Curriculum

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

Herstory in Leadership

Kiran Satti portrait

Written by Kiran Satti

Deputy Principal and National Curriculum Lead for Early Reading

This blog was previously published by Oasis Community Learning.  

It has now been just over two years since I joined Oasis Community Learning, and I can say with certainty that I am not the same person I was when I arrived. When I first found Oasis, I was broken – I am still not sure how I found the strength to go through the interview process but reading through the blog I was asked to write for Oasis for HerStory month, I know how now. I was broken. Yet, time and time again, I understand growth comes through pain, reflection, discomfort and the difficult work of choosing to remain true to yourself. 

One thing I know to be true as a woman from a global majority background, is that very little is ever simple. I was asked to write a version of my Oasis blog a few months ago for Belonging Effect, but I believe everything happens when it’s meant to. This summer has been another sh**show…  Reflecting on the death of Jason Arday has made me question the idea of representation and what exactly is the purpose of it? When you’re representative of something different to the status quo, why is your life, your human life the thing that is in the balance? 

We’re coming to the end of the summer and I’ve already seen too many reports about Meghan and Harry returning to the UK – and all I can see is a certain demographic of people ready and waiting with their pitchforks. What concerns and saddens me the most is whether Meghan will survive this time… have any lessons been learnt? 

The fact is when we see a reimagined representation of a black man or a reimagined face of feminism, who is truly an intersectional representation of feminism… who does this trigger hate in? Why? Are you racist? Are you sexist? Are you projecting? In order for lessons to be learnt, we need to look inwards. Those that are reading this already do – you wouldn’t be in this space reading this otherwise. We know what the deep work is – many of us have had to dig deep to survive and at times dare to thrive. 

If we base our assertions on the superficial, if I took the racism I have experienced at face value I would have become bitter. If I took the sexism and misogyny at face value, I would’ve lost my self respect and self worth… my peace of mind is what matters – more than anything. 

Peace is a luxury in life. Peace of mind is not hard to come by when you are protected by privilege; when you do not fear for your life because of who you are; when you do not have to fight to be seen or heard as fully human; when you do not have to constantly prove yourself before you are allowed to belong.

Some don’t want you to belong – I have experienced this first hand. And when they’re seeing you blinded their privilege, being careless with your humanity isn’t something they feel guilty for. They have the privilege of not having to see you as a human – you are  a threat to their status quo, to their version of success – how dare you arrive in all your worth and disrupt – unintentionally… when we’re living our values, you will disrupt those that aren’t living through values or ethics – and you highlight that fact. 

Those who have witnessed my growth through education have often reminded me of my resilience, my determination and my kindness. Looking back, I realise I have always been a trauma-informed and trauma-responsive educator, because my own experiences have shaped how I see the world: its people, its systems and its levers of power. My traumas have not made me weaker. They have sharpened my ability to notice, to listen and to recognise humanity in others – and know what feel when I am not safe.

One pattern I have encountered, particularly when moving into leadership, is projection. At times, it can feel dehumanising: as though another person’s fear, insecurity or need for control is placed onto you until you begin to question yourself. Sometimes the intention seems to be to undermine you, to position you as difficult, or to push you out before you have had the chance to grow into your full potential – all while stifling you, tripping you up, keeping your head under water until you stop kicking… if you know, you know these feelings. 

Representation matters deeply, but representation without commitment to the human being can become another kind of harm. The lesson I am taking from Jason Arday’s story is that systems rooted in patriarchy and inequality rarely make space willingly. Jason Arday was a beautiful, gifted black man – he smashed every single stereotype possible in the face of masculinity and academia. 

The truth is Empowered women are not always made to feel safe; global majority women are not always truly represented; too often, they are presented as symbols while their voices, experiences and expertise are not fully valued, or at best used to further enable the status quo covering up the inequity it’s still feeding. That is why so many people learn it is safer to shrink once they “get there”. The idea of safety, that luxury of peace of mind, can feel more expensive the more successful you become. 

This leaves me with a difficult question: are we selling the children we serve false hope if we do not also tell them the truth about the systems they may have to navigate? The idea and image of leadership – has it really changed? We’ve had glimmers of what could be – Jacinda Ardern, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez … yet we have Putin, Trump, Netanyahu … we have global leaders destroying Mother Earth because they’re projecting their perceived power through acts of violence and aggression… the manosphere isn’t anything new – it’s been around since misogyny planted patriarchy into the soul of every system reliant now on capitalism… AI is the new world for patriarchy to keep on flourishing, division to keep breeding and inequity to be the face of perceived progress… it’s all a bit sh** really. 

Throughout my journey, I have carried words that were never mine to hold:

  • You’re too small.
  • You’re too pretty; if you weren’t so kind, I would not like you.
  • You’re not white.
  • You’re too emotional.
  • You care too much.
  • You’re not ready to lead English.
  • You need to be more resilient.
  • That’s not the normal way.

