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Casel blog: 6 Ways to Counter Hate and Build Welcoming, Supportive Schools

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Casel blog: 6 Ways to Counter Hate and Build Welcoming, Supportive Schools

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Maurice J. Elias, Ph.D. Rutgers University

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6 Ways to Counter Hate and Build Welcoming, Supportive Schools - CASEL

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Key Points Back to top Regardless of what might be going on in the wider world, schools must strive to be places where understanding is elevated and hate is minimized. We know children cannot learn effectively in an environment characterized by antipathy. Incidents impacting specific groups, such as Jews, Muslims, LGBTQ+ populations, Asians, Blacks, Latino/as, […]

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Consider becoming a third-party reporting organisation for Stop Hate in Norfolk (SHiN)

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Consider becoming a third-party reporting organisation for Stop Hate in Norfolk (SHiN)

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Consider creating an anti-racism strategy.  This model document has been designed as a starting point to be shaped by the needs and capacity of your school.

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Consider creating an anti-racism strategy.  This model document has been designed as a starting point to be shaped by the needs and capacity of your school.

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These are designed to be a starting point for schools wanting to reflect on their current practice and plan a strategic response.

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These are designed to be a starting point for schools wanting to reflect on their current practice and plan a strategic response.

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Model School Anti-Racist Action Plan DRAFT

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Model School Anti-Racist Action Plan DRAFT

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Model School Anti-Racist Action Plan DRAFT

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Model School Anti-Racist Audit tool DRAFT

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Model School Anti-Racist Audit tool DRAFT

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Model School Anti-Racist Audit tool DRAFT

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Scotdec: Anti-racist toolkit for teachers

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Scotdec: Anti-racist toolkit for teachers

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Anti-racism training — Anti-Racism Education

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Anti-racism training — Anti-Racism Education

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Anti-racism training — Anti-Racism Education

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Facilitating conversations about race and racism in the classroom is challenging; we are here to support you. High quality anti-racism education for both staff and students is essential, and we believe that this education should be ongoing.

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Lesson 1: Talking about race and racism (part 1)

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Secondary (KS3 and KS4) lessons — Anti-Racism Education

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Secondary resources are coming soon, sign up to be notified when they are available.

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Primary (KS1 and KS2) lessons - Anti-Racism Education

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There are 8 lessons per Key Stage (KS1 and KS2) which include lesson plans and provide definitions, explanations and wider context for teachers.

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If this has prompted you to consider some whole school improvement around belonging then this toolkit from the National Youth Academy is a great start

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If this has prompted you to consider some whole school improvement around belonging then this toolkit from the National Youth Academy is a great start

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Here is the link to  'Supporting cyp through a traumatic event' in multiple languages

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Here is the link to  'Supporting cyp through a traumatic event' in multiple languages

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WelcomePlease find below Resources related Mental Health

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Rochdale have produced this document for families 'Supporting cyp through a traumatic event' and translated it into multiple languages

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Rochdale have produced this document for families 'Supporting cyp through a traumatic event' and translated it into multiple languages

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If you are trying to understand the media positions, this article popped up recently on the BBC website, and provides food for thought for curriculum planners.

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If you are trying to understand the media positions, this article popped up recently on the BBC website, and provides food for thought for curriculum planners.

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Riots show how the UK’s far right has changed

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No single group owned or organised the recent riots - they were bigger than that, says Daniel De Simone.

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A document created by the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire PSHE team to share with youth organisations and social care teams 

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A document created by the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire PSHE team to share with youth organisations and social care teams 

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This PSHE Association resource which could be adapted to help guide teachers around a variety of incidents

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This PSHE Association resource which could be adapted to help guide teachers around a variety of incidents

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Terrorist attacks: discussing them with primary pupils

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Coram Campus, 41 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AZ. The PSHE Association is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee. Charity number: 1127056 Company number: 6551975 © Copyright 2023 PSHE Association All Rights Reserved.

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Free Video: Dr Stella Louis and Hannah Betteridge on Understanding Our Own Bias

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Free Video: Dr Stella Louis and Hannah Betteridge on Understanding Our Own Bias

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In this episode you'll learn:

The different types of unconscious bias and how they develop

Practical ways to create a more inclusive Early Years environment

How to have difficult conversations about bias with children and parents

The importance of staff training and open discussions to address unconscious bias

How schemas can help practitioners move beyond biased interpretations of behaviour

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Dr Stella Louis is a freelance early years consultant, trainer and author working with all forms of Early Years settings as well as parents, government departments and charities. She is particularly interested in observation and its part in developing learning, especially through children's schemas.

Stella has worked both in the United Kingdom and internationally, in South Africa, where she worked with teachers to develop a Froebelian approach to teaching and learning.

