Curriculum is Never Neutral
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.
What start of term rituals and routines can educators create in our classrooms to centre student belonging?
Written by Hannah Wilson
Founder and Director of the Belonging Effect (formerly Diverse Educators).
Belonging is what students feel. Mattering is what students believe about their value to others.
A student can feel accepted but still wonder whether anyone would notice if they were absent.
True inclusion is when students know:
- I am welcome here.
- I am known here.
- I am valued here.
- I contribute here.
- I make a difference here.
So as we plan to set up our new classrooms and meet our new students at the start of a new academic year, what should we be intentionally planning and consciously considering to ensure that we centre belonging and mattering at the heart of our learning environments?
Theme 1: Look from the outside in
The most powerful question educators can ask at the start of the academic year is not “What do I want my classroom to be?” but “What does it feel like to be a student walking into this classroom for the very first time?”
Belonging begins with perspective-taking. For some learners, the first day is exciting. For others, it is filled with uncertainty, anxiety or the question, “Will I fit in here?” Looking from the outside in encourages educators to notice the small moments that communicate whether students are welcome, valued and safe before a single lesson begins.
Theme 2: Safety creates the conditions for growth
Students bring with them the seeds of who they are – their strengths, hopes, identities and experiences. The role of the school is to cultivate those seeds.
This means creating an environment where students feel physically, psychologically and emotionally safe. It is about setting clear expectations alongside compassionate relationships. Like a safety net beneath a tightrope, boundaries do not restrict students; they give them the confidence to explore, take risks, make mistakes and discover who they are becoming.
When students know they will be supported if they stumble, they are far more willing to participate, lead, question and learn.
Theme 3: Belonging grows through contribution
Belonging is not something educators simply give to students. It develops when students have meaningful opportunities to shape their community.
Leadership roles, student voice, peer mentoring, classroom responsibilities and collaborative decision-making all communicate a powerful message:
“You are not just part of this school – you help make this school what it is.”
Feeling heard is just as important as being listened to.
Theme 4: Students need to see themselves
Creating belonging is also about what students encounter every day through the curriculum.
The books on the shelves, the scientists, authors and historians studied, the case studies, examples, photographs and research all send messages about who matters.
When diversity is woven naturally throughout learning – not reserved for awareness days or special events – it communicates that different ethnicities, religions, family structures, genders, abilities and lived experiences are an ordinary and valued part of society.
Representation tells students: “People like me belong here too.”
Theme 5: Know the learner behind the learner
Relationships remain the foundation of belonging.
Learn names and pronounce them correctly. Show genuine curiosity about students beyond their attainment or behaviour. Ask about their interests, aspirations, cultures and lived experiences – and keep asking.
Students quickly recognise the difference between being known and simply being managed.
When educators remain interested throughout the year, they communicate one of the strongest messages of mattering:
“I see you, and you matter to me.”
Theme 6: Build belonging together
One practical way to establish this culture from day one is to create a class agreement or class contract collaboratively.
Rather than presenting a list of rules, invite students to explore questions such as:
- How do we want everyone to feel in this classroom?
- What helps us learn best?
- What behaviours create belonging?
- How will we respond when mistakes happen?
- What responsibilities do we all share?
Co-creating expectations fosters ownership, accountability and mutual respect from the outset.
Final Thoughts
Perhaps the greatest gift educators can give at the beginning of the academic year is not a perfectly organised classroom or an engaging first lesson – it is the certainty that every student belongs and matters.
Belonging does not happen by chance. Mattering is not left to luck. They are cultivated through thousands of intentional moments: a smile at the classroom door, a correctly pronounced name, a curriculum that reflects the richness of our communities, an invitation to contribute, a conversation that says: “Tell me about you.”
Students flourish in environments where they feel safe enough to be themselves, valued enough to contribute, and supported enough to grow. Every interaction, every curriculum choice, every relationship and every opportunity for student voice helps create that culture.
The question is not simply: “Do our students belong?”
The more important question is: “What are we intentionally doing every day to ensure every student knows they belong – and that they matter?”
Recommended Reading:
If you would like to explore the evidence behind belonging and mattering in greater depth, these are two excellent places to start:
- Professor Kelly-Ann Allen’s articles on school belonging
- Gordon Neufeld: The First Week of School – Creating Connections and Emotional Safety
I Don't Want Representation to Be My Privilege - I Want It to Be Every Student's Reality
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.