For the most part, and unfortunately, it has often been women within certain organisations and institutions who have seen me as a threat to their status quo, they exemplified the dangers of internalised misogyny in women who don’t want to see the value of another woman in the same space: I was someone to contain, question, dismiss or damage before I could reach the potential they could already see in me but would not nurture. Some encounters have been inhumane, unkind and, at times, intentionally cruel.

One person seemed to believe her race made her better than me. Another was threatened by what I could become and made it clear she was not there to enable me, but to try to destroy me. One deeply hurt me. One did break me.

When you are not seen as a human being, it is a feeling you recognise. I have known it since I was little. When the world sees you as something less than fully human because you’re a girl, you learn that only you (and your mum’s tenacity) can plant the seeds of your worth. Only you can keep returning to yourself. Only you can decide that survival is not enough, that shrinking is not safety, and that your peace is worth protecting. 

Humanity is what we are. Yet it is sometimes the very thing we fail to recognise in one another. My journey of leadership and growth has taught me that using my voice is not disruption, choosing peace is not weakness, and being true to myself is not optional. It is the foundation of the leader I am still becoming. I never took a child’s feeling of worth and safety for granted when I taught them – I made it very clear to them they were to question me, disagree with me and feel safe to take those risks to enable them to surpass their idea of their own success – and they did. I truly hope, in the age of AI, they are still thinking critically and challenging. As leaders, we should already be questioning, we should already be able to disagree, to challenge… based on our understanding of ourselves and what we think – and that sometimes means you’re going to disagree with yourself if you’re intention is to learn and understand – it doesn’t mean we deny the humanity in each other. 

As we’re moving into another academic year, I am hoping we do not witness another gifted human, who is representative of the re-imagined, lose her power, break and fall. Meghan is one of the role models we look at as part of our Building on Barbie leadership work… and that is another hope… I hope we stop recycling the same argument about the commodification of feminism and only seeing the Barbie doll through the male gaze… look beyond the superficial to what the doll is meant to represent – a woman’s body is a woman’s body – it is hers to make the her life choices from… when you contextualise that with the fact that women’s body were not legally part of any medical research, that marital rape was legal until 1993…. Barbie’s silhouette is a challenge to the patriarchy, it’s a call to arms… in some ways, it was a political statement undermining the power of patriarchy and its influence on gender politics… in the 1950’s… the era of the original ‘trad-wife’ – if you look at the timing of the trad wife trend … it’s a reaction to the Barbie movie dissecting gendered assertions. 

Caroline Flack. Jason Arday. Amy Winehouse…

I truly hope lessons have been learnt and we take care – we take care and see the human before we feel privileged enough to make comments. 

I am starting to see my traumas and lived experience as a gift – the spectrum of human behaviour can be measured in degrees of cruelty and degrees of kindness, motive, perception, and environment all feed into how we choose to behave towards each other. 

I’ve had men tell me I shine too bright – one tried to break me, but it’s been the women who have been relentless in their determination to trip me up, belittle me – try and diminish my talent and undermine my professional worth by finding things to pick on… 

But I believe everything happens for a reason – I hope Jason Arday’s death does bring change, accountability and CARE. 

Reflecting on my two years at Oasis, and navigating certain things this summer, I am grateful for the special, serendipitous moments have manifested. Some becoming forever moments like the my WomenEd chapter coming to life through the Building on Barbie Leadership Project – for now, I feel safe, I feel I am valued and I do feel I belong… 

Intersectional Feminism – this is where hope resides. 

by Hannah Wilson

Your most powerful pedagogical tool this year? Storytelling.

Ed Kirwan portrait

Written by Ed Kirwan

Ed Kirwan is Founder and CEO of Empathy Studios, an education and creative studio using the power of film to develop the skill of empathy in all. An educator for 10+ years, Ed was previously a science teacher in London before becoming a professional filmmaker and director with International film festival recognition. Ed also started Empathy Week, the world’s largest empathy festival for schools having reached 2.5 million students across 56 countries.

More storytelling please!

You may roll your eyes if you’re teaching 3-8 year olds as you’ll be actively reading and engaging with stories a lot but this article is still for you too, hear me out…

As educators we all know the power of stories and if you’re a parent you will too (I’m about to become a dad T-2 weeks or so, so i’ve already been thinking what stories I want to read to my newborn – suggestions please)!

But the real question I’m posing to you is not whether you are using stories but are you utilising the skill of storytelling?

Stories and storytelling are not the same thing. 

Stories are the raw material, the information and the detail but storytelling, that’s the art form, the active process in which the storyteller engages with emotion, hooks you into a narrative and ultimately takes you outside of your own reality in a way that, in the most powerful of circumstances, can change you. 

I’ll never forget an assembly in year 8 when I was at school (early 2000’s). Mr. Wileman, my head of year, stood in front of 180 of us. Holding a can of dog food and with steam pouring out, started his assembly as usual.

“Good morning year 8!”

He took a second, a slight pause as if he was going to continue on to the next part but instead he dips his fork in, gets a chunk of meat and puts it in his mouth, chews and swallows. 

“Aeaaaeeewehhhhhh” – the hall erupted.

Mr. Wileman – “what’s wrong with this?”