Hannah Betteridge is an experienced policy professional and public servant. In both her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, Hannah primarily focused on uncovering the impact of race, stereotypes and bias on outcomes for individuals from Black, Asian and Ethnicity Minority backgrounds in Britain. She is the co-author of 'Let's Talk About Bias in the Early Years' and 'Unconscious bias in the Observation, Assessment and Planning Process'. She is also in the process of having her first book published, which she has co-authored with Dr Stella Louis.

In this insightful session, Dr. Louis and Hannah shed light on the often hidden influence of unconscious bias in early years practice. They provide practical strategies for recognising and mitigating these biases, ensuring a more inclusive and equitable learning environment for all children. Prepare to have your eyes opened to the subtle ways bias can creep into observations, assessments, and planning processes.

In this session you'll:

Gain a clear understanding of what unconscious bias is and how it develops from our experiences, cultures, and beliefs.

Discover eye-opening examples of affinity bias, confirmation bias, and attribution bias in action within early years settings.

Learn practical tips for making your setting more inclusive, from diversifying book collections to involving parents in creating a welcoming environment.

Explore effective ways to have open and constructive conversations about bias with colleagues, children, and families.

Understand the profound impact unconscious bias can have on children's life chances and the importance of addressing it as practitioners.

Don't miss this invaluable opportunity to reflect on your own biases and gain the tools to create a truly inclusive learning environment - tune in now!

This episode was originally broadcast on the 19th February 2021.

Episode Links:

Their book 'Let's Talk About Race in the Early Years' has just been published by Routledge. This book gives practitioners the language and tools they need to create an environment where all children can shine and is essential reading for all early years professionals.

Find this essential book here: https://amzn.to/4aJtF8P
https://www.early-education.org.uk/stella-louis https://twitter.com/dr_sramlouis https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/features/article/nursery-world-awards-2023-lifetime-achievement-award

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Free Video: Dr Stella Louis and Hannah Betteridge on Understanding Our Own Bias

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Dr. Stella Louis and Hannah Betteridge unpack the impact of unconscious bias in early years settings. Learn to recognise affinity, confirmation, and attribution biases, make your practice more inclusive, and have constructive conversations about bias.

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'André is not even my name': Amadou Onana forced to correct reporter

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'André is not even my name': Amadou Onana forced to correct reporter

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I shared this clip as the session took place during the Euros. Could prompt conversations about accent, importance of names, language- why a Senegalese person would speak so many languages? Why being multi lingual is so good for the brain etc

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'André is not even my name': Amadou Onana forced to correct reporter

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The Equality Act 2010 & Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED)

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The Equality Act 2010 & Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED)

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The Equality Act 2010 introduced the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED). In carrying out their functions, public bodies are required to have due regard to the need to:

· Eliminate discrimination and other conduct that is prohibited by the Act

· Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it

· Foster good relations across all characteristics - between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it.

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Schools and other educational settings play a crucial role in promoting race equality and fostering the education and development of children and young people. Aligned with the Public Sector Equality Duty, schools must create an environment that supports well-being and recognises and values individual identities.

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Schools and other educational settings play a crucial role in promoting race equality and fostering the education and development of children and young people. Aligned with the Public Sector Equality Duty, schools must create an environment that supports well-being and recognises and values individual identities.

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Why an Anti-Racist Approach Matters in Education: Education has the power to transform children and young peoples’ lives, making it essential for all schools to adopt an inclusive and supportive approach. Within educational settings, we can actively challenge the normalisation of various forms of racism, including Islamophobia, Anti-Semitism and Anti-GRT prejudice. Effective training and interventions require open discussions about race and racism, involving both staff and young learners in developing solutions.

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Anna Freud: Talking racism and mental health in schools: podcast series

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Anna Freud: Talking racism and mental health in schools: podcast series

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A series of five podcast episodes featuring mental health, anti-racism and education experts.

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Talking racism and mental health in schools: podcast series

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A series of five podcast episodes featuring mental health, anti-racism and education experts.

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Anna Freud: Lists of books, videos, articles and more that educators can use to explore and develop their racial literacy.

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Anna Freud: Lists of books, videos, articles and more that educators can use to explore and develop their racial literacy.

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Anna Freud: Supporting staff from racially minoritised groups

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Anna Freud: Supporting staff from racially minoritised groups

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Some schools already have excellent initiatives in place to support their staff's mental health and wellbeing, making it a whole-school priority. Schools are becoming aware that in order to properly support the wellbeing of students, the wellbeing of staff must be treated with equal importance.

This resource helps schools specifically think about supporting the mental health and wellbeing of staff from racially minoritised groups.

It covers topics that may impact the mental health of staff from these groups, including the 'hidden workload' and the diversity of the teaching profession.

The resource then shares advice for schools on action to take, and includes a case study from Rahi Popat, a pastoral support officer in Leicester.

