When teacher recruitment celebrates bias
Written by Neil Lithgo
Neil Lithgo is an experienced international Physics educator with over 20 years’ teaching IB, A-Level, and IGCSE courses. He is interested in evidence-informed pedagogy, STEAM education, and inclusive practices that support neurodivergent learners and teachers. He is the creator of SimpliPhys.com.
I’ve spent some time recently reading teaching job adverts and I started to notice an interesting pattern in the language we use to describe the “ideal” candidate.
Words like “enthusiastic”, “passionate” and “dynamic” appear repeatedly, often far more frequently than descriptors related to reflection, creativity or professional deliberation. That in itself isn’t a problem but it raises some important questions about what our recruitment processes may be unintentionally filtering for and what it may be filtering out.
“Seeking an enthusiastic, passionate and dynamic teacher to join our school.”
There is nothing inherently wrong with this. Who wouldn’t want a teacher who loves their subject and can convey that enthusiasm to students?
However, language like this hides a common and largely unexamined bias in teacher recruitment. One that directly affects hiring outcomes.
For decades, research has shown that recruitment processes are vulnerable to bias, even when intent is fair. A landmark 2004 study by Bertrand and Mullainathan demonstrated that identical CVs received significantly different call-back rates based solely on whether the applicant’s name was perceived as ‘White’ or ‘Black’. Similar findings exist for gender bias, prompting widespread reforms such as anonymised applications and structured scoring.
What did not happen was the normalisation of bias once it was identified. Organisations did not respond by saying, “Sorry, you just sounded too Black” or “You weren’t masculine enough.” Instead, they changed the system.
Yet in teacher recruitment, a parallel bias remains visible and largely unchallenged.
I recently analysed 30 randomly selected teaching job adverts on TES. The most common candidate descriptors were ‘enthusiastic’ (50%), ‘passionate’ (43%), and ‘dynamic’ (37%). By contrast, descriptors associated with reflection, collaboration, or professional deliberation appeared far less frequently (‘reflective’: 7%; ‘imaginative’: 3%).
This is not presented as definitive research but even in a small sample, the pattern is striking.
Schools consistently foreground affective qualities alongside and sometimes above technical competence. These terms are not niche; they are core elements of person specifications. Importantly, they function not as baseline expectations but as comparative qualifiers. Candidates who can visibly perform enthusiasm gain an advantage over those whose motivation is quieter, more internal or expressed through depth rather than display.
More troublingly, this bias is often explicitly reinforced in feedback to unsuccessful candidates: “The other candidate showed more enthusiasm for the school” or “Others appeared more dynamic in the interview.”
This becomes a serious equity issue when viewed through the lens of neurodiversity.
Every day, schools seek teachers who are innovative, committed and deeply invested in student success. Yet the primary tool used to identify them, the traditional interview, often functions less as a window into teaching ability and more as a test of social performance. This system is built on neurotypical norms of communication and disadvantages neurodivergent candidates, particularly those with ADHD and autism.
Commonly, the ADHD child is frequently corrected for being too lively, too chatty, too enthusiastic, for interrupting, oversharing, for just generally being ‘too much.’ This lifelong social feedback often forces the development of a carefully constructed mask. A reserved, calm and controlled exterior designed to pass in neurotypical spaces. Then, as an adult in a job interview, the same individual is evaluated against a checklist that prizes the very “enthusiasm” and “dynamism” they were trained to suppress. The system first punishes the trait, then demands its performance.
For these candidates, the interview is not merely stressful; it is also structurally mismatched. Neuroscience research shows that the ADHD brain is interest-based, thriving on stimulation, immediacy, and interaction, precisely the conditions of a dynamic classroom. By contrast, a static, high-pressure interview environment triggers inhibition, not engagement. Traits such as Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria can flatten affect, while the cognitive load of recalling polished examples under pressure can consume all available executive resources.
The result is a paradox: the candidate who appears subdued in an interview may be the same teacher who energises a project-based classroom.
Recent empirical evidence supports this bias. A 2021 study by Flower et al. found that autistic candidates were rated significantly lower than neurotypical candidates in live interviews. When the same responses were evaluated via written transcript, the gap largely disappeared. The bias was not in what candidates said, but in how they said it, tone, eye contact, rhythm, neurotypical social signals that are wrongly coded as indicators of professionalism or enthusiasm.
In both ADHD and autism, the system mistakes a difference in social cognition for a deficit in employment potential.
Crucially, past recruitment reforms share a core principle: change the system, not the candidate. Blinded applications, structured scoring and evidence-based criteria reduce reliance on subjective cues. Yet these principles have largely stopped at the edge of neurotypicality.
Creating equity means moving beyond accommodations offered only on request toward universally better design. The goal is not to train neurodivergent candidates to perform neurotypically. It is to build recruitment processes sophisticated enough to recognise genuine teaching potential across different cognitive styles.
By applying the same structural thinking used to combat racial and gender bias, focusing on demonstrable skills rather than ‘charisma’, we can dismantle the enthusiasm trap. We can stop conflating the performance of passion with the substance of it.
We can continue to celebrate a narrow, performative ideal of passion and systematically lose a reservoir of talented, dedicated and innovative educators. Or, we can apply the lessons learned from fighting other biases. We can redesign our adverts, de-centre the social audition and structure assessments that look for evidence of practice over performance. By doing so, we won’t just make hiring fairer; we will build stronger, more diverse teams capable of reaching every student.
The passionate teacher is already there. We should be able to create a process that allows the presentation of their enthusiasm to be correctly understood.
Disclaimer:
This piece is about patterns in recruitment culture over time and across institutions, not about any one school or individual process.
References:
Flower RL, Dickens LM, Hedley D. Barriers to Employment: Raters’ Perceptions of Male Autistic and Non-Autistic Candidates During a Simulated Job Interview and the Impact of Diagnostic Disclosure. Autism Adulthood. 2021 Dec 1;3(4):300-309. doi: 10.1089/aut.2020.0075. Epub 2021 Dec 7. PMID: 36601643; PMCID: PMC8992918.