What Families of Neurodivergent Students Want Teachers to Know
Written by Tessa Dodson
Tessa Dodson is an education writer passionate about supporting teachers and fostering inclusive classroom environments. She specializes in covering classroom resources, educational trends, teacher wellness, and practical strategies to help educators succeed.
There is often a gap between what schools think neurodivergent students and their families need and what they actually need. Neurodivergence refers to differences in how the brain processes information and includes common conditions such as ADHD, dyslexia, autism spectrum disorder and dyspraxia. Neurodivergent children may have different day-to-day experiences at school depending on how their needs are met and understood.
While most schools may focus on formal plans and processes, parents and guardians tend to prioritise everyday understanding and clear communication. Here are some of the things that families want teachers to know and what they feel will most impact their neurodivergent child in school.
Seeing the Child Beyond the Label
Parents and carers want teachers to see neurodivergent children as individuals, rather than defining them by a diagnosis. Estimates suggest that one in seven students is neurodivergent, highlighting how common neurodivergent diagnoses are within the school population.
While diagnostic labels provide a good starting point to understand a child better, they can only describe certain traits. They don’t offer the full picture of a child’s school experience. For instance, two pupils with the same condition may have entirely different sensory profiles, communication styles and emotional needs. For this reason, educators need to remain curious and adapt their teaching methods based on ongoing observation rather than fixed assumptions.
Prioritising Acceptance
Families would want educators to go beyond awareness of a child’s condition and focus on accepting and supporting them as they are, including adjusting the environment to help them succeed. This approach often produces positive outcomes. For example, an autism centre that advocates this acceptance-based approach reports that 98% of parents observed an improvement in their child’s ability to start conversations with others.
Communicating Clearly
Families often emphasise regular, straightforward communication. Small, meaningful updates about daily experiences often matter more than formal review points. When communication is consistent across staff and settings, children are more likely to feel secure and understand expectations. Mixed messages, on the other hand, can create uncertainty and make school feel less predictable for neurodivergent learners.
Individualised education programs (IEPs) involve structured meetings that bring parents and educators together to formally map out a child’s individual support needs and learning goals. IEP meetings are a good example of how schools and families can work collaboratively to create more consistent and supportive learning environments for neurodivergent children.
Understanding Behaviour as Communication
Families understand that behaviour is often a form of communication rather than simple compliance or disruption. When a neurodivergent child becomes overwhelmed, withdrawn or reactive, there is usually an unmet need driving that response. What seems like erratic behaviour from a child with autism, for example, may reflect sensory overload or anxiety.
According to the Department for Education, 166,041 students in England are autistic, with over 70% attending mainstream schools. These figures highlight that many teachers are working with autistic pupils every day, often in classroom settings where they may encounter difficult behavioural responses linked to unmet sensory or emotional needs.
In these situations, approaches that explore the cause of behaviour, rather than focusing solely on managing the outward response, are often more effective and respectful of the child’s experience.
Providing Flexible and Responsive Support
Effective support is rarely one-size-fits-all. Adjustments that work well for one child may not suit another, even when their diagnosis is similar. What families value most is educators’ ability to adapt support in real time, depending on how the child is managing on a given day. Rather than relying on preplanned strategies, using responsive approaches for teaching neurodivergent students allows educators to recognise and meet children’s changing needs more effectively.
Creating Safe Environments for Learning
Guiding and teaching neurodivergent students successfully involves creating environments where children feel safe, understood, and supported in everyday classroom situations. Sensory needs, predictable routines and thoughtful transitions can all make a meaningful difference. For example, offering a neurodivergent child a quiet place to calm down when things get too noisy or overwhelming can help them ease back into learning.
The Right Kind of Support
What families of neurodivergent students consistently ask for is not more complexity, but greater clarity, responsiveness and understanding in school. When teachers combine professional expertise with attentiveness to lived experience, children are more likely to feel supported and able to access learning in meaningful ways.
Beyond The Bookshelf: Creating Change Through Activism
Written by Maria Oprea
Maria Ariana Oprea is a Year 9 student at Caterham High School who wishes to have a future career in Law. She was part of Every Future Foundation 2026, Activism Academy.