“It’s dogfood sir!” 

Of course it wasn’t. It was a beef stew but the moral of the story has stuck with me – reserve judgement. You don’t always know the full picture. Even if you see something that gives you evidence to support your theory, you might still be wrong. Be curious, give the benefit of the doubt and reserve your judgement.

I’m now a good 20 years past this assembly but that’s the power of storytelling. It wasn’t a story he told, it was the art of storytelling he used.

The science shows us that storytelling has biological, emotional and physical effect. It can significantly lower anxiety and anger in teenage girls and also increase oxytocin and positive emotions whilst decreasing cortisol and pain in hospitalised children.

Storytelling can lower stress, increase bonding and help build resilience. 

Storytelling is the oldest form of education known to humans. 

I started my career as a science teacher and chemistry specialist, it didn’t scream “storyteller”.

But now as a professional filmmaker, I know that storytelling can be your most powerful pedagogical teaching tool this year. Here’s 3 ideas and ways for you to implement a stronger approach to storytelling into your teaching practice.

1. Bookend stories with ‘check in’s’

Being pulled into a story actually calms our nervous system but adding a structure can help build emotional literacy and regulation. For this we use a feelings wheel and the teacher can follow this flow:

  • Ask everyone to check in with themselves for 15 seconds and ask them “how are you feeling right now?” (silence and no need to write anything with also the use of the feelings wheel on the board or in front of them)
  • Use a piece of media, read a story with them, utilise a powerful clip you’ve seen, tell a story yourself!
  • Check in again and ask again “how are you feeling right now?” which can be in silence again with the use of the feelings wheel at hand. 
  • You can take this in a few directions but I find the easiest question to ask across all ages is “what was the most important/impactful part of the story for you?” and split off into pairs.
  • Come back together as a class and have a quick discussion or share of time. 
  • Move on to your lesson, activity or class. 

There is an intentionality here and a rhythm that students will get used to. I’ve found teachers have said this is impactful especially after break and lunchtimes to regulate students.

2. Encouraging courage and vulnerability.

This doesn’t always have to be you being vulnerable, but as a leader in the classroom, this is only going to happen effectively if you model it. Opening up about a struggle, a triumph, what you did at the weekend or even a person you met who inspires you will set an environment for storytelling. Don’t want to get personal? You don’t have to. There will be something you care about that you can tell as a story.

3.Use Film as a powerful catalyst 

OK…. I’m biased as a filmmaker but hear me out. 

Storytelling through film is a fantastic distancing technique. You can speak about real issues that affect people in the room but where no one has to share their own personal experience if they don’t want to. The result? the opportunity for a child (or adult in a PD session) to actually feel seen, heard and understood. It doesn’t have to be an “issue” either – it could be simply a story about a way of living or a cultural moment.

Opportunities to hear and see ourselves represented helps to increase our self-esteem and on the flip-side, opportunities to hear a story different than our own increases our perspective – both increase the skill of empathy. 

If we feel safe enough to reflect or share a bit of our story alongside the one just told. empathy can really flourish and grow. If empathy is given the opportunity to be developed, the magic happens. Greater understanding > more connections > more trust > better relationships > greater wellbeing and inclusion.

4. Something to try for the brave (BONUS)

This requires some vulnerability but I want to propose the focus shifts from external to internal storytelling – leveraging the stories of everyone already in your community. You may know the energy company EDF in the UK? They have an internal podcast, where employees tell their story and it’s not available to the public – they’ve noted it has had a dramatic impact on wellbeing and shared experiences within the company and invest money and time into keeping it.

Perhaps you could run a storytelling assembly or even charity event. Inspiration for this could be taken from Seanchoiche – an organisation that originated in Ireland but has spread across the world that host nights where people take to the mic and share their story. Simple but incredibly powerful.

To do this well, teachers would certainly need to model a level of vulnerability first to also model the space and maturity needed to respect everyone who is brave enough to share their story.

SO….

If any of this helps spark an idea or you try it out, do let me know.

Ultimately I hope this inspires you to not just tell stories more this year but be a storyteller yourself. Add storytelling into your pedagogical arsenal with purpose – yes even you Chemistry A-level teachers. If you do take up the challenge, you will be building emotional regulation, literacy, connection, empathy and maybe most importantly, relationships.

Notes and Sources:

Thanks for reading – teachers and schools can access cinematic films and stories covering over 100 themes I’ve made on The Empathy Platform here with a 14 day free trial too!

Sources and studies mentioned:

  • Goodman, R., & Newman, D. (2014). Testing a Digital Storytelling Intervention to Reduce Stress in Adolescent Females. Storytelling, Self, Society. Read the study here
  • Brockington, G., et al. (2021). “Storytelling increases oxytocin and positive emotions and decreases cortisol and pain in hospitalized children.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Read the full study here.

by Hannah Wilson

The Hidden Curriculum of Belonging

Lorraine Kara portrait

Written by Lorraine Kara

Early Years consultant, author and founder of Belonging in Practice. Leadership, Culture, Inclusion, Belonging.