The Power of Storytelling for Change
Written by Orla McKeating
Entrepreneur, coach and motivational speaker
In Irish tradition, “the gift of the gab” is more than being good with words. It reflects a long-held belief that speech itself is a kind of gift, one with the power to connect, heal and shape the world around us. It’s also a friendly, light-hearted way of saying someone talks a lot and tells stories. Something I’ve been told I have many times throughout my life.
Historically, storytellers and poets held significant social power. Words had the power to heal, inspire, unite, and drive meaningful change. Using our words was not merely a skill, but a responsibility. Culturally, this reflects the role of storytelling as social glue – a tool for connection, a means of using our voices with purpose and power. In the world we live in today, this beautiful, free and powerful tool is needed more than ever to create change.
In my years of working in inclusion, I have been using stories for social change the short-term impact has been huge. The girl in the hijab in an online story session whose face lit up when she saw someone like her in The Proudest Blue by Ibtihaj Muhammad. She lit up, bounced out of the room full of excitement and energy, and brought her mother into the room to show her. Or the deaf girl in a mainstream school who had never once spoke about her disability to her classmates and after a story in sign session, she skipped into school the following day with more books about the deaf experience, so proud of her identity. Representation matters and these tiny shifts in how we share our stories in learning spaces can literally change lives.
Why does Storytelling Matter?
1.Storytelling Builds Connection
Stories can create an emotional bridge, it can build empathy and helps people feel. When we connect emotionally to a topic, we can become more curious, open and engaged. It opens a tool for conversations, especially difficult ones, and it can turn something abstract – like identity, justice or belonging – into something real.
2. Stories help children see themselves and others
Representation matters deeply in education. The concept of mirrors, windows and sliding doors by Dr Rudine Bishop allows children to see their lives, cultures and experiences reflected to them affirming identity and self-worth. Mirrors reflect children’s own lives and identities back to them, helping them feel seen, valued and affirmed. Windows invite children into others’ lives helping them develop empathy, challenge stereotypes and understand perspectives beyond their own. And sliding doors invite children to step into another world, to imagine themselves in different contexts, perspectives and possibilities.
3. Storytelling makes Complex Topics Accessible
Uncomfortable or difficult topics like race, immigration, disability or big emotions can be challenging to navigate. Stories can offer a gentle and powerful entry point to this. Through characters, narratives and lived experiences, children can explore these topics gently, engage in important discussions and critical thinking in an accessible and sustainable way.
4. Storytelling invites Participation not Perfection
Stories open space for conversation as opposed to ‘correct answers. They encourage reflection, questioning and conversation. Through stories we can encourage children to learn that their voices matter, they can disagree and still be friends and that learning is something we do together.
5. Stories can change lives
Every one of us has a story that they heard that changed their lives. Whether it’s a book, a film, history or a family anecdote. Stories create memorable, meaningful and long-lasting change. And we all have a story to tell.
If stories shape how children see themselves and the world, the stories we choose, and how we hold space for them, really matter. How can we build storytelling as a tool into our learning spaces? Whose voices are centred? Whose voices are missing? What stories do we tell ourselves? And how can we use our gift of the gab to ensure that all voices are seen, heard, valued and celebrated?
Still I Rise Stories is a space for adults, educators, teachers and any person who are using stories to open conversations about identity, belonging and justice. If this work resonates, join our community here – a space to reflect, learn and grow through story.
Navigating Inclusion as a Trainee Teacher
Written by Catherine Wilson
I have worked in the special educational needs sector since 2017 and I am currently undertaking my teacher training with Exceed and doing my PGCE with Leeds Trinity University.
While I have known I wanted to work with children and young people for a long time, it has taken me some time to find that I wanted to teach and in particular teach in an SEN setting. I initially started my work life as a Youth Worker, working evenings at my local youth club before completing my BA in Youth Work & Community Development. After completing this youth work roles were scarce after a change in government and funding cuts so I then took a role in a college supporting young people who had additional needs and found my passion for supporting children with SEN. From here I then moved to an specialist SEN school working as TA and have worked my way up to doing my initial teacher training, which is where I am today!
Navigating diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging as an ITT can feel daunting. Am I using the correct terminology? Am I creating a culture of inclusion and belonging in my classroom? Do I feel confident enough to challenge people’s views in the classroom? It can be a lot to think about and navigate on top of all the other aspects of completing teacher training.
I have always thought of my practice as being inclusive and promoting equity and diversity but having Exceed SCITT as my teacher training provider has really opened my eyes to how much more I could be doing and made me evaluate my own practices and thought patterns. I have been really lucky that alongside the training they have provided me with they also signed us up to attend the DEIB Conference. And what a thought provoking day it was! Hearing from such knowledgeable practitioners has really made me stop and think.
My standout speaker of the had to be from event organiser Hannah Wilson and her session around Cultivating a Culture of Belonging. Her discussions on where we have felt like we belonged the most as we have grown up and moved into adulthood made me think about my own experiences growing up, of feeling most settled when I was with “my people” and also how it felt when I didn’t have those feelings of belonging. It made me reflect upon how I want to create that culture of belonging in my classroom and for all my pupils to feel like they belong. She also talked about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and for a lot of the pupils that I work with they don’t have all of their safety needs met, as a lot have health needs that they need support with, but it made me reflect on how I can help meet the Love and Belonging needs that they have. Making connections with them and their families and supporting them to feel like they matter and are seen and can be themselves, especially in a world where they are still written off as not being able to do because they have a disability.
I was also really inspired by Bennie Kara and her session around Diversity in the curriculum and I think this is where I could really have an impact with my pupils. Her talk discussed how you can adapt the curriculum to be more diverse. I work in predominantly White British, low socioeconomic status school and I hadn’t really given much thought to the impact it would have on the pupils who are not White British and the impact it would have on them not seeing anything that represents them culturally. I use a lot of Widgit symbols on my powerpoints and resources for the pupils and always just use the default skin tone which is that of a white person, there is the option to edit this and have different skin tones so when I’m creating my resources going forward I am going to vary it.
