defying Gravity: The Moral and Systemic Corruption of the UK - A Wicked Retrospective
Written by Adrian McLean
Ambassador of Character, Executive Headteacher, TEDx Speaker, BE Associate Trainer & Coach, Governors for Schools Trustee, Positive Disruptor
My family and I were like most people across the country. We had been waiting for the new Wicked film to drop. We booked release day and went in ready for the spectacle. The film delivered what we expected: strong performances, sharp visuals and a story that still hits. But I walked out thinking about something else entirely. Beneath the entertainment sat a message about power, belonging and corruption that felt uncomfortably close to home. That is what pushed me to write this piece.
Wicked lands because it shows how fear, pressure and status can twist people who start with decent intentions. You watch two leaders take different paths, both shaped by the same system that rewards silence and punishes dissent. That world is fiction, but the pattern matches the UK’s struggle with Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB). When a system prizes comfort over justice, virtues start to warp into vices and inequality becomes normal.
The Emerald City and the Illusion of UK Stability
Elphaba is excluded from the start. Her difference becomes a tool for control. The Wizard turns that fear into policy by stripping the animals of their rights. Oz calls itself prosperous, but the shine hides a rotten core.
The UK does the same. The claim of stability masks persistent, recorded inequities. Black Caribbean pupils are still excluded from school at far higher rates than White British pupils, which fuels the Schools to Prison Pipeline. Minority ethnic jobseekers continue to submit far more applications for the same employer interest. Data from the Social Metrics Commission shows Black and minority ethnic people are more than twice as likely to experience relative poverty and face higher exposure to fuel and food insecurity. None of this is new. It is repeated in every major review that looks at structural inequality.
The pattern is simple. Exclusion begins with a label, then becomes a story, then becomes a policy. When a state or organisation frames a group as a threat to stability, belonging becomes conditional and rights become flexible. Oz had the silencing of the animals. We have exclusions, unequal labour market outcomes and cost of living impacts that fall hardest on the same groups every time.
Virtues Turned into Vices
Wicked shows that the Wizard’s regime survives because people with influence let their virtues bend under pressure. They do not wake up intending to harm anyone, they drift into it.
Glinda thrives because she is charming and quick to connect. Her core virtue is affability. She wants harmony, status and approval. Under pressure, this slides into moral silence. She denies Elphaba to keep her place in the system and tells herself that compromise keeps things stable.
The UK has Glindas’ in politics, business and education. These are the institutional centrists who talk about fairness without taking risks that would cost them capital or access. They avoid reforms that would unsettle sponsors, investors or senior colleagues. When DEIB becomes politically inconvenient, they retreat. Their instinct for consensus turns into complacency and the result is stalled progress.
Elphaba’s driving virtue is conviction. She sees injustice and refuses to look away. She fights for the animals when no one else will. Under pressure, this hardens into isolation. She stops listening and her stance becomes so rigid that her allies shrink back. The regime uses that isolation to paint her as the problem.
The UK has Elphabas in social movements, school leadership and community activism. They push equity forward when institutions resist. The risk is that their conviction becomes inflexible. When leaders hold the line alone, they become easy to discredit. They get written off as difficult, extreme or disruptive, even when their claims are evidence backed.
The Wizard builds his authority by shaping the story people live inside. He presents order, progress and unity. Behind the curtain is manipulation and fear. His virtue is charisma coupled with organisational skill. Under pressure, this becomes populism. He manufactures enemies to distract from his failures.
The UK has seen its own operators of conformity. The rise of symbolic politics is one example. The volume of flags, organisational figureheads and public posturing has increased while pay gaps, attainment gaps and poverty rates keep widening. It is easier to demand visible allegiance than to fix structural problems.
A core tactic in this pattern is the creation of a convenient scapegoat. In Wicked, the Wizard convinces the public that Elphaba is responsible for every disruption in Oz. The accuracy of the claim is irrelevant. The story does the work. Parts of UK discourse follow the same script when complex economic pressures are reduced to a simple claim that immigrants are the cause of national strain. This persists even when economic data shows that immigration contributes net labour, tax revenue and essential workforce capacity. The point is not evidence. The point is to give the public a target that keeps attention away from systemic failure. When critics raise equity issues, they are dismissed as divisive or ideological. This mirrors the way the Wizard and Madame Morrible brand Elphaba as wicked to steer attention away from his regime.