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Supporting staff from racially minoritised groups

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Information about the impact of racism on school staff, and guidance for schools on how to foster a safe and supportive environment.

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Anna Freud: Supporting students who have experienced racism

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Anna Freud: Supporting students who have experienced racism

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Children and young people can experience racism in many different forms. It can include verbal abuse and name-calling; racist comments during a discussion or encouraging others to behave in a racist way. Sometimes racism can include damage to property, physical intimidation or violent attacks.

All schools should have a clear structure and process for reporting racist incidents, and must create one if they do not. It is important to create opportunities to hear students' voices and to have a clear framework for reporting racist incidents.

Research has found links between experiencing racism and a detrimental impact to mental health.

This resource shares guidance for schools on how to support the mental health of a young person who has experienced racism, as well as how to address the incident and further suggestions for tackling racism in schools.

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Supporting students who have experienced racism

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Information for staff on how best to support a student who has experienced racism and where else to seek support.

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Anna Freud: Teaching curriculum topics linked to racism and handling racist world events

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Anna Freud: Teaching curriculum topics linked to racism and handling racist world events

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The UK Trauma Council defines trauma as 'a distressing event or events that are so extreme or intense that they overwhelm a person's ability to cope, resulting in lasting negative impact.'

When this event or events are related to race, it is sometimes known as 'racial trauma'.

Experiencing overt racism - for example being a victim of a racially-motivated hate crime - could cause a trauma response in young people. However, racism can have a traumatic impact even when it isn't something that directly happens to you.

Racist and race-related events may occur in the wider world that may cause traumatic responses in young people; for example, the 2020 murder of George Floyd in the United States.

There may also be topics that are part of the curriculum - for example, learning about slavery or the Holocaust in history lessons - that may be painful for young people to learn about.

In this resource, we have created a lesson planning guide for teaching a curriculum topic that is linked to race and racism, or for when a potentially traumatic racist incident occurs in the wider world.

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Teaching curriculum topics linked to racism and handling racist world events

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A lesson planning guide for teaching a curriculum topic that is linked to race and racism, or for when a potentially traumatic racist incident occurs in the wider world.

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Anna Freud: Microaggressions: staff meeting presentation and guidance

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Anna Freud: Microaggressions: staff meeting presentation and guidance

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A microaggression is 'an act or a remark that discriminates against one or more members of a minority group, either deliberately or by mistake'.

Research has found that experiencing microaggressions can have a significant impact on mental health.

Through this training, staff will learn more about:

what microaggressions are

the mental health impact of experiencing microaggressions

how to avoid committing microaggressions

what to do if they experience or witness a microaggression.

This training session is an introduction to the topic of microaggressions, and can easily be delivered by someone without much or any prior knowledge of the topic. It was designed to be delivered by a senior leader in a school to all school staff including support staff.

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Microaggressions: staff meeting presentation and guidance

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A PowerPoint and guidance on delivering a presentation about microaggressions to staff members.

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Anna Freud: How to practise cultural exchange in schools

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Anna Freud: How to practise cultural exchange in schools

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Cultural exchange in general is defined as when people of two or more different backgrounds trade ideas, feelings, stories and customs.

Cultural exchange can be used as a form of creating dialogue and understanding diversity in communities to help build community relations and cohesion.

Some examples of cultural exchange in a school context may include:

A school trip to another country

Visiting a cultural venue, like a museum, that has exhibits and artefacts from different cultures around the world

A culture sharing event

For this resource, we'll be focusing on culture sharing events; ways that schools can facilitate sharing between the different cultures that make up your school community.

The resource includes ideas for cultural exchange activities and what to keep in mind when planning them.

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How to practise cultural exchange in schools

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Learn how to facilitate cultural exchange in schools and what things you need to consider.

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Anna Freud: Gathering student voice on racism and mental health in schools

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Anna Freud: Gathering student voice on racism and mental health in schools

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Taking a whole-school approach to anti-racism means putting the views and ideas of students at the centre of everything we do.

Taking students' views into consideration should always be a part of decision-making at your school. Schools should provide children and young people with meaningful opportunities to share their experiences, views and hopes about their school.

Asking students for their opinions and ideas around anti-racism has benefits for both the school and the students and can be done in many different ways. It can provide:

an improved sense of belonging and community in the school

an improved sense of identity for students

developing students' confidence and self-esteem

a safe space for students to share lived experiences of racism

identification of issues or specific students who are having difficulties and who may need further support

This resource shares a number of suggestions for gathering student voice around anti-racism. It also shares suggested questions to add to a student survey, with guidance on how best to do this.

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Gathering student voice on racism and mental health in schools

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Ways for schools to gather student voice, including suggested questions on racism and mental health to add to a student survey.