Every nursery and school has two curriculums.

The first is the one we carefully plan.

The second is the one children experience.

The second curriculum is often the most powerful.

Children are constantly learning – not only through the activities we prepare, but through the relationships they observe, the words they hear and the way adults respond when emotions run high.

This is the hidden curriculum of belonging.

A reflection from practice

Recently, I witnessed an interaction at a school that stayed with me. A child was visibly distressed and crying while an adult, who also appeared emotionally overwhelmed, responded in a raised and angry tone. Other adults stepped in to help calm the situation.

As I watched, I found myself thinking less about behaviour management and more about what the child might have been learning in that moment.

Not mathematics. Not phonics. Not literacy.

Instead, perhaps the child was learning: “When I am overwhelmed, adults become overwhelmed too.” Or: “My feelings are too much.” Or even: “When I struggle, I may be publicly corrected rather than helped.” 

None of those messages may have been intended. But intention and impact are not always the same. The experience a child has in a difficult moment can become part of the hidden curriculum they carry with them.

The curriculum we never write down

Children notice far more than the content of our planning. They notice how adults speak to one another, how mistakes are handled, whose voice is listened to, whether differences are respected and whether emotions are met with curiosity or punishment.

No curriculum document includes a learning intention that says, “Children will learn whether adults lose control.” Yet children learn this every day.

They also learn whether adults apologise, whether relationships can be repaired, whether behaviour is treated as communication and whether they remain worthy of care when they are having a difficult moment.

This is why the hidden curriculum matters. It quietly teaches children what power looks like, what safety feels like and whether belonging is conditional.

Belonging is experienced through relationships

Early childhood development is profoundly relational. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological view of development reminds us that children grow within interconnected systems of relationships and environments. Gerhardt’s work similarly draws attention to the importance of early relational experiences for emotional development.

When adults remain calm enough to help children regulate, children gradually learn that difficult feelings can be survived. When adults model empathy, children experience empathy. When adults repair after a rupture, children learn that relationships can be restored.

Belonging is therefore not created by a display board alone. It is experienced when a child discovers: “Even when I struggle, I still have a place here.” 

What does this mean for educators?

The hidden curriculum invites us to look beyond what we planned and ask what children actually experienced.

  • What did my tone communicate?
  • Did my response preserve the child’s dignity?
  • Was I regulated enough to help the child regulate?
  • Did I respond to behaviour only, or did I remain curious about what might be underneath it?
  • If I got it wrong, did I repair the relationship?

This does not mean educators must be perfect. Early Years work is emotionally demanding and adults will have difficult moments too. It does mean that reflective practice must include the adult’s emotional state, not only the child’s behaviour.

The leadership responsibility

This is also a leadership issue. If staff are expected to co-regulate children, they need cultures that support their own regulation and reflection.

Leaders can strengthen this by creating psychologically safe supervision, modelling calm responses, allowing staff to ask for help, discussing difficult interactions without humiliation and treating repair as part of professional practice rather than evidence of failure.

The culture adults experience becomes part of the culture children experience. In that sense, workforce wellbeing, leadership behaviour and children’s belonging cannot be separated.

Reflection questions

  • What are children learning from the way adults respond when things go wrong?
  • Who receives patience in our setting – and who receives correction?
  • Do our behaviour approaches preserve children’s dignity?
  • Do staff feel safe enough to say, ‘I did not handle that well’?
  • What do our routines, relationships and reactions teach children about who belongs?

Read, reflect and act

This week, observe one interaction rather than one activity.

Ask yourself: What was the child learning about themselves, about adults and about belonging in that moment?

Sometimes the most important lesson was never written on the planning sheet.

Final reflection

Belonging is not only built in our easiest moments. It is revealed in our hardest ones.

Children may forget the activity we planned, but they can remember how an adult made them feel. Our responsibility is not to offer perfection. It is to keep reflecting, repairing and creating environments where children feel emotionally safe, seen and valued.

Perhaps the most powerful curriculum we offer children is not simply what we teach, but who we are while we are teaching it.

References

Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979) The Ecology of Human Development: Experiments by Nature and Design. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Edmondson, A.C. (2019) The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Gerhardt, S. (2015) Why Love Matters: How Affection Shapes a Baby’s Brain. 2nd edn. London: Routledge.

National Scientific Council on the Developing Child (2004/2020) Young Children Develop in an Environment of Relationships. Working Paper No. 1. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University.

Rinaldi, C. (2006) In Dialogue with Reggio Emilia: Listening, Researching and Learning. London: Routledge.

Siegel, D.J. and Bryson, T.P. (2011) The Whole-Brain Child. London: Constable & Robinson.

by Hannah Wilson

The rise of ‘Universal design for learning’ – Why every Further Education provider is talking about UDL

Sarah Vickrage portrait

Written by Sarah Vickrage

Sarah Vickrage is a Teaching and Inclusion Specialist at the Fellowship of Inspection Nominees, supporting Further Education providers to embed meaningful inclusive practice.