Defying the Wizard: finding the mean
Elphaba’s turning point comes when she stops running and confronts the system head-on. She rejects the false choice between silence and isolation. She does not become Glinda. She does not become a fanatic. She chooses the difficult mean between the two.
The UK needs the same shift. Our current system rewards leaders who avoid conflict or leaders who burn out fighting it alone. We need leaders who will act before the next inquiry or crisis forces their hand. That requires policy choices that tackle the structural inequities we keep measuring but rarely fix.
Three moves that will help to shift the system.
- Mandatory and enforced pay transparency
Ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting should match the current gender reporting model with annual publication and mandatory action plans. This exposes the blocks that keep certain groups stuck at the bottom of organisational hierarchies. When data is public, silence becomes harder and accountability becomes real. This cuts off the pattern where affability turns into complacency. - De-biasing the talent pipeline
Hiring and promotion systems need unbiased review at the early stages and consistent scoring frameworks at later stages. Several public bodies and trusts have already piloted these methods with measurable gains in fairness and diversity. The point is not ideology. It is basic organisational integrity. Merit cannot be judged if bias enters the process before talent is seen. This stops conviction from becoming isolated because people no longer have to fight as lone moral actors to access opportunity. - Anchoring belonging in policy
Belonging cannot remain an aspiration or marketing phrase. It needs to sit inside the cost of living strategy, local authority funding decisions and NHS workforce plans. Policies should undergo Equality Impact Assessments (EIA) that account for race, disability, gender and income as a minimum. The data already exists. The gap is political will. Without structural safeguards, the same groups get hit first every time the economy tightens.
The most potent lesson from Wicked is that silence and fear serve the powerful. Until the core structure of the UK (Emerald City) is challenged, the wicked labels, the resulting inequalities and the denial of Belonging will persist.
Call to Action
Belonging will not grow by itself. It grows when people stop accepting shortcuts, scapegoats and silence.
- Challenge claims that have no evidence. Look at the data, not the headline.
- Ask leaders for the numbers behind their decisions and push for policies that close gaps rather than mask them.
- In workplaces, demand transparent reporting, fair recruitment and consistent standards.
- Back colleagues who raise equity issues instead of leaving them exposed.
These steps are not dramatic, but they are the ones that stop a society falling for the Wizard’s story and start shifting it toward something fairer.
#RENDBristol - a day of hope, connectivity and solidarity.
Written by Hannah Wilson
Founder and Director of the Belonging Effect (formerly Diverse Educators).
Another Saturday… another grassroots event… this time I co-organised and co-hosted the inaugural #REND event in Bristol.
My friends and family who are not in education do not get it – ‘Why do you work on Saturdays Hannah?’ I get asked regularly when challenged about my work life balance. My reply is often the same – it does not feel like work when it is driven by purpose and passion. And the work is too important and too urgent – how else would we get 100 people together to talk about racial equity?
So when Domini and Rahima reached out to me in early June and asked me to join them in co-organising the first REND event in the SW, my answer was a firm yes. Having attended multiple #REND events in Luton, Birmingham and London, it was great to be holding one closer to my home in Bath. As a friend of Sufian and a supporter of Chiltern Learning Trust I wanted to help them mobilise the movement to other parts of the country to help spread the word.
Brought up in North Devon, I also always love delivering DEIB training and supporting educational organisations in the South West with their DEIB strategy. When we talk about legacy, my hopes are to grow consciousness, confidence and competence in DEIB matters in the less diverse parts of the country. We all know that the shires and the white-majority parts of the country need these events and these conversations as much as the cities and the more diverse parts of the country.
Once we got the green light from Sufian to start planning we began to plan the event. Having all attended the black-tie Friday night events we wanted to disrupt things and try a different model to make it more inclusive and more accessible to attend. So we decided to pilot a lunchtime event instead. Furthermore, instead of a dress-up event and a formal meal we went for a more casual affair and a DIY approach. We realised quite quickly how much work we were taking on so we reached out to Tanisha to join the organising team. A big thank you from all of us to Jo and the team at Cotham School for generously hosting us and for so many of the staff who rolled up their sleeves at the event.
Our approach thus meant that we did not need to secure large sponsors – we wanted the event to be grassroots and we were keen to elevate the small orgs, charities/ CICs and individuals doing the work in our region – hence we built a marketplace into the event flow. A massive thank you to our exhibitors who supported the event: Belonging Effect, Cabot Learning Federation, Courageous Leadership, HGS Education Ltd, Jigsaw Education Group, PGS Educators, SARI, Somerset Research School , South Gloucestershire Race Equality Network and Teacheroo.