While Hannah and Bennie provided the ‘lightbulb moments’ for me I really appreciated what Krys Mcinnis, Jo Brassington, Lewis Wedlock and Mariam Tomusk had to say and will take points from their sessions into my own professional practice. Hearing from each of the practitioners really cemented my beliefs that diversity and inclusion are not just ‘tokenistic’ or something that are achieved and then forgotten but should be something that is a continuous development.
References:
Exceed SCITT: https://www.exceedscitt.co.uk/
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html?scrlybrkr=5cc7f61c
Cultivating Belonging in Schools
Written by Hannah Wilson
Founder and Director of the Belonging Effect (formerly Diverse Educators).
It has been a busy month/ start to the year but in the middle of juggling multiple commitments and activities, this week I received a delivery of 200 copies of my new book – A Little Guide for Teachers: Cultivating Belonging in Schools (SAGE 2026).
After all of the time and energy it took to write it, it is quite a small book, but I hope it will be a helpful addition to the conversation and give educators practical ideas of things to do for themselves, for their peers and for their learners. It is great that this contribution to the series sits alongside work by Bennie Kara, Amjad Ali, Yamina Bibi and Emma Kell.
This is how I have structured the book:
- Introduction: Why should we care about DEIB?
- 1 Belonging in Society: How do we develop it?
- 2 Belonging in Schools: How do we change it?
- 3 Belonging in the Staffroom: How do we disrupt it?
- 4 Belonging in the Classroom: How do we foster it?
- 5 Call to Action: What do we do next?
In the opening I state:
“Belonging is the feeling that is created as a result of the work we do on DEI. I thus present it as an equation:
Diversity + Equity + Inclusion = Belonging
Why does this book use the word ‘cultivating’? I used to talk about building, creating and growing belonging, but for me ‘cultivating’ captures that there is ongoing work needed and that there are different variables that we need to pay attention to. DEIB is not a ‘one and done’ approach, belonging takes time and ongoing work in the form of commitment/investment.
So, let’s start peeling back the different layers of things to consider when it comes to belonging. And I apologise in advance if you are left with more questions than answers by the end of the book, but that is the nature of the work. It is not a clean nor a linear journey, we will never be done, we will never know it all”.
Our Work on Belonging:
I wrote a blog last term about why I rebranded my business from Diverse Educators to the Belonging Effect. You can read it here. In short:
- “Belonging is the bridge between diversity, equity and inclusion – it is the emotional outcome of equity in action. It is the moment when people stop trying to fit in and start being fully themselves.
- We chose The Belonging Effect because belonging is not just a concept; it is a ripple. When one person feels they belong, it impacts their team, their classroom, their community. It is an effect that multiplies”.
I also wrote a blog at the end of term about Belonging becoming a buzzword, a band wagon and at times a plaster being put on the problem of DEI to conceal it. It caused a bit of a fallout so it clearly hit a nerve! You can read it here. This was/is my provocation:
“There’s no denying the emotional resonance of belonging. Everyone wants to feel seen, valued, and part of a community. The word signals care and connection – qualities deeply needed in our schools.
Yet belonging, in its current popular use, carries a kind of neutrality that makes it especially attractive to those uncomfortable with conversations about race, power, and privilege. It sounds universal and non-political. It doesn’t demand that we ask who has been excluded, whose histories have been erased, or whose comfort is prioritized”.
So if this theme is of interest and you would like to find out more please see below my signposting to events, training, toolkits, books and blogs you can engage with. And if you do get your hands on a copy of the book, I would love to know what you think!
Our Book Launches:
- In-person: 31/1/26 in person in Bath, 1.30-3.30pm. You can book to join us here.
- Virtual: 9/2/26 virtual, zoom or Streamyard dependent on numbers, 4-6pm. You can book to join us here.
I am delighted to be joined by friends from the region (Domini, Edel, Tanisha and Will), academics from Bath University (Alison and Ceri) and members of my team (Amy, Bennie, Jo and Yamina) for both of these conversations as it is important to unpack belonging through multiple lenses to appreciate how it is impacted by different lived experiences.
Our Belonging Training:
I have designed a session that can be delivered as a keynote or as a workshop which really provokes reflections and discussions on what belonging means to different people. Find out more here. We have sessions on Belonging in the Classroom and Belonging in the Curriculum designed and delivered by the BE team.
Our Belonging Toolkit:
Our BE Associate Zahara Chowdhury collated a toolkit on Belonging which I have been updating as I spot new resources and research. Find out more here.
Our Bookshelf:
Check out Zahara’s book on Belonging in the Classroom and the other DEIB titles our team have published which explore belonging for different identity groups and in different spaces: https://www.thebelongingeffect.co.uk/our-books/
Our Reflections on Belonging:
Check out these 10 blogs on Belonging from members of the BE network:
- Andrew Morrish: https://www.thebelongingeffect.co.uk/belonging-on-purpose/
- Chloe Watterston: https://www.thebelongingeffect.co.uk/belonging-empathy-and-a-curriculum-that-sees-every-child/
- Erin Skelton: https://www.thebelongingeffect.co.uk/belonging/
- Hannah Wilson: https://www.thebelongingeffect.co.uk/when-belonging-replaces-equity-the-silence-of-white-male-educators/
- Jennifer Johnson: https://www.thebelongingeffect.co.uk/getting-to-the-heart-of-inclusion-and-belonging/
- John Doyle: https://www.thebelongingeffect.co.uk/unsettling-deficit-narratives-race-identity-and-belonging-in-english-schools/
- Sarah Pengelly: https://www.thebelongingeffect.co.uk/building-belonging-in-primary-schools-with-human-values/
- Tricia Taylor: https://www.thebelongingeffect.co.uk/seen-valued-and-able-designing-classrooms-for-social-and-academic-belonging/
- Yasmina Kone: https://www.thebelongingeffect.co.uk/celebrating-esea-heritage-month-building-belonging-for-every-student-and-why-it-matters-right-now/
- Zahara Chowdhury: https://www.thebelongingeffect.co.uk/belonging-in-the-classroom-responding-to-a-divided-world/
I can teach a diverse curriculum!