For years, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) has often been viewed as something “nice to have” or an approach championed by SEND specialists. Today, that is changing. Across the further education sector, UDL is moving from the margins into the mainstream as a practical framework for improving teaching quality, supporting inclusion and helping every learner achieve.

Growing interest in UDL also aligns with the direction of travel set out in the Department for Education’s proposed SEND reforms under Universal Support. While the reforms cover the whole education system, they place a strong emphasis on creating a more inclusive mainstream experience, improving consistency of support and reducing barriers to participation. For further education providers, this reinforces a shift away from relying solely on individual interventions and towards designing learning environments that are accessible from the outset, with the assumption that learner variability is entirely normal. UDL provides a practical framework for achieving this: embedding inclusive practice into everyday teaching while continuing to offer targeted support where it is needed most. 

Individual reasonable adjustments remain an essential part of high-quality education provision. However, they often rely on diagnosis, disclosure or referral and can also unintentionally create delays or reinforce the idea that some learners are exceptions to the norm. 

Why now?

Several factors are bringing UDL into sharper focus across FE. Firstly, colleges are seeing increasingly diverse learner cohorts. We are still seeing the children of the Covid-19 pandemic move into the workplace, and while the pandemic did not create the need for UDL, it highlighted many issues UDL seeks to address. Alongside growing awareness of neurodiversity, there is greater recognition of differences in language, literacy, mental health, disability, prior educational experiences and life circumstances.

Secondly, inclusion is increasingly recognised as an organisational responsibility rather than solely the responsibility of learning support teams. It needs to be embedded into every decision, strategy and policy. 

Finally, expectations around quality teaching continue to evolve. Inclusive practice is no longer viewed as an optional enhancement but as a hallmark of effective teaching and learning. For many providers, UDL offers a practical way of bringing these priorities together.

What does UDL look like in practice?

One of the biggest misconceptions is that UDL requires teachers to produce multiple versions of every lesson. When I think back to my first years in teaching where we were expected to make 3 versions of the same worksheet and know exactly who would be working on each sheet before the start of the lesson it makes my toes curl. 

Most UDL strategies are simple changes that improve learning for everyone. Many educators are already using these approaches. UDL simply provides a framework for making them intentional and consistent.

Good for everyone, not just some

One of the strengths of UDL is that it avoids creating a divide between “supported learners” and everyone else. 

For example, when a learner with ADHD frequently asks for instructions to be repeated, they can be viewed as needing extra support. However, providing instructions verbally, visually and in written form benefits everyone, including learners with anxiety, language differences or those balancing education with other responsibilities.

Clear visual organisation may support an autistic learner, while also reducing cognitive load for someone learning in a second language. Captions on videos help learners with hearing impairments, but they are equally valuable in noisy environments or for learners revising independently.

A strategic opportunity for FE

As providers continue to strengthen their approach to inclusion, UDL offers more than a collection of teaching strategies. It provides a common language that can connect curriculum design, staff development, learner support and quality improvement, ensuring we are all on the same page with the same high standards. 

For providers looking to reflect on their current practice, the Fellowship of Inspection Nominees’ inclusion resources provide a useful framework for exploring how effectively inclusion is embedded across the organisation, from leadership decisions through to classroom practice.

Looking ahead

Universal Design for Learning is unlikely to remain a specialist concept for much longer. As FE providers continue to reflect on curriculum quality, teaching and learner experience, UDL provides an opportunity to move beyond asking whether individual learners are being supported and towards asking whether the learning environment itself is designed to enable success.

The most inclusive providers will be those that see accessibility not as something added when a need is identified, but as a fundamental part of high-quality education.

The conversation about UDL has started. The opportunity now is to move from discussion to action, embedding inclusive design into everyday practice so every learner has the opportunity to participate, progress and achieve. 

Ask yourself, are you designing education around the barriers the learners face, or are you designing education that removed those barriers in the first place?

by Hannah Wilson

Can Omission Teach as Loudly as Words Complete

Glenda Obeng portrait

Written by Glenda Obeng

Glenda Obeng is a published author and multifaceted educator with a legal background and a law and politics specialism, serving as Teacher of Social Sciences and Citizenship Curriculum Lead. She is Founder and CEO of The Artourney, which produces multimedia resources praised for illuminating Black, African and Caribbean communities and sparking conversations about identity, belonging and civic agency.

A persistent label in compulsory education is that Black history belongs to a single month. In the UK, Black History Month (BHM) falls in October after Akyaaba Addai-Sebo helped establish it in 1987, choosing October because it aligned with the start of the academic year. BHM has value, but it becomes tokenistic when treated as the only moment Black history is meaningfully explored. Slavery, racism and oppression are important histories, yet when they dominate the narrative, they create a narrow lens and deny pupils the opportunity to understand the full breadth of Black identities, achievements and cultural contributions.

While teaching international relations, in a debate preparation task Person A, a pupil of mixed heritage assigned Egypt expressed surprise to learn it is in Africa. Pupils rarely learn the vast cultures of Africa or the diverse histories and traditions of the Caribbean during formative years. These topics may appear later in further or higher education, but that is neither guaranteed nor equitable. We must move beyond monolithic education and ask, what futures do we limit when we teach only a fraction of the truth?