When I first joined Activism Academy, I never imagined how much it would change me. I signed up because I cared about making a difference, but I came out with so much more: confidence, new friendships, valuable skills, and the opportunity to create real change in my school community.
My project is called Beyond the Bookshelf. The idea came from the simple question: Does everyone in our school feel represented in our school curriculum? I wanted to make our school curriculum more diverse, starting with the library.
For me, diversity in books is way more than just numbers. It means having authors from different ethnicities, cultures, and backgrounds. It means books with characters that people feel reflected in, whether it’s through experiences or identities. It means exploring stories, histories, and perspectives from around the world so that every student has the opportunity to learn from people who may be different from themselves, while also seeing their own experiences reflected in what they read. It also means helping others develop the same genuine love for reading that I found myself having from a very young age.
Through surveys, research, book sales, and presentations, I gathered the views of students and explored ways our library could become more inclusive. Seeing other students engage with the idea and recognising that their opinions mattered was one of the most rewarding parts of the project. It showed me that positive change can begin with listening, understanding different perspectives, and taking action. No matter how young you are, or how small the change may seem at first, every positive action has the potential to make a real difference.
One of the biggest things I learned is that activism does not always have to be loud or dramatic. Sometimes it starts with asking questions, listening to others, and finding practical ways to improve something that matters. Through Beyond the Bookshelf, I discovered that small changes can have a lasting impact.
I am incredibly grateful to Activism Academy and my amazing mentor, Hannah Wilson, for giving me this opportunity and supporting me every step of the way. This has helped me grow as a person, develop confidence in my voice, and understand that I can help shape the world around me. Most importantly, it showed me that when people come together with a shared purpose, positive change is possible.
Beyond the Bookshelf started off as a project about books, but it became a journey of learning, friendship, and empowerment – and one that I will always be proud of and grateful for.
What Happens When We Listen to Children About Peace?
Written by Jim Dees
Jim Dees is the headteacher of West Lodge Primary School. He is the co-founder of YESFest.
On 18th May, more than 70 primary-aged Young Ambassadors for Peace gathered at the House of Lords for An Experiential Peace Dialogue: Living Peace in Action. Hosted by Baroness Verma and attended by members of the House of Lords, including Lord Raval, the event brought together educators, researchers, sustainability leaders, policymakers and community partners to explore an important question: What role can peace education play in helping young people thrive in today’s world? The event brought together educators, researchers, sustainability leaders, policymakers and community partners to explore an important question: What role can peace education play in helping young people thrive in today’s world?
The Young Ambassadors for Peace (YAP) programme, organised by the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University UK, brings together primary school pupils to explore peace within the self, peace with others and peace with nature through reflection, dialogue, leadership and action. What stood out most was not the programme itself, but the children. Speaking about peace within the self, peace with others and peace with nature, pupils aged between nine and eleven shared their experiences with remarkable wisdom, clarity and authenticity. They spoke about self-regulation, empathy, interfaith understanding, leadership, sustainability and belonging. They led meditations, answered questions from invited guests and demonstrated that children are capable of far more than we sometimes assume.
One child explained that the programme should focus on young people “to make a better generation.” Another reminded the audience that children are capable of making a positive difference in the world today, not simply in the future.
The event reinforced a growing belief that peace education is not an optional extra. It sits alongside wider conversations around wellbeing, belonging, citizenship, sustainability and pupil agency. At a time when schools are navigating increasing complexity, there is a growing need to create opportunities for children to develop not only knowledge and skills, but also self-awareness, compassion, responsibility and a sense of connection with others and the natural world.
Perhaps most importantly, the showcase highlighted a shift that is gaining momentum across education and beyond: seeing children not as empty vessels to be filled, but as active contributors with voice, agency, insight and wisdom. When we create the conditions for children to lead, reflect and contribute, they often bring perspectives that adults can easily overlook.
Looking ahead, we are keen to strengthen the evidence base for peace education, build partnerships across sectors and communities, and connect practice, research and policy. We would particularly welcome conversations with researchers, universities, schools, charities and organisations interested in collaboration, evaluation and further development of this work.