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Anna Freud: Reviewing existing school policies with an anti-racist lens

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Anna Freud: Reviewing existing school policies with an anti-racist lens

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Reviewing existing school policies with an anti-racist lens

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A guide to reviewing all of your existing school policies with an anti-racist lens.

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Anna Freud: Diversifying the curriculum to increase representation

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Anna Freud: Diversifying the curriculum to increase representation

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In order for children and young people to fully engage with their learning, they need to see themselves reflected in what they are learning about.

Not feeling represented in the curriculum can be disempowering and discouraging. This can negatively affect young people's wellbeing, stopping them from achieving their full potential at school.

Diversifying the curriculum is something many schools may already be thinking about or undertaking, and is something that can have real benefits to students.

Wonu Adedoyin-Salau is Assistant Headteacher and Curriculum Leader of English at a school in East London.

In this case study, she explains some of the steps she took to set up a working group looking at diversifying her schools curriculum, with advice for school staff looking to follow the same path.

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Diversifying the curriculum to increase representation

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An instructional case study from a school who set up a working group looking at diversifying their curriculum, and ensuring it is representative of their student population.

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Anna Freud: Anti-racism and mental health in schools e-learning

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Anna Freud: Anti-racism and mental health in schools e-learning

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This free online training course is designed to improve education staff's understanding of the impact of racism on mental health.

Black and racially minoritised young people can experience racism in many areas of their lives - including at school. Experiencing racism can have significant mental health consequences for young people.

Staff will learn practical strategies for tackling racism in schools, and how to introduce a whole-school approach to anti-racism and mental health.

The e-learning course

This e-learning is designed around our 5 Steps framework, which supports educators to create a whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing.

Teaching is broken down into five modules with a short quiz and suggested reflective activities at the end of each unit.

The course is designed for staff to complete at their own pace, but is estimated to take between 3 and 5 hours in total.

This training has been produced in collaboration with BLAM UK, the Honourable Stuart Lawrence, school staff from a range of settings, and features the voices of young people throughout.

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Anti-racism and mental health in schools e-learning

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This free online training course is designed to improve education staff’s understanding of the impact of racism on mental health.

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Developing and implementing an anti-racism policy can have a number of benefits for your school or college community.

It can improve the self-esteem and confidence of students, increase the recruitment and retention of racially minoritised staff, and bring more confidence in tackling racial inequalities and incidents.

By demonstrating commitment to an anti-racism culture in your setting, you will contribute to better wellbeing and mental health for racially minoritised students and staff.

This resource shares a general template for writing your own anti-racism policy. It is split into different sections for you to draft, with key questions to consider listed under each section.

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A template for writing your own anti-racism policy in consultation with representatives from across the whole-school community.

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A Beginner's Guide to Anti-Racism- Liz Pemberton

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A Beginner's Guide to Anti-Racism- Liz Pemberton

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By Liz Pemberton, The Black Nursery Manager

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Blog: How do I talk about race with children in the Early Years by Liz Pemberton

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Blog: How do I talk about race with children in the Early Years by Liz Pemberton

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by Liz Pemberton on October 19

10 min read:

It sometimes catches me off guard, the momentum and pace at which I have worked this past year and it has only been something that I have taken stock of because colleagues have told me how much they have seen me do, or rather, that they have felt the impact of my work.

When I was approached by Juliet from the Foundation Stage Forum (FSF) to write this piece and we discussed what I would like to write she said to me that she too couldn't quite believe that it had been a year since my first piece of writing for the FSF, at which point I was a few months into my journey as an Early Years anti-racist trainer and consultant. Having previously been a nursery manager for 16 years, I stepped away after a real reflection about how deeply systemic racism plagued the sector in many ways. I decided to take some different kind of action to challenge this and started the business - The Black Nursery Manager Training and Consultancy.

In its early stages, the business was a series of my own monthly webinars that I had designed for Early Years Practitioners to attend with the explicit purpose of helping the workforce to gain a better understanding about what anti-racist practice looked like in a nursery. I wanted to get the word out about my work and used social media, namely Instagram, as a marketing tool to cultivate an audience. I look back to that piece I had written for the FSF and see that I had stated at that time I had 5k followers on my account, @theblacknurserymanager. If anything indicated that in the midst of 2020 there was a thirst for knowledge about anti-racist practice for new and more established members of the childcare workforce, the flocking of predominantly white followers to my Instagram account was something that I used as an indicator of that thirst. I wondered what the heightened awareness about the impacts of racism globally during the Summer of 2020, as a result of the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Police officer Derek Chauvin, would do to jump start the sector into really grappling with how it addressed the presence of racism.

