Teaching

We have all seen them. Driving up the motorway, crossing a roundabout in town, suddenly there it is: the Union Jack, or the red-and-white St George’s Cross, flapping over a bridge or painted over the crossing. No football tournament, no royal celebration – just flags, bolted into the landscape.

Let’s be clear – they are not innocent festive decorations (although some people are pretending/ or are naively thinking that they are in support of the World Cup Rugby and the UK Women’s team, the Roses). They are bold political statements.

On a Personal Note

I was back on the road for the start of term INSETs this week and as I drove from Bath to Worcester to Manchester to Matlock back to Bristol and then home to Bath, I lost count of how many flags I saw. I would guess 150-200 flags heading North and the same again heading South. It was noticeable which regions had a higher density and where they felt angrier in their positioning.

As I drove to a school in Manchester on Friday morning to join a MAT’s new staff induction day I felt sick to the pit of my stomach as I approached the school – they were everywhere, on every lamppost, gate and fence.

The sense of unease did not leave me all day. It felt hostile and threatening, despite them not being aimed directly at me. So, I asked the CEO and Executive Team of the MAT if I could speak to the elephant in the room, as I was concerned for the psychological safety of the staff who were gathered in the theatre, a visibly diverse workforce, many of whom had travelled from out of region. They agreed. They later asked me for some advice on how to navigate the start of term with the increasing tensions. I have been thinking about it ever since and what I would do if I was going back to being a school/ trust leader this week.

From Bunting to Battle Lines

In the past, flags have been raised for a coronation, for the Jubilee, or when England is playing in a World Cup match. The flags meant celebration, collective cheer, and coming together as a community, united through the event or the love of the game.

Now? The flags have become a different sort of shorthand. Reform UK supporters and far-right groups have learned that flags are cheap, visible, and impossible to ignore. Hang a Union Jack on a motorway bridge and the daily commute has been turned into a stage for politics.

My fear? How long will it be until the flags become bolder and braver, until the swastikas appear, until the ‘whites-only’ narratives of racially segregated nations get scrawled as graffiti beside them?

Why Roundabouts and Bridges?

Because they are public, they are prominent, and they belong to no one in particular. A roundabout or a bridge or a lamp post does not in theory need permission. It is ultimately a free billboard – one dressed up as patriotism but actually conveying hate.

In conversations with others about the growing campaign and visibility, I have heard two new phrases in the last week:

“Going roundabouting” has become a new hobby – people are taking their partners and their families out on the weekends to support the campaign and spend the day painting the flag on empty canvases.

“Your xxx looks like they go roundabouting” has become a new slur – playgrounds and classrooms will be divided by those who support and those who oppose these territorial and divisive behaviours.

Start of Term

As most UK schools re-open for INSETs, induction days and start of term this week, this cultural shift across the nation matters for educators. Symbols carry lessons. The flag on a bridge is far from neutral. It is an explicit message: “This is ours.”

Depending on who sees it, it can feel like pride… or it can feel like a warning.

It might as well say: “We belong here. You do not”.

What does this mean for schools?

• Our Senior Leaders will need to be visible – out on the gates, being the gatekeepers to the school’s boundaries.
• Our Safeguarding leads need to be anchoring this in the start of term KCSIE updates.
• Our Site Teams need to be vigilant and see if they begin to appear as graffiti on tables, on walls in our schools.
• As educators we need to be checking in on the welfare of our pupils and their parents/ carers.
• As employers we need to be checking in on the welfare of our employees.

Patriotism or Exclusion?

This is the heart of the issue. For some, these flags are a rallying cry for “taking the country back.” For others, they are an unsettling reminder that national identity is being policed in plain sight.

Educators need to help young people ask:

• Who is claiming the flag?
• Who is being included, and who is being left out?
• When does pride tip into nationalism?
• Why do some groups use symbols instead of words?
• How do different flags make different groups of people feel uncomfortable?

We also need to acknowledge that it is difficult to talk about one flag without considering other flags. People will ask why it is okay to fly the Pride flag and not the St George’s flag. Or why the Pro-Palestine flags have been vetoed but the St George’s flag has been supported and stays up.