The next stage of that journey takes place at the Young Ambassadors for Peace Festivals in Oxford (10 June), London (12 June) and Leicester (17 June), where pupils will share their learning through experiential exhibitions, presentations and performances. These events provide an opportunity not only to celebrate the achievements of the children, but also to engage in a wider conversation about the role of peace education in supporting wellbeing, belonging, citizenship, sustainability and positive social change.
Places at all three events must be booked in advance. If you would like to attend, please register at https://yapglobal.org/peacefest2026/. We would particularly welcome educators, researchers, community leaders, policymakers and potential partners who are interested in exploring how peace education can help develop more compassionate, connected and sustainable communities.
Perhaps the most powerful message from the House of Lords came from the children themselves. In a world that often underestimates young people, they reminded us that they are not simply the leaders of tomorrow, but active contributors today — capable of helping to build more compassionate, connected and hopeful futures if we are willing to listen.
Representation Starts Here: Developing Student Leadership Through a DEIB Lens
Written by Dwight Weir
Dwight is a Deputy Headteacher and Life Coach. He is also an inspector for British Schools Overseas. Dwight has a passion for coaching and leadership development.
Walk into many schools and you will see student leaders everywhere. Head students. Prefects. Ambassadors. School council representatives. The question is: who gets to lead?
Too often, student leadership reflects the same patterns we see elsewhere in society. The confident voices are heard. The popular students are selected. The pupils who already fit the image of a “leader” are given the opportunities. Representation starts here.
If we are serious about Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB), we must rethink how we identify, develop and celebrate student leaders.
Leadership Is Not a Look
Many schools unintentionally reward visibility over potential. Students who are articulate, academically successful or naturally outgoing are often first in line for leadership opportunities. Meanwhile, quieter pupils, students with SEND, disadvantaged learners, multilingual pupils and those from underrepresented backgrounds can be overlooked.
The result?
Student leadership becomes exclusive rather than inclusive.
A DEIB approach asks a different question: Whose leadership are we missing?
Expanding the Definition of Leadership
Leadership is more than standing on a stage or speaking into a microphone.
Leadership can be:
- The student who welcomes a new classmate.
- The pupil who advocates for accessibility.
- The young person who challenges injustice.
- The learner who quietly supports others every day.
- The student who demonstrates resilience in the face of adversity.
When schools broaden their definition of leadership, more students can see themselves reflected in leadership roles. And when students can see it, they can believe it is possible.
Equity Over Equality
Giving every student the same opportunity is not always enough. Some students need encouragement, coaching, mentoring or targeted development before they feel confident enough to step forward. An equitable approach recognises that leadership pathways should not simply be open; they should be accessible.
This might mean:
- Creating leadership programmes for underrepresented groups.
- Actively encouraging applications from students who would not normally put themselves forward.
- Providing coaching and mentoring.
- Removing unnecessary barriers to participation.
Equity is not lowering standards. It is widening access.
Representation Matters
Students are constantly scanning their environment for signals.
- Who gets chosen?
- Who gets listened to?
- Who gets celebrated?
- Who gets promoted?
When leadership teams reflect the diversity of the student population, powerful messages are sent. Students begin to see that leadership is not reserved for a particular gender, ethnicity, social background, ability level or personality type.
They see possibility…They see belonging…They see themselves…
Moving Beyond Tokenism
Representation alone is not enough. A diverse student leadership team without influence changes very little. Student leaders must have genuine opportunities to shape decisions, influence policy and improve school culture. Their voices should not simply be heard. They should be acted upon.
The most effective schools move from student voice to student influence.
The Leadership Legacy
Student leadership is not just about organising events or leading assemblies. It is about preparing young people for the world they will inherit. When schools develop leadership through a DEIB lens, they cultivate empathy, courage, advocacy, collaboration and social responsibility. They create young people who understand that leadership is not about power over others. It is about creating opportunities for others. Because representation does not begin in the boardroom. It does not begin in parliament. It does not begin in the workplace.
Representation starts here.
In our classrooms. In our corridors. In our student leadership programmes.
And in the belief that every young person has the potential to lead.
School is so gay
Written by Ian Timbrell
Ian has worked in education for 18 years, including as a teacher and deputy head teacher and now supports schools develop their provision for LGBTQ+ and adopted pupils. He is the author of 'It's More Than Flags and Rainbows', a guide to supporting schools become more LGBTQ+ inclusive.