Written by Yvonne Eba
Yvonne Eba is a current head of English in a Catholic school and PhD student who is studying Education. She is currently writing a thesis based around race, racism, masculinity within the student experiences of British Nigerian men. Within her role as head of department she has transformed the curriculum by intentionally adding more diverse texts and poems. She is focused on building a rich, ambitious and holistic curriculum in a school which is predominantly black. She has dedicated the last decade developing young people through workshops, fellowships, tuition and mentoring.
At the tender age of 15 I was uniquely passionate about being able to teach kids life transforming lessons within the confinements of a classroom or lecture hall. I found it odd that kids weren’t being taught the purpose behind their subject or life long learning skills attached. i.e Why are kids not taught in Maths the art of saving, investment and tithing or taught in English how to write and compose an effective CV. This passion consistently grew and when I started my company at 21 ( shout out to Life Creations) we created sessions and packages which did exactly that – taught kids things they could use outside the classroom.
But this wasn’t enough.
As I became a Head of English I finally saw this dream come to life again but I had no idea how much work, brain power, focus and buy-in from a team it would take to actually manifest it. I have been watching and reading numerous articles by Dena Eden ( Director of Secondary English curriculum) who states the importance of consistency in curriculum starts with ” texts studied, sequencing of units and lessons and the pace of lessons”
So flash back with me and picture this – I was in a new school, new role and I had heaps of ambition and zeal to:
” transform the lives of young people through the power of challenging , ambitious texts and units which were personal to them“.
I was passionate about:
” ensuring ideas around marginalising black people or the discussions around who can say the N word or not when reading out an extract were no longer normalised or championed through texts like Of Mice and Men. Which were branded outdated yet needed?”
and I wanted students
“to see and read authors and poets from diverse backgrounds within the context of: race, gender and class”
whilst
“still getting them GCSE ready and abiding by the demands of the national curriculum”.
It’s been a journey, tussle and challenging but with some giants and shakers on the team and the never-ending grace of God we have made some shifts and changes. The last HOD I spoke to reassured me that her curriculum changes and the seamless nature of its delivery took five years inclusive of assessments and consistency.
It’s important on this journey that you pace yourself and get feedback from your team and students on how they feel it is going.
Here’s five things I have learnt so far :
- Make the curriculum ambitious: it is absolutely imperative regardless of the demographics of students you have that the texts you choose challenge and enrich them. This can be intentionally captured through the tier of language used and the content within the chosen text/ unit and the big ideas and questions which are evoked.
- Make it accessible for your team : getting a buy in isn’t always the easiest thing and resistance is inevitable at first. But don’t take it personal; as human beings we are creatures of habit and it’s a natural reaction for people to feel underprepared or scared of change. However ensuring the lessons provided along with the new units, week by week plans and DO NOWs are of a high quality will often make the process swifter for your team. It is important that there is unification of moral purpose as we teach according to our experience, beliefs and morals which could often add to the complexity of running a team. So providing strategic resources would help each teacher feel confident to approach and teach the new text. This is your time as a HOD to overcommunicate, overcommunicate and overcommunicate again. Also be transparent with your team that this is NEW to you too!
- Make purposeful assessments : it is important that when building your curriculum you are intentional about what you are testing the students on during your lessons and at the end of the unit. It is imperative that students are being tested on the skills and knowledge you have taught them throughout the set time. i.e If you have been teaching them Frankenstein (play version) and analysing the purpose of language in key extracts the end of unit test will not be an imaginative writing piece from the scientist if these skills haven’t been taught. I always think about what we are assessing the students and how this is preparing them for their greatest assessments in y11 which are their GCSEs. From year 7 we look at language analysis which will help them in the Language Papers and analysis of extracts whilst providing them questions in an exam style layout which helps them for literature
- Make it personal : don’t just follow trends ensure your curriculum represents the cohort of your kids you are teaching. Ask yourself genuine questions : can they relate to these characters? Is this personal to them? Will they feel represented? Will they be inspired? What type of learners would you like them to leave as?
- Make it literacy and oracy inclusive : ensure you provide space for students to discuss their thoughts and demonstrate their understanding of the new topic at hand. It is good to address misconceptions consistently during DO NOW tasks, live marking and through plenaries however it is even better when the kids can articulate their understanding or lack of it themselves
I still have a long way to go but my word for the year to my team was this will become “seamless” in fact the word for the year is “seamless” ( by fire and force!).
I have taken out a lot of texts, bought new texts, returned some texts, changed some units and its content, revised, redrafted, dipped into the budget, took advice, listened a lot, spoke a lot, asked a lot, vented a lot and finally realised this isn’t about what I want to teach them its about what is best FOR their academic development.
So I am in an honourable position to be able to be part of history – I am currently speaking with other HODs on ways they can get the best English curriculum for their kids.
Do connect with me to see our latest curriculum map and to discuss ways to help shape English together!
“Because it makes us feel more comfortable” – Gender, Bodies, and Elephants in PE Swimming Lessons
Written by Justus Schwenzer
Justus Schwenzer (he/him) is a secondary teacher for PE, music, and English. Dedicated to fostering safe and inclusive learning spaces built on openness, belonging, and acceptance, he is passionate about research on equity, diversity, and inclusion in education.
The new school term has begun, and swimming is the new topic in PE. As a new member of staff, I am surprised to learn that our normally mixed-sex lessons are now split into separate “boys” and “girls” classes for swimming. This immediately raises questions for me, and I am curious to hear how my Year 10 students make sense of it.
“Why do you think our school chooses single-sex swimming lessons over the usual mixed-sex PE lessons?”
One of the students is bold enough to share: “Because it makes us feel more comfortable”. Such an honest response, perhaps hesitant, self-conscious, or even a little presumptuous in speaking for everyone.
But this raises the central question of this blog: Does separating students by sex really create comfort for everyone, or does it mask the deeper issues and avoid the tough questions that make PE feel uncomfortable in the first place?
This blog argues that single-sex swimming lessons are not automatically a solution for creating a truly welcoming and supportive learning environment. Instead, creating comfort, trust, and inclusion requires reflective practice that addresses the underlying issues of visibility, vulnerability, and equity in PE.