Pulling flags down is also not the answer, if anything it is the reaction some are looking for to then escalate things. As schools, colleges and MATs, we thus need to consider our approach and our standpoint to flags and we need to apply it consistently for all flags, for all groups.

Why It Matters in Classrooms

What is important to remember is that all students will see these flags – on the way to school, on TikTok, in the news. If we ignore them, we leave the interpretation to whoever shouts the loudest. By unpacking the symbolism, we show students how politics works in the everyday: not just in Parliament, but in the quiet tying of a flag to a lamppost.

Flags are not the problem. The problem is when they stop being about unity and become markers of division.

Last September, we started term with a sense of unease post the faith and race riots of the summer. This September, we start the new term with a sense of unease about flags being weaponised. Both make our school communities feel unsafe, excluded and leads to people questioning their place and sense of belonging.

Final Thoughts

If we ignore it and we do not speak up, we feed the problem.

Check out a blog by Bennie Kara called ‘Flying the Flag’ and a No Outsiders Assembly on flags by Andy Moffat.

You may also want to speak up by signing the Hope Not Hate petition against the biggest Neo-Nazi music festival in Europe being held in Great Yarmouth this weekend.

Teaching Ideas for: Flags, Symbols, and Meaning

1. Spot the Symbol

• Show images of flags in different contexts:
  A street party with bunting
  A football stadium
  A motorway bridge with political slogans nearby
• Ask: “What’s the difference between these uses? How does the same flag carry different meanings in each place?”

2. Timeline of the Union Jack

• Research the history of the Union Jack and St George’s Cross.
• Students create a visual timeline: how has the meaning shifted from empire, to WWII, to the 1960s mod culture, to football, to today’s political movements?
• Prompt: “Does a symbol’s meaning change with time, or do we change how we read it?”

3. Bridge or Billboard?

• Debate exercise:
  Group A argues that putting flags on roundabouts/bridges is legitimate free expression.
  Group B argues it is intimidation or exclusionary.
  Group C acts as judges, deciding which arguments were strongest.
• Reflect afterwards: “How do we balance free speech with community impact?”

4. Flags Without Words

• Discuss why groups use flags instead of leaflets, speeches, or adverts.
• Activity: students design a non-verbal symbol or image to represent a cause they care about.
• Prompt: “What does your design say, and how might others read it differently?”

5. Critical Media Watch

• Collect recent headlines or social media posts about flags and patriotism.
• Analyse language: is the coverage celebratory, critical, neutral?
• Prompt: “How does the media shape whether we see flags as pride or protest?”

6. Personal Reflection

• Journal exercise: “When have you seen a flag displayed in public? How did it make you feel? Did you feel included, excluded, or indifferent?”
• Emphasise that different reactions are valid — it’s about recognising diversity of perception.

These activities help young people see that symbols are never neutral. They are tools of communication, belonging, and sometimes exclusion. The aim is not to tell students what to think, but to give them the vocabulary to analyse and question what they see.

Recommended Reading & Resource List

Articles & Commentary:

• The Guardian – “The strange politics of flags” (2021) – Explores how Union Jacks have been co-opted into culture wars in the UK.
• BBC News – “Why England’s flag is so divisive” – A short explainer on the St George’s Cross, from football pride to far-right appropriation.
• The Conversation – “Flags and nationhood: who gets to own national symbols?” – Academic but accessible, good for educators to unpack.

Books:

• Michael Billig – Banal Nationalism (1995)
  Classic text on how everyday symbols (flags, weather forecasts, sports) quietly reinforce nationalism without us noticing.
• David Olusoga – Black and British: A Forgotten History. Not about flags specifically, but brilliant for context on who “belongs” in British identity, and how that story gets told.
• Eric Hobsbawm & Terence Ranger – The Invention of Tradition (1983). Explains how many “ancient” national symbols are surprisingly modern constructions.
• Khalid Koser – International Migration: A Very Short Introduction. Short and sharp, useful for helping students understand the backdrop to debates about identity and belonging.

Reports & Teaching Resources:

• British Future: “How to talk about immigration and integration” – Practical, non-partisan strategies for teachers and facilitators.
• Hope Not Hate: “State of Hate” reports – Annual overviews of far-right movements in the UK, including use of symbols and flags.
• Facing History & Ourselves – Lesson plans on symbols, propaganda, and identity that can be adapted for UK classrooms.