I remember seeing bullying when I was at school. I remember the names, the laughter, and the way certain words landed harder than others. I also remember how normal it all felt at the time, not because it was harmless, but because nobody really stopped it.
Years later, when I became a teacher, I genuinely believed things would be different. Society had moved on, language had evolved, and schools were far more aware of safeguarding and wellbeing. But standing in classrooms and corridors, I found myself hearing the same phrases, watching the same patterns, and feeling the same familiar knot in my stomach.
What devastated me most was not just that bullying still existed. It was how often it was excused.
“That’s so gay.”
“They don’t mean it like that.”
“It’s just a saying.”
“There are bigger issues we need to focus on.”
I heard these comments repeatedly. Sometimes from pupils, but far more painfully from adults.
For LGBTQ+ people, language like this is never neutral. It carries weight, history, and memory. When a word connected to who you are is used as shorthand for something negative, it teaches you very early on that your identity is something to be laughed at, minimised, or ignored.
As a pupil, that message hurts deeply.
As a teacher, watching it be passed on to another generation is crushing.
Over time, I became increasingly frustrated by the idea that tackling homophobia was somehow an “extra”. Something to get to if there was time. Something that sat below academic outcomes, behaviour targets, or inspection priorities. I watched schools work tirelessly on countless tick-box initiatives, yet hesitate when it came to properly challenging harmful language, often out of fear of backlash or because it was seen as controversial.
But bullying linked to sexuality or gender identity is not less serious because it is verbal. It is not less damaging because it is common. And it is not less urgent because some people are uncomfortable talking about it.
I reached a point where I could no longer accept that this was just how things were. Leaving teaching was not an easy decision, but it became a necessary one. I set up More Than Flags and Rainbows because I wanted to challenge the idea that inclusion is optional and that addressing homophobia is somehow a distraction from “real” education. It is not. It is central to it.
I have worked with children who learned to make themselves smaller to feel safe. I have listened to young people who stayed silent because drawing attention to themselves felt dangerous. I have seen how unchecked language creates cultures where exclusion becomes normal and cruelty becomes background noise.
This work matters because words shape environments. When harmful language goes unchallenged, it sends a clear message about whose feelings matter and whose do not. When schools, and wider society, treat this as a low priority, LGBTQ+ young people pay the price.
This is not abstract to me. It is personal. I have lived it, witnessed it, and ultimately walked away from a career I loved in order to keep challenging it in a different way. And I believe deeply that when we stop making excuses for harm, we create spaces where young people do not just survive, but belong.
Empowering Young People to Change the World
Written by Nicola Wetherall
Nicola is an RE teacher by training, but a specialist and Lead Practitioner for Holocaust, genocide and human rights education at Royal Wootton Bassett Academy, she curates the Empowering Young People to Change the World teacher conference series. She combines her part time role at RWBA with her Associate Professor (Teaching) role at the UCL Centre for Holocaust Education, specialising in curriculum, pedagogy and school development by supporting the Quality Mark process and Beacon School alumni engagement. Nicola founded the Holocaust, their family, me and us schools project.
This year’s DEIB Showcase for #EYP2CtW26 session felt like an expansion – a widening of what we pay attention to in schools, and a reminder that belonging is not an optional extra but a foundation.
We began with Hannah Wilson, who was joined by, and introduced us to, colleagues from the Belonging Effect (formerly Diverse Educators) network, who each brought a richness of experience, context and lived insight that was both energising and deeply grounding. But before I turn to each contribution in turn, I want to say a special thankyou to Hannah, an ally and leader who has supported #EYP2CtW26 conference for many years now, and once again curated a session for us today that was compelling, generous and full of practical wisdom.
So first we welcomed Yassar Hussain – from the UAE – who talked us through GEMS Metropole’s DEIB journey, referring to a range of scholarship that had informed that process, the importance of intentionality, student voice and agency. Yassar’s section was a powerful reminder that belonging doesn’t happen by accident, it’s built through deliberate choices around staff awareness, curriculum representation and student voice. His ‘journey’ within this work, reminded me how small, consistent actions across a year can shift culture, confidence and connection. I think that Yassar’s story offered a practical challenge for all of us: What would it look like to map our own DEIB journey across a year (staff learning, curriculum audits, student voice, community engagement) and treat it as a cycle of listening, acting and refining? For me, his contribution offered #EYP2CtW26 delegates (and me) us a template for intentional, sustainable progress, a next step be it short, medium or long term.