Is single-sex swimming more “comfortable” because it caters to innate abilities?
PE is, and probably always will be, a particularly gendered space. In this educational setting, bodies are in the spotlight and the centre of attention. A student saying “comfortable” might be pointing to culturally entrenched ideas about gender, such as the expectation that “strong boys” and “delicate girls” engage in activities thought to match their innate abilities. Historical debris of traditional gendered expectations still echoes through PE curricula and teaching practices, even though such narrow ideas of ‘ideal’ bodies are being critically challenged and perceived as outdated.
Is single-sex swimming more “comfortable” because it makes students feel less exposed and vulnerable?
Swimming differs from other curriculum topics due to heightened visibility of the body and a different dress code. The swimming pool represents a space where questions of respectable dress, visibility, and decency are grounded in the historic development of the sport. Interpreting “comfortable” as feeling protected and less vulnerable is therefore not far-fetched. “Girls” may want to feel protected from unwanted looks and the cisgender, heterosexual, sexualised (“male”) gaze. Additionally, mixed-sex PE may create religious distress for students with religious beliefs that emphasise modesty, making single-sex PE feel more “comfortable” for them. But can a safe and non-judgemental atmosphere not be created in mixed-sex swimming through reflective teaching practices?
When underlying beliefs and struggles that contribute to shame and anxiety in the pool are not addressed, opting for single-sex swimming lessons is more of a band-aid solution. Single-sex PE does not replace the work that has to be done to make this setting a safe, body-positive environment without judgement. Students are still together in a group with other people, tempted to compare and contrast their bodies, still trying to navigate puberty, hormones, and bodily changes. The work to support our students and help them feel “comfortable” in their own bodies does not go away.
Who is “us” in single-sex swimming lessons?
The “us” is still often defined as “boys” and “girls”. Single-sex PE creates binary groupings and potentially confines PE into “traditional” forms that reproduce inequitable sets of gendered power relations. What happens to students who cannot or do not want to say whether they should join the “boys” or the “girls”? Landi (2025) gives an example of how queer and trans students (that is how the youth in this study referred to themselves collectively) are marginalised in these moments, their bodies made to sit at a fault line of the system, creating barriers that leave them feeling erased. Students whose bodies fit neatly into the categories of “male” and “female” are privileged by the system. Heteronormativity is encouraged in those moments, creating a shield of invisibility around other sexual and gender identities. Others are left with the burden of accepting an option that does not represent them, potentially leaving them exposed, unprotected, and threatened.
Towards inclusive and welcoming swimming lessons in PE
I am aware that single-sex PE and mixed-sex PE are highly complex issues deeply entrenched in politics, (sporting) culture, religion, and society. The swimming pool tends to amplify particular issues. Despite these challenges, even long-standing practices in PE can benefit from reflection. Supporting all students means creating space for open, critical dialogue across perspectives. So, ask yourself what life lessons we want to teach our students, the type of world we envision for young people to move through, and who is allowed to move freely within it. Addressing the elephant in the pool might just make everybody feel a little bit more “comfortable”.
Unity at a Time of Polarisation
Written by Johnoi Josephs and Omena Osivwemu
Johnoi Josephs is an award-winning educator, mentor, and Assistant Principal in South London, co-founder of Black Men Teach, and a specialist in Student Climate and Culture whose work centres on representation, visibility, and creating environments where young people can truly thrive.
Omena Osivwemu is a Policy Officer specialising in Race Equality in Education for the largest education union, a freelance writer and speaker, and education and antiracism consultant. Formerly a Primary Teacher, Humanities Lead and School Governor, she has taught in Key Stage 1 and 2 across England and Spain. Currently, Omena works with a range of organisations, such as The Black Curriculum, Lit in Colour, BLAM UK, and BERA.
Political players who are stoking division, hate and fear across our nation and around the world, are better funded and more organised than we have seen in our lifetime. We are witnessing rising misinformation, conspiracy and hateful violence in society, which is bleeding into our schools and colleges. We must ensure classrooms are safe spaces for all pupils to develop historical understanding, critical thinking and media literacy. Classrooms should be the place where children and young people express their ideas, listen to others and develop their empathy and mutual respect- especially in disagreement. Thus, educators are called to be courageous and stand up against hate in all its forms- be it racism, Islamophobia, antisemitism, misogyny, transphobia and homophobia, or anti-migrant sentiments- because we need unity at a time of polarisation.
This was the theme for the NEU’s (National Education Union) annual Black Educators Conference 2025 (BEC), which unified over 600 Black and Global Majority heritage (GMH) educators together in Birmingham across a weekend in November.
“The best BEC I have attended!” (NEU member & teacher)
Attending BEC as a first-time delegate and workshop facilitator, I (Johnoi Josephs) found it an energising and grounding experience. The theme, Unity at a time of Polarisation, could not have been more fitting. What struck me was the collective understanding that meaningful change does not rest on the shoulders of a few. As the conference reminded us, it’s better when we all do a little something, than when some of us do a few things. That framing alone speaks directly to school leaders like myself, navigating increasingly complex educational landscapes.
Over the course of the weekend, we joined the charismatic Jeffrey Boakye on his journey from classroom teacher to widely recognised author and broadcaster. We learnt a thing or two from Dr Lesley Nelson-Addy’s edifying keynote exploring key research reports on issues of school exclusion, misogynoir and the Eurocentric curriculum (see Runnymede Trust’s reporting below).
Central to the conference was the plight of overseas trained/ migrant teachers, who are actively recruited in their home countries, often by large multi-academy chains, to plug the gaps of the teacher recruitment and retention crisis here in England. Yet, once recruited, these overseas trained colleagues receive little relocation support or induction, and are facing inequitable, exploitative pay and working conditions. (Read more here and here.)