Multimedia:

• Podcast: Talking Politics – History of Ideas (episodes on nationalism and identity).
• BBC iPlayer: Who Owns the Flag? (documentary on the contested meanings of the Union Jack).
• YouTube: Vox – “The surprising history of the American flag” (useful comparison point; shows how symbols shift with politics).

These resources and readings can help educators:

• Ground classroom discussion in research and history.
• Show that debates about flags are not new, but part of long struggles over identity.
• Give students a bigger toolkit for thinking critically about the symbols they see every day.

There has never been a more urgent time for schools to reconsider what and who our curricula are for. In a world that is increasingly complex, diverse and interconnected, the curriculum must be more than a list of knowledge to be delivered. It must be a living, breathing framework for belonging, identity and justice. Leading the Diverse Curriculum (a 6 part training programme delivered over the course of the year) invites school leaders and educators to step back from the pace of everyday delivery and ask a foundational question: What does our curriculum say about the world and about the children in front of us?

Many schools are already aware that diversity and inclusion cannot be confined to a calendar event or a themed display board. The desire for a more equitable curriculum is present, but the path forward is often unclear. What this training offers is not a prescription, but a set of tools, questions and frameworks to help schools develop a curriculum that is thoughtful, principled and inclusive in both design and impact.

This work begins with vision as a guiding principle. Schools are encouraged to interrogate what it really means to have a diverse and inclusive curriculum. What values underpin our curriculum choices? How are these reflected in the lived experience of students across different subjects? These questions are not abstract. They demand honest dialogue among staff and between schools and their communities. By rooting curriculum development in a shared vision, the programme fosters a collective sense of purpose. 

But clarity of vision must be matched by curriculum integrity. Diversity is not achieved through surface-level representation. It is not enough to add a new text to the reading list or a new historical figure to a lesson. A curriculum that serves all students must be rooted in sound curriculum thinking. This means understanding the principles of sequencing, coherence, and progression — and then asking, “Who is this for?” and “Whose knowledge is being centred?”

Throughout the programme, schools are supported to reflect critically on the content they teach and the underlying messages it conveys. There is space for genuine professional introspection, not just about what we teach, but why we teach it in the way we do. Educators are invited to hold up a mirror to their curriculum, to see whose voices are included and whose are absent. This is not about blame; it’s about building the confidence and competence to lead change in a meaningful, sustained way.

This work is not confined to theoretical ideals. The training is grounded in practical strategies and real-world application. Schools are encouraged to examine their current curriculum policies, subject intentions, and implementation models with new eyes — through the lenses of equity, identity, and justice. They are the lived experiences of our students. When schools begin to map the curriculum through these lenses, the gaps and opportunities become clearer, and the work begins to feel possible.

A particularly powerful aspect of this training is its emphasis on evaluation. Too often, curriculum changes are made without a clear sense of how success will be measured or what the impact should be. This programme supports leaders to think strategically and to consider change models and implementation strategies that go beyond intent and move towards sustainable, embedded practice. 

This requires courage. It requires schools to look inward and confront the emotional realities of leading this work. There will be discomfort. There may be resistance. But this training does not shy away from that: it acknowledges that curriculum change is emotionally charged because it speaks to identity, belief, and culture. The programme offers space for staff to explore these emotions safely, while building the emotional literacy required to lead through discomfort and challenge.

Another vital strand of the training is the role of student and community voice. An inclusive curriculum cannot be created in isolation from the people it is designed to serve. Too often, students are passive recipients of curriculum decisions. This programme challenges that norm, encouraging schools to create authentic, safe spaces for students and families to share how the curriculum lands with them. 

This is not easy work. It is demanding, nuanced, and often personal. But it is also deeply hopeful. At a time when education is increasingly shaped by outcomes and data, this training reminds us of the transformative power of the curriculum. It reminds us that the stories we tell in our classrooms — through literature, history, science, art — shape the self-worth, aspirations and worldviews of our students.

Sign up to join the next cohort of Leading the Diverse Curriculum here: 

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