Next, it was a privilege to invite Monia Sahar Zahid and Claire Shooter – from HABS Elstree – who rather beautifully reminded us that belonging isn’t something you switch on in a crisis, it’s the product of the culture you’ve built long before tensions surface. Their emphasis on intellectual humility, visible inclusion and shared experiences offered a powerful blueprint for how schools can create the conditions for safety, trust and connection, even when global events hit the school gates, with a focus on the pastoral and safeguarding rather than the politics or teaching. I was struck by their noticing – their check-ins with staff and students, the human connections and deep rooted respect that revealed. I know several of the anecdotes shared, resonated powerfully with the 460+ educators accessing the session live – and the sense of thanks and gratitude for highlighting those moments was palpable in the chat forum spaces. My takeaway was need to reflect on our own readiness: Do we have the frameworks, shared language and staff confidence to hold difficult conversations before they arrive at our door? The SAFE framework they shared with us and emphasis on defensible decision‑making offer practical starting points for schools wanting to strengthen their approach to belonging, identity and conflict‑sensitive practice. So this was great to share.
Last but not least we were pleased to host Azuraye Williams from the Transform Trust, her contribution brought us back to something deceptively simple but deeply important: belonging starts with people, not paperwork. Her trust‑wide work showed how culture, connection and relationships must come before policies if we want DEIB to be lived rather than laminated, a reminder that systems only shift when humans do. Colleagues were taken with the meaningful and purposeful work undertaken to engage governors, but for me Azuraye left us a practical challenge: How well do we really know the belonging story of our own school? Her trust‑wide approach (surveying every child, engaging DEIB leads, and focusing on each school’s unique context) offered a clear starting point for any setting wanting to move from intention to impact.
It was that intentionality across the session was noticeable and built upon Hannah’s introductory remarks and concluding framing of belonging as a human need. Each contribution built on the last: from GEMS Metropole’s DEEI journey, to navigating global conflict at HABS Elstree, to trust‑wide belonging work at Transform Trust, and throughout, the examples shared (curriculum audits, microaggressions training, belonging surveys, pupil‑led research, ‘people before policies’) reminding us that belonging is not a slogan. It is a practice. A culture. A way of showing up for one another in schools.
In a climate where DEIB work is sometimes misrepresented or politicised, today was a powerful reminder that this work is not about ideology. It is rights‑respecting, dignity‑affirming, and safeguarding‑aligned. It is about ensuring that every child (and every adult) feels safe, seen, valued and able to bring their whole self into a school community. Nothing more complicated, nothing more controversial than that – and yet, the work can feel lonely, induce anxiety and expose vulnerability. I am deeply grateful to Hannah, Yassar, Claire, Monia and Azuraye, for their time, expertise and generosity of sharing, and this thread and spirit continues across the rest of the week.
If you missed this year’s DEIB Showcase for #EYP2CtW26 you can catch up here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5Qv_qeF-NpWPGep25cYsrp0zuYDEPH9c
I’m reminded again that when educators gather with honesty, courage and care, we don’t just learn, we widen our circle of belonging, and in doing so, we create the conditions for empowered young people to do the same.
Everyday Sexism: A Powerful Call to Action from Laura Bates - What Schools Can No Longer Ignore
Written by Hannah Wilson
Founder and Director of the Belonging Effect (formerly Diverse Educators).
When Laura Bates, founder of the Everyday Sexism Project, addressed the room of boarding school headteachers and senior leaders, her message was not abstract, ideological, or optional. It was urgent, and it was evidence-based.
Drawing on what is now one of the largest datasets of its kind – over 250,000 testimonies, many from children – Bates laid out a reality that schools are already part of, whether they recognise it or not.
This Is Not a “Girls’ Issue”
One of the clearest points: sexism is not about being “anti-boys.” It is instead about the ecosystem young people are growing up in. Rigid gender stereotypes harm everyone – shaping body image pressures for both girls and boys, narrowing subject choices, and reinforcing harmful expectations about relationships, power, and identity.
The idea of a “gender war” or “battle of the sexes” is not only misleading, it actively prevents progress. Instead, Bates reframed the issue: this is about culture, not conflict.