In writing this piece, I decided that I wanted to revisit my first piece written for the FSF in October 2020 by offering my reflections of a year of anti-racism in action in the Early Years, because since that time I have delivered close to 100 webinars and worked with a range of Early Years provisions up and down the country and internationally. I have delivered presentations for Local Authorities, had consultation meetings about the representation of race and ethnicity in children's literature with children's publishing houses, discussed how Children's and Families departments of Museums and Art Galleries can make their spaces more inclusive to racially minoritised communities, contributed to the development of Early Years policy, developed policies and procedures for Early Years organisations, mentored other practitioners who have an interest in this line of work, delivered in person training, written articles, contributed to book chapters, been nominated for awards, met up with colleagues who are also doing this work in the sector and had my brain picked about how best to handle racist incidents in Early Years provisions and schools, not to mention that I have created and shared content more or less daily on my Instagram platform which now has 18.1k very engaged followers who regularly send me direct messages and comment in response to said content.

I state all of this, not for any accolades or to garner any favour with you but more for you to get a better understanding about my journey to date and in order to contextualise my reflections about where I see things now in the Early Years.

Stuck in a rut

I make no apologies for not presenting a happy ending here for you, for not telling you that all of your work is now done and that we had a great summer fighting racism so we can all relax now. The reality, in so far as I see it, is quite the opposite. The work of challenging racism never stops and the challenge is greater because the topic of anti-racism has been subjected to opposition from a Government who wrote a whole report to say that systemic racism does not exist. To dismiss the lived experiences of those for whom racism is an everyday experience by going to the lengths of producing a government stamped report to say that this is not the case is beyond debilitating. But the ripple effects for the Early Years sector are what we need to closely examine here. How does this influence the behaviours of Nurseries when parents bring concerns regarding racism to their attention? How are these concerns handled if a Government MP dismisses the necessary highlighting of anti-racism as "dogma and doctrine that is out of place". It has certainly not encouraged the actions of some Early Years providers to take racism seriously but has further encouraged them to firmly plant their heels in the ground, arms folded and saying "no, I don't want to talk about race in my nursery, we don't see colour here!" When colleagues come to me to tell me of the latest hot topic of discussion in Early Years Facebook groups in which professionals proudly declare that "all lives matter" as a response to the Black Lives Matter global social justice movement, it is never a surprise. This dissonance that some have between not seeing anti-racism as important for Early Years workforces to gain a deeper and better understanding of, whilst simultaneously waxing lyrical about the importance of the unique child and the rights of the child, is just one example of why I know that there is still much work to be done.

Just be kind!

It almost makes me shudder when I see these words - 'Just be kind' - as a tool to excuse not having to engage with the impact of racism and the multitude of ways that it shows up. When there is a question asked or a point made about the racist impact of the actions of a well-meaning white person who works in the sector, I have seen all too often that as well as this being met with a huge amount of fragility there is a tendency to run to a claim of bullying. In what has come to be expected, the mantra of kindness is used as a way to derail the conversation about racism, and thus a learning opportunity is prevented. Ironic really, since the sector makes claims about how important reflective practice is. Too many times I have observed from the metaphoric side lines of how these incidents play out time and time again. I am very rarely the challenger now, more often the observer. This is not for fear of being labelled unkind either. Remember, I take up space in this world as a Black woman - such labels are automatically attributed to people whose identity markers are the ones that I possess (also add aggressive, scary, sassy, unfriendly, and strong). No, I have no energy to pour into every white person creating a spectacle after being called out on their racism, purely because I need to reserve my energy to live and be joyous. I now leave the job of calling these instances out to those white people who swiftly came to claim their ally badges in June 2020, and watch them experience that small fraction of discomfort when they are accused of not being kind.

That doesn't apply to us, we don't have any Black children here!

A classic retort to the work of anti-racism. In the statement itself it suggests that anti-racism is work to be done for the benefit of children who are not white when, in actual fact, it is to benefit all children. The recent non-statutory guidance that the sector has seen come out since I wrote my first piece - The Birth to Five Matters document and Development Matters - both have a stance on anti-racism and neither say that this must only apply to settings with racially diverse cohorts, so the notion of not having to engage with anti-racist practice because your setting is all white has no basis. Anti-racist practice is for all of us.

I will end on one more positive note though, you've certainly been ordering lots of anti-racist books for yourselves, and titles such as Reni Eddo-Lodge's "Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race" saw a surge to the point of selling out during the year. But be warned, reading books, whilst absolutely necessary, is not the end point - continuous action in your settings and as a collective within the sector is.

The next time somebody says that all lives matter tell them that nobody said that they didn't. Ask why the mention of Black lives mattering triggers such a response in them? Ask if they are compelled to respond that all forms of cancer matter when there is awareness raised about Breast cancer in particular?