BEC 2025 illuminated these issues and more, such as the stunted progression of Black and GMH teachers and long-overdue anti-racist curriculum reform. We explored legal, academic and lived-experience insights that challenge the systemic injustice and inequities facing migrant and racialised staff and pupils in our schools. Esteemed speakers included Professor Paul Miller, a leading voice in Black and migrant teacher experiences in the UK, and Rajiv Sharma, a Public Law Barrister specialising in Immigration and Asylum work. Equally, a selection of the many grassroots organisations doing the work in our schools, communities and institutions were a part of the conversation, including but not limited to, Nadine Bernard and Aspiring Heads, Leaders Like Us, Lit in Colour, The Black Curriculum, Black Men Teach, Justice 4 Windrush, Educate Against Islamophobia, Maslaha and more.
One of the most personally resonant moments came from Jeffrey Boakye’s reminder: “If we are not at the table, we are on the menu.” As a Black school leader, this landed heavily. BEC reminded me that leadership does not exclude us – school leaders – from our community. If anything, it calls us to be even more present. Our communities, our unions, our institutions are strengthened when we take our place within them.
What I appreciated most was being in a space that spoke directly to my visible intersectionality as a Black educator. The language, the framing, the unapologetic celebration of identity and contribution, these were affirmations I didn’t realise I needed. And beyond the sessions, the atmosphere mattered: the laughter, the connections and reconnections, the sense of shared purpose. The “vibes” were not incidental; they were part of the learning. They reminded me that remaining in this profession is not only a career decision, but also a duty of representation, community, and continuity.
Educators left with their commitment renewed, their belonging reinforced and a reminder that unified we are strong and can collectively push for change in education and beyond!
If you too want to unite our communities in love, hope and unity, join the Together Alliance and stand against those sowing division and hate.
Useful links & resources:
- Join the Together Alliance and stand in unity against the far-right.
- Black Men Teach programmes: teacher training, pupil mentorship and values development.
- The Anti-Racism Framework is free to download and supports educators and leaders to develop a whole-school anti-racism strategy.
- Thinking Beyond the Box: A collection of recommendations for change by Black researchers and practitioners.
- NEU’s model policy for Overseas Trained Teachers sets out a comprehensive framework covering ethical recruitment and relocation support to induction, pay, and progression.
- Lit in Colour: Free Teaching Resources KS1- 5.
- Runnymede Trust Report (2025) – History on loop: the sustained impact of school exclusions on Black communities.
- Runnymede Trust Report (2024) – Misogynoir in the Workplace: Understanding the Experiences of Black Women in Leadership Positions.
- Runnymede Trust & Lit in Colour Report (2021) – Lit In Colour: Diversity in Literature in English Schools.
Belonging, Empathy, and a Curriculum that Sees Every Child
Written by Chloe Watterston
Chloe is an educator, athlete, and advocate for inclusive, curiosity-driven learning, dedicated to creating spaces where every young person feels safe, valued, and empowered. Her work across mainstream and SEND education, community projects, and curriculum reform is driven by a passion for amplifying marginalised voices and breaking down barriers to learning.
Belonging is not a bonus; it is a basic human need. Students who feel unseen, misunderstood, or undervalued will never thrive, no matter how carefully a curriculum looks on paper. Too often, belonging is treated as an afterthought- diversity weeks, a handful of posters in corridors, or the occasional themed assembly. These gestures may be well-meaning, but they fall short. True belonging requires more than decoration. It demands integration, empathy, and truth-telling.
Empathy has been stripped from education by a Eurocentric curriculum. When children encounter only one narrative, their own reflected back endlessly, or someone else’s never shown, they are denied the chance to be curious about differences. This absence breeds prejudice, isolation, and a narrow sense of the world. Representation matters, but not as an add-on or a gesture. It matters because it reflects humanity in its full breadth.
Learning outcomes are directly shaped by belonging. Research shows that students who feel they belong are more likely to achieve academically, develop social intelligence, and build resilience. A school that makes children feel like outsiders, whether because of race, culture, gender identity, or ability, unintentionally closes doors. Belonging must be woven into the fabric of school life from the start, not treated as an optional extra. When it is cultivated intentionally, young people gain the freedom to be curious, to trust, and to empathise. Without it, they turn elsewhere for meaning- often online, where they encounter narrow and sometimes toxic narratives about themselves and others.
Our most powerful tool for building empathy is storytelling. Stories act as mirrors, windows, and sliding doors: mirrors so children see themselves reflected; windows so they can look into other lives; and doors so they can step into perspectives far from their own. When children never see themselves in a story, they are told- silently but forcefully- that they are invisible. When they never encounter differences, they are denied the chance to develop empathy. Books, films, oral histories, and local community stories should not be treated as extras outside the ‘real curriculum.’ They are the curriculum.
Narratives that exclude Black contributions to science, art, geography, and literature are not neutral; they are erasure. Inclusive education cannot be about “adding diversity” on top of a whitewashed foundation. It must be about truth-telling. Black histories should be present in every subject, in every classroom, and in everyday conversations. Integration often provokes discomfort, but discomfort is not failure. It is learning. A curriculum rooted in truth will not always feel comfortable, but it will always be necessary.
Grades, too, can be barriers to belonging. Exams reward memorisation under pressure, punishing those who do not thrive in such conditions. For many learners, especially those from marginalised groups, this reinforces inequity rather than reducing it. Success needs to be redefined. Coursework and project-based assessment can value creativity, local histories, and lived experiences. A ‘D grade’ (which, in modern terms, equates to a Grade 3) may reflect extraordinary resilience and achievement in context. True equity means measuring children not against a singular rubric, but against their own journeys.
In classrooms, empathy cannot be demanded without exposure to difference. Curiosity grows when children encounter diverse stories and have safe spaces to talk about identity, race, gender, and belonging. Teachers play a vital role here. Students learn not only from what is said, but from what is modelled. When teachers show curiosity, challenge harmful narratives, and treat difference as opportunity rather than threat, they teach children to do the same.
Next come the practical shifts. Local heroes and community changemakers can be celebrated so that children encounter role models on their own doorstep. Equity, diversity, and inclusion must be reviewed with the same seriousness as safeguarding or attainment. Schools can use existing frameworks, such as the Equality Act and the Gatsby Benchmarks, to embed equity into daily structures rather than treating it as an extra burden. Above all, as discussed, storytelling should sit at the heart of the curriculum across all subjects.