The Scale and Subtlety of the Problem
Some statistics that she shared were stark and made me feel really uncomfortable, despite being familiar with most of them:
- 86% of women in the UK report experiencing sexual harassment
- 72% of women report sexism in the classroom
- 71% of 16-year-old girls report being called “slut” or “slag” on a weekly basis
But just as important is what Bates called “subtle sexism.”
This is the quiet shaping of expectations:
- which subjects feel “appropriate”
- how physical spaces exclude women and girls
- whose voices are taken seriously
- how authority – especially female authority – is undermined
These are not isolated incidents: they are cumulative; they are structured; they are reinforced through media, advertising, peer culture, and increasingly, algorithms.
Language Matters More Than We Admit
The distinction between “groping” and “sexual harassment” is not semantic – it is cultural. So too is the shift from focusing on victims to naming perpetrators, and from passive bystanders to active upstanders. Language shapes what young people think is normal, tolerable, or reportable. If we minimise behaviours in how we speak about them, we normalise them in practice.
As a former English teacher, and now DEIB trainer, the power of language and our language choices are something I think about a lot and explore with our clients regularly.
The Online World Is Not Separate From School
A major theme was the widening gap between adults and young people in digital spaces. Most educators and parents are not digital natives. Yet, their students and their children are.
This gap matters because the online environment is not neutral – it is actively shaping attitudes:
- Influencers like Andrew Tate have amassed billions of views
- Algorithmic pathways can lead users toward extreme misogynistic content in minutes
- Exposure to pornography is now commonly reported around age 13
Bates referenced the “manosphere” – a network of online communities where ideas such as “AWALT” (“all women are like this”) circulate and harden. This is not fringe content. It is mainstream, accessible, and often gamified.
A New Frontier: AI and Exploitation
If that was not enough for us to deal with in our schools and in our homes, then the emerging technologies that are accelerating the problem are the next challenge we face:
- Deepfake and “nudify” tools enabling new forms of abuse
- AI “girlfriends” reshaping expectations of relationships
- Gamified, exploitative systems rewarding harmful behaviour
- Poorly regulated virtual spaces (including metaverses) lacking safeguarding measures
The direction of travel is clear and really concerning. I am conscious that I am not a parent, I am no longer a headteacher and I have recently stood down from being a trustee who led on safeguarding, but I care deeply about our sector, about our society and about our young people. So sitting in a room of school leaders I felt the palpable weight of responsibility on their shoulders as they began to process the enormity of what is rapidly attacking our schools and our homes.
The Youngest Are Most at Risk
Perhaps the most sobering insight: the youngest generation is not the most protected – it is the most exposed. Grooming, radicalisation, and exploitation are no longer rare nor exceptional risks. They are structural features of the environments young people inhabit – and schools sit at the intersection of all of this.
So What Can Schools Do?
Bates did not leave the room without direction but offered some practical advice and signposting.
Effective responses are not one-off assemblies or reactive policies. They are cultural and sustained:
- Start early: challenge gender stereotypes in early childhood
- Explore openly: normalise discussion of relationships, consent, and respect
- Intervene consistently: address language, behaviour, and culture in real time
- Encourage allyship: shift from bystanders to upstanders
- Support staff: particularly where female authority is undermined
- Involve parents: bridging the digital knowledge gap is essential
This is where she signposted organisations such as Tender, Lifting Limits, Beyond Equality, and Bold Voices are already doing critical work alongside schools.
A Cultural Shift, Not a Checklist
Perhaps the most important takeaway is this: sexism does not operate in a vacuum. It is built on foundations – early stereotypes, repeated messages, normalised behaviours.
Which means the solution is not a single intervention, but a process of deconstruction:
- recognising the patterns
- naming them
- and creating genuine alternatives for young people
This is not about removing choice – it is about creating it.
The Question That Remains
Bates left the audience with an implicit challenge to consider: not whether schools should respond – but whether they are prepared for what is already here, and what is coming next. She held up a mirror to remind us that the culture shaping young people today is moving faster than most institutions, so ignoring it is no longer a neutral act.
BSA – thanks for creating the space at the annual conference for this talk (and Gaelle thanks for the invitation to be in the room). Laura – thanks for the clarity and the data that you brought to the conversation.