Do not use your Black colleagues in the Early Years as a pawn to demonstrate how great an ally you are

I work collaboratively with a number of Black Early Years colleagues in my everyday work, and those white colleagues who are fighting the good fight in their various spaces and amongst their spheres of influence have been known to use the "I have a Black *insert relational value here*" tool as a means of demonstrating how nonracist they are. This has meant that at times myself and other Black colleagues minding our own business on a Sunday have been unwillingly drawn into back and forth discussions tagged as badges of honour in social media posts. Don't do this - we are not your pawns. You can make a point about racism without the need to use us for your performativity or in a quest for your ally cookies.

If you are a white man in the Early Years sector, use your limitless credit card!

This matters because the hierarchical societal structures remind us that to be a cis gendered, heterosexual, able bodied white man is to be the king of the castle and there are a few of you here in this space. Some of you are challenging and calling out racism, you are turning down jobs if you are invited to speak on all white early years experts panels and you are paying work forward to those professionals who are as equally qualified but are Black, Brown or of East or South East Asian heritage. Do this and continue to be critical of the spaces that you occupy or create.
Ed. Liz Pemberton hosted the Tapestry Education Conference: Reflecting on Anti-racism in the Early Years' on 25th March 2021. The conference, with speakers Shaddai Tembo and Faith Chow, reflected on the need for a deeper understanding of our own unconscious biases, of how each of us are a product of our surroundings, experiences, and of a society steeped in white privilege, and that without this understanding we cannot truly see and support every child, family and colleague. Watch the Tapestry Education Conference: Reflecting on Anti-racism in the Early Years.

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How do I talk about race with children in the Early Years - a reflection on a year of anti-racist discourse in the sector | Tapestry

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Early Years anti-racist trainer and consultant, Liz Pemberton, reflects on a year of anti-racism in action in the Early Years. 'Anti-racist practice is for all of us.'

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The tiney Inclusive Education Guide: Laua Henry-Allain and  Matt Lloyd-Rose

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The tiney Inclusive Education Guide: Laua Henry-Allain and  Matt Lloyd-Rose

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Annette Rawstrone and Katy Morton

Anti-racism and inclusion guidance specifically for early years settings has been launched with the aim of supporting practitioners to nurture open and inclusive attitudes in young children.

The free Tiney Inclusive Education Guide is co-authored by early years expert Laua Henry-Allain and tiney's head of education Matt Lloyd-Rose. It has already been downloaded more than 3,000 times.

The guide aims to be a reflective tool with topics covered including how to examine your own anti-racist behaviours, how to create an inclusive early learning environment and how to talk to under-fives about diversity.

It also outlines how early years professionals can get to know the communities they are operating in, work with families to celebrate differences and broach difficult conversations if they occur.

Ms Henry-Allain believes that encouraging children to develop 'inclusive, open and empathetic attitudes towards themselves and others' is vital.

'Unfortunately we do not live in an equal society,' she said. 'Many people face prejudice and discrimination every day. But it is my belief that education is the best way to drive enduring change.

' Tiney's Inclusive Education Guide provides a framework for those looking to join us on this journey towards a more inclusive future. The overwhelming support we've received so far shows just how many people are ready and willing to enact change.'

Mr Lloyd-Rose added, 'From childminders who want to diversify their curriculum, to parents who've encountered racial bias and "colourblind" attitudes at their child's nursery, the response to our project has highlighted a profound desire for effective guidance to support early years professionals in their anti-racist work.

'We hope this guide provides something for the sector to use and rally around when it comes to promoting inclusion in every aspect of early years education in the UK. Not only will this result in better support for our under-fives, but it will also help to build stronger relationships between early years professionals and the families and communities they work with.'
New website
Separately, a list of early years experts with black African and/or Caribbean heritage has been created to ensure their voices are heard.

Behind the Early Years Black List website is early years consultant and author Laura Henry-Allain, early years educators Jamel Carly-Campbell and Joss Cambridge-Simmons, and Liz Pemberton, director of training company The Black Nursery Manager.

It was launched following concerns that black voices within the early years sector are not being equally represented at events including roundtable discussions and conferences, and within the media, for example contributing to research and providing expert comment.

The Early Years Black List website also features a resource centre which references fictional and academic books on cultural diversity and inclusion.

Individuals and organisations can also sign up to receive a bi-monthly newsletter and follow the Early Years Black List on Twitter and Instagram - @Eyblacklist.

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Resources: New anti-racism guide for early years

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Annette Rawstrone and Katy Morton Anti-racism and inclusion guidance specifically for early years settings has been launched with the aim of supporting practitioners to nurture open and inclusive attitudes in young children. The free Tiney Inclusive Education Guide is co-authored by early years expert Laua Henry-Allain and tiney's head of education Matt Lloyd-Rose.