This concern has historical context. The Swann Report (1985) highlighted systemic barriers faced by ethnic-minority pupils, while the Educationally Subnormal (ESN) scandal of the 1960s–70s showed how Black children were disproportionately removed from mainstream schools and labelled ‘educationally subnormal’. They were steered into narrow practical training instead of a full academic curriculum, leaving many without recognised qualifications and facing long-term barriers to employment and social mobility. There has been progress, ESN schools were closed, equality duties were introduced, and curricula have slowly broadened. Yet a debate in the UK Parliament marking the 40th anniversary of the Swann Report in March 2025 made clear that unequal outcomes and exclusionary practices persist, so reform has not yet translated into equal opportunities for all pupils.

Some may argue that the UK’s White majority reduces the need for racially diverse education. The 2021 Census for England and Wales show those identifying as White British fell from 80.5% to 74.4%; an ageing population and low birth rates mean future growth will likely depend on net migration, so classrooms will only become more diverse as noticeable emigration from the UK continues to rise. Schools should teach cultural literacy and adopt inclusive practices so pupils can navigate shifting cultural environments. Person B, a pupil of North-East African heritage, once asked when I was going to “get my hair done” as I walked through the corridor with my natural 4C afro. I told them, “I do not need to conform to Eurocentric beauty standards to be professional”. Their question was not malicious; it reflected a message many internalise about beauty when navigating an environment as a minority.

Blanket acronyms like ‘BAME’ or ‘BIPOC’, though pragmatic for policy monitoring to some, flatten distinct communities with different histories and needs. If we criticise monolithic curricula, we must also reject monolithic labels. In March 2026 the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/80/250 declaring the trafficking of enslaved Africans and the radicalised chattel enslavement of Africans ‘the gravest crime against humanity’, affirming the need for justice, dignity and healing. Reparations must include educational measures; a truthful curriculum should foster understanding rather than hierarchy. That curriculum must also address everyday signals of belonging. 

School rules that label natural or protective hairstyles as ‘extreme’ or ‘unprofessional’ undermine pupils’ confidence and force conformity to Eurocentric norms. Person C, a pupil who habitually used gel to flatten their hair or wore a straight-haired wig, often appeared less confident when their natural hair was out. When I complimented their natural hair, they replied, “don’t, it’s messy”. 

Racial literacy should link histories of the Global Majority and Global Minority, recognising power, population and historical context, decentre Eurocentric narratives, and pair sustained, age-appropriate teaching with media literacy so pupils can separate fact from fiction and resist online radicalisation. Person D, a white English young person, said ‘it was not entirely their fault they knew little about other races because they lived in an area where most people look like them and their school did not teach much about race’. Person E, a light-complexion mixed-heritage young person, discussed chemically straightening their hair ‘to pass’ as White. When young people rarely see their cultures, histories or physical features reflected in the curriculum, those who are different often feel pressured to flatten or minimise their identity in public rather than feel proud of who they are and where they come from.

Implementing these insights requires curriculum change, teacher reflexivity, revised policies and supported spaces for complex identities. Schools that treat cultural knowledge as an asset rather than a deficit will improve belonging, attainment and the long-term resilience of all pupils. If education shapes who we become, can we justify teaching anything less than the whole story?

by Hannah Wilson

Curriculum is Never Neutral

Shilpa Darbar portrait

Written by Shilpa Darbar

With over a decade of experience as Head of History, Shilpa’s experience extends beyond classroom instruction to strategic leadership in curriculum development. She has reshaped the History curriculum to promote diversity and inclusiveness, a mission echoed in her published work with Impact and on her Substack. Her expertise in public speaking aids in advocating for educational innovation and elevating varied perspectives.

After sixteen years in education, I’ve realised that the most valuable professional learning hasn’t come from courses or conferences. It’s come from conversations with colleagues, moments of reflection after lessons, and the experiences that have quietly reshaped how I think about teaching, curriculum and leadership.

Those experiences are why I’m starting this newsletter.

Over the years, I’ve collected questions, ideas, successes, mistakes and moments that have challenged my thinking. This is a space to explore them. I’ll be writing about curriculum, middle leadership, diversity and inclusion in education, and the realities of trying to lead meaningful change in schools. I certainly don’t have all the answers—but I do have plenty of questions that I think are worth asking.

Looking back, my journey from NQT to Head of History has been shaped by a series of opportunities that stretched me well beyond my comfort zone.

In my very first year of teaching, I was given the chance to help develop a new Current Affairs programme for Key Stage 3. It was designed to improve pupils’ understanding of the world around them, and although it felt like a daunting responsibility at the time, those lessons quickly became my favourite part of the week. 

I loved the challenge of taking complex global issues and transforming them into lessons that encouraged curiosity, discussion and critical thinking. More than anything, I remember my students’ reactions. They were often shocked by the injustice, conflict and inequality they encountered in the news. Their innocence and incredulity at the actions of so-called “grown-ups” was both heart-breaking and deeply hopeful.