Curating the line-up of speakers – we were committed to amplifying a local headteacher, a regional academic, best practice from Wales alongside national thought leaders, role models and researchers. We mapped out how many speakers we could fit into the schedule and landed on part 1 with 3 speakers before our Caribbean lunch and part 2 with 3 more speakers post-lunch. We have so much appreciation for our speakers for the work they do, for travelling to join us on a weekend and for speaking for free: Canon David Hermitt, Del Planter, Diana Osagie, Lilian Martin, Dr Marie-Annick Gournet and Sufian Sadiq. (For reference the slide deck from the main hall is here).
With all of the details confirmed we then began to market the event on our socials and across our networks. Our call to action was simple: “Following on from the sell out Racial Equity: Network Dinners launched by Chiltern Teaching School and continued around the country we are delighted to announce the arrival of the event in Bristol. The Racial Equity: Network Dinner is an opportunity for people across the education sector who share and appreciate the importance of racial equity, to come together to celebrate, network and enjoy a delicious meal”.
Our target was to bring 100 people together for our first event and we were only a few people shy on the day – our challenge now is to get everyone to return to our next event and bring someone with them who needs to be in the room to hear the messages that were shared.
The day was a whirlwind: from blowing up balloons, to laying the tables, serving the food, to greeting our speakers and holding space for our guests – the time disappeared quickly. It was brilliant to see so many familiar faces in the room, to meet virtual connections in person and to connect with new people from the area who are committed to making educational space more inclusive, more representative and ultimately safer for our global majority communities and colleagues.
Thank you for the positive feedback we have already received:
- Fern Hughes: “With 100 brilliant attendees, the room was full of purpose, passion and powerful conversation. Networking and connecting with so many inspiring people working across education — a sector close to my heart — made the day even more meaningful”.
- Adrian McLean:“#REND Bristol did things in style! Expertly arranged by Domini Choudhury Tanisha Hicks-Beresford Rahima Khatun-Malik & Hannah Wilson – we left with full hearts and a full belly!”
- David Stewart: “I’m not one for networking events. I find them superficial, surface-level, and inauthentic. But today completely changed that. Today I was invited to the REND Bristol event — the passion, authenticity, and energy brought by the exhibitors, guest speakers, and organisers was outstanding. Conversations were deep and particularly meaningful. Every speaker shared their story with pride and optimism for the future, and the organisers made the entire day run seamlessly”.
- Saima Akhtar: “Race equity work in education is not just important, it is transformative. It shapes futures, dismantles barriers, and creates spaces where every learner can thrive. As educators and advocates, we carry a profound responsibility to drive this work forward with urgency and courage. The progress we make today will define the opportunities of tomorrow. The conversations and energy in this space never fail to inspire me, but today, thanks to REND, I feel like my inspiration has had an energy drink! Let’s keep pushing boundaries, challenging norms, and ensuring that equity is not just a vision but a lived reality for every child”.
So what’s next?
If you attended we would love to hear your feedback – including what worked and what we can improve at a future event – please do complete the feedback form: REND Bristol Saturday 22 Nov 2025 feedback. Domini, Rahima, Tanisha and I are then meeting next weekend to review the event and the feedback to confirm our next steps as we want to keep the connections, the conversations and the momentum going.
In the meanwhile, you can join the conversation on LinkedIn – we have a #REND networking group here and we have collated all of the #RENDBristol reflection posts here. If you are not on Linkedin then you can join our private community space on Mighty Networks and find the #REND community group here.
We have also created a page on the Belonging Effect’s website for more information about #REND events around the country (it will be updated over the coming weeks). Ann, who joined us as a delegate in Bristol, is hosting #RENDLondon on Friday 12th December – you can book a ticket here.
For people who live and work in Bristol, we would love to see you at our #DiverseEd Hub – Tanisha and I host it at the Bristol Cathedral School each half-term, our next meet up is after school on Wednesday 3rd December.
When I relocated to Bath in 2023, we hosted a #DiverseEd event at Bridge Learning Campus in Bristol. We are delighted to be hosting our next regional #DiverseEd event at IKB Academy in Keynsham on June 13th. Get in touch if you would like to exhibit/ facilitate a session – the line-up will be confirmed in the new year.