Generations of young people are growing up in a world of polarisation, online radicalisation, and systemic inequality. After years of austerity, many are absorbing harmful narratives from the sources they trust most. They deserve better. They deserve an education that reflects them rather than erases them, and teachers willing to model curiosity and courage. As an Anti-Racism in the Curriculum panellist put it: young people are themselves an oppressed group- no one knows what it is like to be a child in 2025 except the children of 2025. Schools must listen to them, reflect them, and prepare them not only for exams, but for life lived with empathy and justice.
Inherited histories remind us that the curriculum is not abstract. It is rooted in the cultures and communities that shape who we are. My poem (see my article next week) – captures this truth:
“For the ones who carry the world in their veins – and make this island beat.”
This is Britain: a mosaic of footsteps, flavours, languages, and inventions, built by travellers, migrants, and dreamers. It is not a fantasy of purity, but a reality of mixture and connection. A curriculum that denies this truth denies the very heartbeat of the nation.
Now education must prioritise empathy with the same seriousness it gives to literacy and numeracy. Belonging should be woven into every subject, student voice must be valued, and leaders held accountable for equity. Success must be redefined so that growth, creativity, and resilience stand alongside grades. Every child should be able to look at the curriculum and find themselves reflected in it, while also seeing and stepping into the lives of others.
Going forward, if we want to raise a generation capable of compassion, critical thinking, and courage, education must be transformed into a tool for connection, not division.
Belonging is the root. Empathy is the bridge. Truth is the curriculum.
ASPIRE: Creating a culture where everyone can flourish
Written by Michele Deeks
Michele Deeks is a psychologist whose passion is helping people to be at their best more of the time. She is a Director of Work Positive and co-creator of the At My Best product range.
There seems to be an ever-growing body of evidence suggesting that our education system simply isn’t working for many teachers or learners. From the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Education’s inquiry into the Loss of Love of Learning, through to reports showing unprecedented levels of staff stress and burnout, the challenges seem to be numerous.
It can be hard to know how to even begin to make things better. Something we can all influence, however, is the culture in our classrooms and institutions. Dr Sue Roffey, a psychologist and academic with extensive expertise in whole school wellbeing, has developed the ASPIRE model for flourishing cultures. The six principles in this model stimulate both discussion and action on what we can do day-to-day to enable everyone to be at their best.
In this video Sue talks to me about the ASPIRE model and its potential to transform staff and pupils’ experience of education.
https://vimeo.com/1140772098?fl=ip&fe=ec
ASPIRE is an acronym for Agency, Safety, Positivity, Inclusion, Respect and Equity. It is a model of culture that draws inspiration from developmental and child psychology, positive psychology and neuroscience as well as extensive education research and Dr Roffey’s own experience and practice in schools across the world.
So what does each principle look and feel like in practice?
Agency
Agency is about empowerment. Agency in the classroom is evident where every pupil recognises they have a voice and a choice. Where learners are active agents in their learning, where they are involved in shaping what happens in their classroom, recognising not only how they can influence their own experiences, but how they can positively impact their peers and teachers too.
Safety
A safe educational setting keeps everyone safe from physical harm and mental distress, but it goes beyond that – in a safe environment everyone is accepted for themselves; everyone feels able to make contributions and take risks without fearing punishment, blame or humiliation.
Positivity
A strong sense of positivity in the classroom isn’t about ignoring what’s wrong or being unrealistic about what’s possible, but about shifting the focus to what’s working well. It’s about creating a culture that values and encourages a positive mindset, positive emotions, strengths-based language and solution-focused actions. It is also about having fun together.
Inclusion
An inclusive environment is one that demonstrates appreciation of diversity in a way that encourages behaviours and practices that increase everyone’s sense of belonging. Inclusivity means celebrating each person’s unique place in the world and valuing our shared humanity. It is about ensuring that everyone feels they matter and can contribute.
Respect
Treating others in the way they prefer to be treated sits at the heart of the principle of respect. Where respect is embedded in an educational setting it’s evident the whole person is valued, hierarchical privilege is minimised and there’s thoughtful consideration for differences in perspectives, contexts, feelings and needs.
Equity
Strong themes of fairness and flexibility are evident in environments that prioritise equity, with a recognition and understanding that one size does not fit all. Different accommodations are made for different students and staff to enable everyone to achieve optimal levels of contribution and outcome.
Each of the six principles brings something different to a culture. It is challenging for staff and students to flourish when any are missing. The principles also interact, overlap and affirm each other with individual behaviours, routines and habits sometimes being indicative of several.
So how can we embed ASPIRE in practice? Dr Roffey argues that culture isn’t something that can be imposed – it’s a shared responsibility. It’s something that everyone within an education setting influences on a daily basis. Culture is made up of our daily behaviours and practices. If we’re looking to change ‘how we do things around here’ we need to work out what we need to be doing differently and what perhaps needs more emphasis. There is no particular principle of ASPIRE that you need to start with. Instead, it’s about starting where it makes sense in your setting, working collaboratively to explore what’s working well and identifying clear, tangible actions that you can take to make sure your culture is one where everyone can flourish.
Watch the webinar (46 mins) to hear Dr Roffey explain the background to the ASPIRE model and the newly launched ASPIRE Culture Cards.
What Are You Actually Fighting For?
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.
Closing Reflections on Anti-Racism in Education
For three articles, we have explored the urgency of anti-racism in education: racism as a safeguarding issue, the policy–practice disconnect, and the role of belonging and empathy in curriculum reform. Each piece has shared evidence, strategies, and practical steps for schools and teachers.
But sometimes data isn’t enough. Sometimes policy isn’t enough. Sometimes what we need is language that speaks not only to the head, but to the heart.
This final post in the series is not an essay. It is a poem. A truth-telling. A mirror held up to the contradictions of nationalism and the realities of Britain’s multicultural identity. It is a reminder of why anti-racism in the curriculum matters- not as an ‘add-on’, but as the honest story of who we are.
What are you actually fighting for?
(For the ones who carry the world in their veins – and make this island beat.)