In those moments, I found myself thinking: if they respond with such disbelief to the world’s problems, perhaps they will grow up to do better than the generations before them.

Looking back now, I can see that those lessons changed something in me as much as they did my students.

I had trained to teach History, but I was beginning to realise that the most important questions in education often sit beyond the boundaries of any one subject. How do we help young people make sense of the world? How do we nurture curiosity alongside knowledge? How do we prepare students not just to pass exams, but to participate thoughtfully in society?

Without realising it, this was the first of many moments that would shape my philosophy of education. It pushed me towards thinking about educating the whole child—not just through my beloved subject of History, but through every opportunity we have to develop thoughtful, informed and compassionate young people.

Not long afterwards, I also took on the role of Debating Coordinator. Once again, I found myself drawn to work that extended beyond my subject specialism. I wanted students to become confident speakers who could listen carefully, challenge ideas respectfully and build arguments based on evidence rather than opinion. Watching students discover their voice—sometimes literally—reinforced my growing belief that education is about far more than examination results.

As my career progressed into middle leadership, the questions evolved. I became just as interested in leading people as leading curriculum. How do you bring colleagues with you when introducing change? How do you build a department culture where everyone feels valued and challenged? How do you make decisions that are both strategically sound and deeply human?

These are the questions that continue to occupy my thinking today.

My Substack  newsletter is my place to think out loud. I’ll share reflections from my own classroom and department, practical ideas that have worked (and those that haven’t), thoughts on curriculum and diversity, and lessons I’ve learnt through leading others. Some posts will be practical, others more reflective, but all will be rooted in the belief that education is ultimately about helping young people flourish.

If you’re a teacher, middle leader, curriculum enthusiast or simply someone who enjoys thinking deeply about education, I hope you’ll find something here that resonates.

by Hannah Wilson

From Curriculum to Connection: Embedding Belonging in the UK’s New National Curriculum

Chloe Watterston portrait

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.

When the Department for Education announced a new national curriculum (to be implemented from 2028), headlines focused on oracy, digital literacy, and enrichment. Yet behind every subject reform lies a deeper question: Do our students feel like they belong here?

A sense of belonging – feeling seen, supported, and valued – is the heartbeat of learning. Without it, even the best-designed curriculum risks falling flat. For pupils who are neurodiverse, disabled, or marginalised, belonging isn’t a luxury; it’s the foundation of success.

This guide translates the government’s new framework, which centres on life skills, enrichment, and stronger foundations, into practical actions that put belonging at the centre of every classroom and corridor.

“Belonging isn’t an outcome of curriculum reform — it’s the condition that makes reform work.”

Curriculum Design: From Coverage to Connection

Goal: Build a curriculum that feels relevant, achievable, and identity-affirming for all.

  • Audit representation: Ensure diverse identities, including disability and neurodiversity, appear meaningfully across units and texts.
  • Chunk and scaffold: Sequence content clearly for learners who need structure; use visual roadmaps and checklists.
  • Bridge knowledge with identity: Link new content to students’ own experiences and communities.
  • Amplify oracy: Give pupils the language to share their thinking aloud, it builds both confidence and cognition.

Example: Pair Macbeth with The Hunger Games to explore power and morality through different cultural lenses.

Enrichment for All: Making the ‘Core Entitlement’ Inclusive

Goal: Deliver the new national “core enrichment entitlement” – arts, sport, nature, civic life – so that every pupil can take part meaningfully.

  • Audit participation and remove barriers (costs, timing, accessibility).
  • Offer sensory-friendly, shorter, or flexible versions of activities.
  • Provide varied roles – performer, planner, designer – so every learner can contribute.
  • Train staff to understand fatigue, sensory needs, and invisible disabilities.

Example: For civic engagement, let students design campaigns or social media projects if public speaking feels overwhelming.

Pedagogy & Climate: Making Belonging the Norm

Goal: Build classrooms that balance structure with humanity.

  • Predictable routines reduce anxiety; flexible responses show care.
  • Replace “behaviour management” with “community agreements.”
  • Display student contributions publicly – belonging must be visible.
  • Give feedback as conversation, not correction.

Example: Begin each lesson with a one-minute grounding question like “What’s one thing that made you smile this week?” Small rituals can anchor connection.

Staff Culture: Belonging Starts with Us

Goal: Equip teachers to teach through belonging, not just about it.

  • Embed neuroinclusion in CPD: autism, ADHD, chronic illness, not as “issues,” but as perspectives.
  • Hold peer reflection sessions: “Whose belonging have we strengthened this term?”
  • Celebrate staff who champion inclusion.
  • Model belonging in leadership – consistency, curiosity, compassion.

Example: Host a termly “Belonging Showcase” where staff and students co-present examples of inclusive success.

Measuring What Matters

Goal: Track belonging with the same intent as attainment.

  • Use quick-pulse surveys: “Do you feel you’re understood here?”
  • Cross-reference belonging data with attendance and enrichment participation.
  • Form neurodiverse and SEND student panels to co-design improvements.
  • Include belonging outcomes in school development plans.