Some final signposting:
- I chatted to a few people about Black Men Teach, you can find them and 200+ other orgs supporting schools, colleges and trusts in our DEIB Directory.
- We would love to publish some more blogs reflecting on the themes from the event, please email me with any submissions.
- Hopefully you got to say hello to Adele from Teacheroo – we collaborate on a jobs board with them to connect diverse educators with settings who are committed to the work. We host free adverts for vacancies for ITTE, DEIB / anti-racist leaders and for governors/ trustees – do get in touch if we can help you promote career development opportunities with our network.
Thank you to everyone who attended and supported #RENDBristol – we look forward to sending out more follow up information and opportunities from our speakers and exhibitors from this event and to reconnecting soon.
A Safe, Professional DEIB Network for Educators
Written by Jo Brassington
Jo Brassington (they/them) is a former primary school teacher, the co-founder of Pride & Progress, and the co-author of Pride & Progress: Making Schools LGBT+ Inclusive Spaces. They work with schools, universities, and charities primarily around LGBT+ inclusion, trans awareness, and children's mental health.
In the first year of my teaching career, my mentors and school leaders gave me lots of great advice as a new, early career teacher. One suggestion in particular confused me at the time, but went on to have a huge, positive impact on both my teaching practice and my career.
During an early-morning chat, my headteacher told me I should join Twitter. I’d used Twitter before, but never in a way that could support me professionally. I was sceptical at first, but about a week later, sitting alone in my classroom after school, I downloaded the app and made myself a new account.
In the weeks that followed, I began connecting with other educators on “teacher Twitter” and slowly built a network. Very quickly, I understood why my headteacher had recommended it. Back then, Twitter was an engaged and empowering space for teachers. You could find educators interested in the same aspects of teaching as you, share resources and ideas, ask questions, exchange advice, and genuinely become better educators together. It felt like a huge, supportive staffroom online – somewhere safe, generous, and collaborative. I learned so much from the people I met there, and that network made me a better, more informed teacher.
When I look back at my career, so many of the things I’m most proud of can be traced back to that space. I became a better teacher through connecting with people like Becky Carlzon on Twitter. I started Pride & Progress with my colleague Adam, who I met on Twitter. And now I’m a Lead Associate for Belonging Effect—another connection first made (you guessed it) on Twitter.
Twitter for teachers was brilliant… until it wasn’t. I don’t need to document the downfall of the digital town square—chances are you witnessed it yourself, or read about it in the news. The platform doesn’t exist under the same name anymore, and neither do the positive values I’ve described. Like many teachers, I eventually deleted my account. It became a space filled with hostility, and it was no longer a safe space for meaningful conversations about diversity.
Losing that vibrant professional community has been a real loss. I tried moving to other platforms, but nothing felt the same. And I’ve had countless conversations with teachers who, like me, are still missing that engaged, supportive online staffroom.
Aware of this gap, we at Belonging Effect have been working to co-create a solution. A while ago, we opened a network space on Mighty Networks under our previous name, ‘Diverse Educators’. Mighty Networks allows you to build your own networking space, shape it for the needs of your community, and most importantly – keep it safe. Following our rebrand earlier this year, we’re now working to re-energise that space.
The Belonging Effect Network is a safe, professional networking space for those working in education to connect and discuss Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging. It’s a closed network, and new members answer a few questions before joining – this helps keep the space safe for our community. Through the app or web-browser, you can access what looks like its own social networking space. Inside, you’ll find blogs, books, resources, events, and identity-based networks to support different communities. Our hope is that this becomes the supportive online staffroom so many of us have been missing—but it will only thrive if the community is active and engaged.
If you’d like to help us rebuild the kind of professional networking space that teachers need – and if you’re looking for a supportive, values-led network yourself – then join the Belonging Effect Network today. You can find out more and sign up here. Better still, invite colleagues who you think might be interested by sending them this blog.
We hope to see you in the Belonging Effect Network soon.
Unsettling Deficit Narratives: Race, Identity and Belonging in English Schools
Written by John Doyle
I am a PhD candidate in Sociology at Sheffield Hallam University, having previously conducted research with the Roma-Slovak community entitled 'So much to offer: an exploration of learning and cultural wealth with Roma-Slovak post-16 students'. I have had a career in the public sector, including education, and I am committed to inclusion and a strengths-based approach for all students.