What are you actually fighting for?
I mean-
have you stopped to taste the air you’re breathing?
That air laced with the spices from the corner shop down the road,
the samosa stand next to the bus stop,
the Portuguese bakery with custard tarts that taste like heaven on a tired Tuesday.
You yell about purity with a mouth that still carries
last night’s tikka masala.
And the flags-
Oh, the flags!
You wave them like swords,
St George’s cross stitched bold on cotton,
blood-red lines cutting through white.
But you forgot, didn’t you?
That St George wasn’t from here.
That the saint you scream under
was born somewhere foreign,
his story carried by traders and travellers
long before your postcode was drawn on a map.
Your symbol is a migrant.
Your flag is an immigrant.
But you raise it like a shield
against the very soil it grew from.
And the Union flag-
a stitched-together puzzle of histories,
threads from Scotland, Ireland, England,
woven into a single declaration:
We are many.
We are mixed.
We are made from meeting points,
from ports and ships and stories that came crashing in with the tide.
A union.
A blend.
A patchwork cloak.
You’ve wrapped it tight,
but you’re choking on the irony.
What are you actually fighting for?
Because from here, it looks like fear
dressed up in patriotism,
looks like rage you can’t name,
painted on banners you don’t understand.
Your voice is loud,
but your knowledge is quiet.
History echoes,
and you drown it out with chants
that sound more like hollow drums than truth.
Meanwhile-
your lunch is an onion bhaji,
grease soaking through the paper bag,
and when you stumble home tonight,
you’ll flick through menus like passports:
Chinese, Indian, Thai,
a taste of somewhere else in every bite.
Your belly says yes
to the world you say no to.
It’s easy, isn’t it,
to hate what you don’t know,
but love it on a plate?
To fear what you can’t pronounce,
but crave it for dinner?
Your fork is braver than your heart.
Your stomach more open than your mind.
We see you,
draped in cotton stitched overseas,
trainers made in Vietnam,
phone built from hands in factories
that have never felt British soil,
but hold your future tighter than you do.
You call this pride.
But we call it forgetting.
Forgetting that this island
is a mosaic of footsteps,
a patchwork of prayers,
a hand-me-down jacket
from centuries of travellers.
You wear history
like a blindfold.
What are you actually fighting for?
A myth?
A memory that never belonged to you?
An idea of “pure”
that never existed?
Even the soil beneath you
was shaped by glaciers that wandered here
from somewhere else.
We are a nation
built by boats and borders crossed,
by accents and spices,
by stories sewn into every street sign.
We are not a closed book.
We are an anthology.
And you’re standing in the middle of it
with a marker,
trying to black out pages
that taught you how to read.
So, here’s my truth:
No flag can save you from yourself.
You can clutch it, wave it,
let it snap and crack in the wind
like an angry tongue,
but it will not make you right.
Because that red cross you worship
was carried here by immigrants,
and the jack you wear like armour
is stitched together from difference,
not division.
So we ask you again:
What are you actually fighting for?
Because this island was never yours to guard- it was always ours to share.
And no matter how high you raise that flag,
it cannot erase the taste of curry on your breath,
the Cantonese whispers in your takeaway,
the Portuguese custard on your tongue,
the Turkish barber shaping your hair,
the Nigerian nurse who will hold your hand when you’re old and afraid.
This is Britain.
Not the fantasy you’re screaming for,
but the truth you’re standing on.
A country made rich by every hand that built it.
A song of accents rising through city streets.
An anthem of:
borrowed flavours- jerk chicken and jollof, shawarma, sushi, samosas and sourdough, pho, peri-peri, and pints of chai;
borrowed words- bungalow, ketchup, robot, shampoo, khaki, curry, chocolate, chaos, pyjamas;
borrowed technologies- printing presses, steam engines, satellites, trains that run on rails laid by migrant hands;
borrowed clothing- saris and suits, turbans and trainers, jeans born in Italy, stitched in Bangladesh;
borrowed rhythms- jazz and jungle, bhangra beats and punk guitar, Afrobeats shaking London basements;
borrowed stories – sagas, scriptures, epics, and myths ferried here on waves and winds;
borrowed inventions – recipes, languages stitched together like patchwork quilts, passports of possibility, hand-me-down hope,
and second chances.
Lower your flag.
Take a seat.
Hear the harmony in your own history-
This isn’t a solo,
it is a symphony.
And know this:
the strongest nations are not guarded by gates,
but opened by arms.
—-
The poem above speaks directly to the myths we tell ourselves as a nation. It exposes the irony of waving a flag stitched together from migration, while demanding purity that never existed. It challenges us to look honestly at the mosaic of influences – food, music, language, technology, healthcare, labour – that make Britain what it is.
This isn’t just a political reflection. It’s an educational one. When schools shy away from teaching the truth, when they reduce Black history to a week in October, when they treat diversity as tokenism rather than truth- they do children a profound disservice. They deny them the tools of empathy, the skills of critical thinking, and the pride of belonging.
Anti-racism in the curriculum is not about ‘teaching politics’. It’s about teaching reality. It’s about ensuring that when children open a textbook, they see the world as it is: interconnected, complex, and beautiful in its diversity.
Final Messages
- Curriculum is a mirror, a window, and a door. Children must see themselves reflected, see others clearly, and step into unfamiliar worlds with curiosity rather than fear.
- Representation is accuracy. Britain’s history is not monocultural. It is centuries of migration, invention, and exchange. To hide that truth is to teach falsehood.
- Empathy is not optional. It is a skill, and like literacy or numeracy, it must be taught, practised, and embedded.
- Belonging is safeguarding. A child who feels invisible, erased, or unsafe is not protected. Anti-racism is child protection.
Every chant in the street, every flag raised in anger, every online echo of hate is a reminder: education is where we break these cycles or allow them to continue. If we fail to tell the truth in classrooms, we leave children vulnerable to lies outside them.
This reminder is a call to remember that Britain has never been a closed island. It is, and always has been, a crossroads. A patchwork. A symphony. The curriculum must reflect that, not as a concession, but as the truth.