Example: If ADHD students report low belonging, pilot flexible seating or movement breaks — then re-survey to measure impact.

Final Thought

Belonging is not a soft extra, it’s the soil that allows learning to take root.
As we rebuild the national curriculum for the next generation, we can decide what kind of classrooms our students inherit. Will they be systems of delivery, or communities of connection?

With intentional design, the new curriculum can become more than a framework of knowledge. It can be a map towards a society where every young person feels seen, capable, and connected – not just prepared for life, but part of it.

by Hannah Wilson

I Don't Want Representation to Be My Privilege - I Want It to Be Every Student's Reality

Gemma Hathaway portrait

Written by Gemma Hathaway

EDI Trust Lead for Inspire Education Trust, Assistant Headteacher at Blue Coat School Coventry.

This blog is written by Cami Chan – a Year 13 Student from Blue Coat School, Coventry.

As EDI Lead for our school and Trust, I am proud to support student voices like Cami’s. Her article demonstrates the importance of giving young people opportunities to think critically about representation, identity and belonging within literature and media. Through thoughtful analysis, Cami challenges stereotypes and highlights why diverse perspectives matter within education today.

Creating psychologically safe environments in schools is essential to this work. When students feel safe to express ideas, question assumptions and share their experiences, they develop confidence, empathy and independent thought, skills that are vital both inside and outside the classroom.

My first encounter with literature from a POC’s perspective was in year 10, with Tanika Gupta’s play – The Empress. A historical drama set in the last 14 years of Queen Victoria’s reign, where we follow the main characters Rani Das, a young Ayah fresh off the boat from Kolkata and Abdul Karim, a soon-to-be servant of Queen Victoria into their personal journey within the Great British Empire. Gupta masterfully presents the themes of colonialism as well as showcases the interactions between the white British Empire, and the people of colour. The diverse cast of characters all have a sophisticated depth to them. Rani begins the journey as an ayah with blinding naivety and ends by becoming a school teacher, sharing her wisdom with the next generation. Her growth shows to the audience that even in a disadvantaged position within society, you can create a voice for yourself.

As times change, we are finally able to see more nuanced representations of minorities in the media. Looking at the evolution of Katie Leung’s acting career, she began with playing the character of Cho Chang in the Harry Potter movies. The docile, pretty, smart Chinese girl who was Harry’s object of attraction – and only that. In the movies, Cho Chang’s main appearances were either by the side of Cedric Diggory or with Harry. Later on, the scene where she was dragged by Draco by the coat after “betraying” Dumbledore’s army made her look meek and powerless. The characterisation of Cho Chang in the movies was white male centric, as if her whole personality was based on the handsome, charming white men around her. Because of the small sample size of representation, it creates the idea that Chinese girls only can be like Cho Chang – quiet and powerless, especially to the young audience of the Harry Potter series. It stops people from rejecting and speaking against stereotypes, while forcing a specific view of Chinese people. In recent years, people have taken off their rose-tinted glasses and realised that such caricatures were actually harmful. Consider the release of Bridgerton season 4, a show that bypasses historical accuracies to uplift POC actors. Leung starred as Araminta Gun, the evil stepmother of House Penwood who acted as the antagonist against the main heroine. The character of Araminta is complex, she is seen to be cruel, but it’s what she had to do to keep her title and relevancy in society. In the scene where the Penwoods arrive at Lady Cressida’s ball, Araminta complains about how the party decor was “浮誇 (over the top)” in Cantonese. Rosamund responds in the same language whilst Posy only responds in English. This deliberate act of isolating her child emphasises her manipulation, keeping Rosamund as the “favourite daughter” and disregarding Posy. This portrayal of a malevolent matron who schemes her way in society shows that Chinese people aren’t just meek, math-loving caricatures, these people are real and have complexities to their personalities.

People of all races are nuanced and deserve to be represented. Whilst the works of Dickens and Priestley are well established in English Literature, they fail to reflect on the diversity within classrooms today. Britain has always been a multicultural country and will always be. Modern media such as Bridgerton have begun taking a step in showing the cultural diversity within society, yet at many schools the curriculum remains stuck in the past, focusing mainly on white perspectives. By introducing diversity in media, literature and the like, it inspires children to challenge the labels placed on them, allowing them to more freely express themselves. It’s been a privilege to be able to study literature from diverse perspectives, in GCSE and A-level. However, I don’t want this to only be my privilege, but a norm within school curriculums. Therefore, schools should aim to further widen the texts and material they give to students, not to just focus on one singular experience or perspective.

Cami’s reflections remind us that representation matters because young people deserve to see the full complexity of themselves and others reflected in the stories they study. A broad and inclusive curriculum helps students challenge stereotypes, develop understanding and recognise the value of different perspectives. As schools, we must continue creating cultures where every student feels heard, respected and able to contribute confidently. When young people are empowered to think critically and express themselves authentically, education becomes not only more inclusive, but more meaningful for everyone.

by Hannah Wilson

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