Last week, the final report of the Francis Review was released, promising to address diversity in teaching, curriculum and assessment. The report is comprehensive, and it reinforces the principle that the national curriculum must reflect the diversity of modern Britain. Crucially, it says diversity in the curriculum is not an optional enhancement.
But the report is advisory, and we need evidence that the Department for Education will act on these recommendations.
Two days after reading the report, I attended the Belonging Effect (formerly Diverse Educators) one-day event and was inspired by all the presenters who demonstrated the breadth and depth of thinking and practical ways forward to address diversity and equity in education. If we are to enable more children to see themselves in the curriculum, we need the insights and expertise of these presenters and other activists to inform educational development at national and local levels.
Curriculum diversity cannot be optional
The Francis Review suggests that subjects such as English must include “alternative” texts. Yet this is already possible within current policy. If take-up remains marginal, it is because diverse texts are treated as supplements. It is time to recognise that cultural capital goes beyond Shakespeare and Dickens, and that new texts contribute to building the cultural capital recognised and valued in a diverse Britain.
As The Belonging Effect has noted, the report makes no mention of structural racism. This weakens the development of diversity and lacks a consideration of the impact of racism on students within the education system.
My research: challenging deficit narratives
My research, Unsettling Deficit Narratives: Race, Identity and Belonging in English Schools, examines how everyday school practices—curriculum choices, behaviour systems and informal interactions—can reproduce structural racism in subtle but powerful ways. This aligns well with The Belonging Effect’s aims to ensure that everyone feels they truly belong in their place of learning. As they have stated, belonging is the moment when people stop trying to fit in and start being fully themselves.
The research aims to unsettle deficit assumptions that problematise racially minoritised students and frame their cultures as barriers to achievement. The study illuminates how everyday practices, relationships, and policies embody what Paul Warmington (2024) terms a ‘vanishingly small’ space for recognising racism in education, and how what Kalwant Bhopal (2024) defines as a ‘discourse of denial’ shapes teachers’ and leaders’ responses. The framing of education as a race-neutral, knowledge-rich approach endorses Eurocentric models and exclusionary practices. It marginalises attempts at anti-racism through curriculum reform, teacher development, or recognition of the social and cultural capital that racially minoritised students bring to the learning context. The research explored how educational institutions can value the skills, knowledge, and experiences of students from ethnically diverse and marginalised communities.
Students thrive when the curriculum sees them
There are individual teachers and school leaders who are open to change and to explore a more diverse curriculum. The students themselves thrive in settings that reflect their heritages and identities and demonstrate informed and critical approaches to knowledge, with a strong sense of Britain’s historical and contemporary global position. The institution of education, however, remains resistant in its policies, practices, and commitment to a knowledge-rich curriculum in both local and broader contexts. All of which points to the need for a stronger national direction to realise local potential in our schools.
The emphasis in education needs to shift from a deficit-based approach to one that values and builds upon students’ heritages and identities. If there is a deficit, it is the deficit in the education offer, which fails to consider the context of the young person, their fluid and intersectional identities and the racialised aspect of their lives now and in their futures. As one teacher described, we “fit kids into schools, not us looking outward”. Similarly, the students eloquently articulated the issues of an education system that needs to be, “… not just looking at England but how other countries saw us.” This was not a call to reject British identity, but to enrich it—to see themselves as part of the fabric of what Britain is today: globally connected and ethnically diverse.
As a school leader told me, their previous school, a predominantly White British school had embarked on a decolonisation of the curriculum led by the head teacher, which “…really opened my eyes as to how our curriculum is not reflective of the world or our communities”. These words capture the crux of the issue. A diverse curriculum is not only for multicultural schools; it is essential for all schools in a globally connected country.
What needs to change
Belonging is when every student sees themselves reflected in the curriculum and feels engaged in and contributes to their learning. Some educators are already doing this work, and organisations like The Belonging Effect are leading the way. But without policy backing, progress will remain isolated to the passionate, not embedded in the system. Challenging structural racism also means changing curriculum content and delivery, and it is time for this to be acknowledged in our pedagogy. The Francis report may be advisory, but action must be taken, and there is not enough in the report to be clear how this will take place. Progressing a more diverse curriculum must be reflected in the accountability frameworks of education and school leaders. Our understandings of knowledge-rich education need to reflect the commitment to diversity and belonging. A curriculum adapted to our 21st-century world requires us to acknowledge that structural and institutional racism are features of our education system. We can move from a deficit model to engage students and foster a sense of belonging, and this deserves a national directive.