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Intergenerational consequences of racism in the United Kingdom

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Intergenerational consequences of racism in the United Kingdom

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KCL: Parent and child experiences of racism affect whole family’s mental health

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KCL: Parent and child experiences of racism affect whole family’s mental health

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Parent and child experiences of racism affect whole family’s mental health, according to new study

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Parents’ experiences of racism affect their children’s mental health and vice versa, according to a new briefing published today, on World Mental Health Day, by Centre for Mental Health and the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London.

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Learn about what white privilege is, and what parent’s can do to support their family to be actively anti-racist.

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Black and female: Adultification, bias and racism - SecEd

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Black and female: Adultification, bias and racism - SecEd

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Black children are more likely to be excluded from school and face systemic adultification, bias and racism. Our response to this often focuses on boys, but Orlene Badu looks at the barriers faced by students who are both female and of black heritage...

As the autumn term rolls on, many of us will be considering the experiences of all of our pupils. We will be reviewing their re-entry to school, their re-engagement with learning, and ensuring that all children have a strong sense of belonging to their school and a secure attachment to staff.

We know that the cost of living crisis is having a deep impact on our children and their families at a time when we are still recovering from the pandemic.

We may be satisfied that we have systems in place and that our offer is working for most of our children. And for those for whom it is not working, we may have a selection of narratives to pathologise why that is the case.

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Black and female: Adultification, bias and racism - SecEd

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Black children are more likely to be excluded from school and face systemic adultification, bias and racism. Our response to this often focuses on boys, but Orlene Badu looks at the barriers faced by students who are both female and of black heritage...

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Best Practice

How does your school ensure that racist incidents are met with a safeguarding response that protects the child and does not entrench racism? Orlene Badu advises

Image: Adobe Stock

Following the Child Q report published more than a year ago (Gamble & McCallum, 2022), many schools, settings and organisations are now clear that a key safeguarding responsibility for all children is to protect them from racism.

There is a growing number of voices calling for living with the experiences and consequences of racism to be classified as an adverse childhood experience (ACE). These experiences can and often do have lifelong consequences and can have a negative impact on the lives of children and adults alike.

In 2020, a study published by YMCA England and Wales found that 95% of young black people have heard and witnessed racist language at school (YMCA, 2020; see also Weale, 2020).

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Responding to and dealing with racist incidents in school - SecEd

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How does your school ensure that racist incidents are met with a safeguarding response that protects the child and does not entrench racism? Orlene Badu advises

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School Wellbeing Leeds: Anti-racism resources

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School Wellbeing Leeds: Anti-racism resources

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The following lessons are from the PSHE Scheme You, Me, PSHE
Year 3 - Keeping safe and managing risk Years 1, 3, 4 and 6 - Identify society and equality
The following lessons are from the MindMate Champions scheme of work
Year 1 - Being the same being different Year 5 - Being the same being different Year 6 - Being the same being different
Resources for Secondary Schools

The following lessons and resources are from the Secondary PSHE toolkit
Year 8 Human Rights and Equality Year 9 Human Rights and Hate Crime
The following lessons are from the MindMate Champions scheme of work
Year 7 - Being the same being different Year 8 - Being the same being different Year 11 - Being the same being different
The information and materials listed below are provided by Leeds City Council in good faith. All information and materials are for your general information and use only and do not constitute any advice or recommendation. You should not rely upon any information or materials in making or refraining from making any specific decision for your setting. Leeds City Council does not guarantee the accuracy or validity of the information and materials listed below, nor does it guarantee the quality or fitness for purposes of any works, goods or services that may be provided by any third party. To avoid doubt, no liability is accepted in this regard, and we recommend that you quality assure each resource.

Being Black & Being Me

Being Black & Being Me is a film created by Tamirah, a young black woman who volunteers at Youthwatch & Black Lives Matter Leeds and wants to improve the lives of black people and make a positive impact on this world.

The NEU's framework for developing an anti-racist approach

The NEU framework has been designed to help you explore ideas around race equality and plan how to tackle racism with children, young people and staff.
It offers discussion starters in your workplace to help:

Empower Black staff and pupils to explore and express what matters to them.

Support young people's right to speak out and engage as active citizens with the issues around racism that they care about.

Challenge racial inequalities and oppressive racial norms and assumptions.

Show Racism the Red Card:
The Red Card
Show Racism the Red Card are offering 4 webinar modules at £20 per delegate with the two main union memberships.

PSHE Association: Challenging Racism through PSHE Education:
Challenging Racism through PSHE Education
Links to external resources:
Flocabulary: Racisl Justice Resources
Choose from 20+ free videos that support antiracist teaching & learning.
15 classroom resources for discussing racism, policing and protests Parent's Guide to Black Lives Matter 21 Anti-Racism Videos To Share With Kids
These videos help to explain complex topics to young audiences
Windrush Resources
IntoFilm have compiled a wide range of resources to help teach your students about the Windrush Generation, from films, to creative writing activities.
IntoFilm BLM Articles and Assembly
IntoFilm have compiled two articles around police brutality and experiences of racism for secondary students to read, plus an interactive assembly resource that uses the film Selma to open discussion about the Civil Rights movement.
Parent Zone: Resources to help you talk to your child about racism
There's never been a better time to talk to children about prejudice, diversity and inclusion. Parent Zone have pulled together a list of the best resources to help kickstart the conversation.
A Video Game About Conflict Resolution Helps Develop Empathy for Refugees
This is the first time a study of this kind has been conducted to understand if there is a difference in the way the football media talks about players of different skin colour. RunRepeat, in partnership with The Professional Footballers' Association conducted a study on racial bias within football commentary. They analysed 2,073 statements from commentators in 80 football matches from the 2019/20 season.

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The following lessons are from the PSHE Scheme You, Me, PSHE Year 3 - Keeping safe and managing risk Years 1, 3, 4 and 6 - Identify society and equality The following lessons are from the MindMate Champions scheme of work Year 1 - Being the same being different Year

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PBS: Talking to Young Children About Race and Racism

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PBS: Talking to Young Children About Race and Racism

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Talking to Young Children About Race and Racism

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Here are tips, books, and resources to help you have meaningful conversations with young children about race, racism, and anti-racist behavior.

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Anna Freud: Helping young children to think about race in the early years

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Anna Freud: Helping young children to think about race in the early years

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Racism & Mental Health | Guide For Parents

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Racism & Mental Health | Guide For Parents

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Experiences of racism

Racism can happen anywhere. It can happen at school, at work or at home; it can happen online or in-person; it can even happen within families and relationships.

Sometimes racist abuse is obvious - for example, verbal abuse about the way someone looks, stereotypes about how someone might behave, or physical violence and bullying. Sometimes racism is part of the structures and systems that we live in. And sometimes it is 'subtle' and difficult for other people to notice.

Your child may also experience racism 'indirectly' - as the things going on around us, to people just like us, can feel like they have happened to us and make us feel personally attacked, helpless, or like our lives don't matter.

Racism, directly or indirectly, touches every person of colour and has an effect on our mental health.

The important thing for you and your child is how you see the situation and how it makes you feel - not what other people think or say about it.
We can spend a lot of time wondering whether we have been badly or unfairly treated because of our skin colour, race or ethnicity, or for some other reason, and it's not always totally clear. This can make us feel confused or even foolish for talking about our experiences, especially if the people we are talking to have never had to ask themselves these sorts of questions.

Sometimes, even when we are convinced we have experienced racist treatment, people around us might try to tell us we've got it wrong. This can feel very lonely and isolating. But remember, you are not alone and your feelings are valid.

If your child is struggling with the impact of racism on their mental health or wellbeing, there are things you can do to help them - including providing emotional support, working on practical strategies together and finding the right professional help if they need it.

How to support your child with their experiences of racism

Talking to your child about racism can feel like a difficult conversation, and it may bring up feelings of confusion, anger, hopelessness or isolation for you or your child. If you are feeling unsure about the conversation, you can read our guide to find lots of tips on starting a conversation with your child.

This can help them to feel empowered, reminding them that what they are experiencing is not okay and that no one should believe it is. You or your child can report any hate crime online via the True Vision website.

If you're experiencing racism online, reporting it is perfectly reasonable and the right thing to do because racial discrimination is illegal.

Young people tell us it helps to...

go on a social media detox - your mental health is important

take time for some self-care and do something for yourself - such as reading a book, playing a video game or watching some TV

do your research on your history and learn to love yourself and other people of your race

not put pressure on yourself - this is a problem you cannot solve on your own

talk to other people you trust

join a movement to create change

find supportive groups and communities who understand what you are going through

do physical exercise

learn mindfulness and yoga

speak up to your parents or other family members or even friends if they're being racist - you should never be afraid to speak up about something if it's wrong

It is the world that's wrong, not you. So embrace your identity and love what makes you, you.

Signs that racism is affecting your child's mental health

It is normal if your child's experiences of racism - whether big or small, constant or one-off, direct or indirect - affect their self-esteem or make them feel angry, low or hopeless. When they're going through this, validate just how difficult it is, reassure them they're not alone and remind them that while it might feel difficult to believe, things can get better.

If your child is struggling with their mental health over a longer period of time, they may need some more support - from you and from professionals if needed. If experiences of racism are more seriously affecting your child's mental health, they may:

have a continuously low mood, depression or low self-esteem

feel numb or empty inside

experience changes to their sleeping or eating habits

show changes to their mood and behaviour that feel out of the ordinary

feel worried or anxious a lot of the time

have a negative attitude towards their body image or ethnic identity relating to skin tone, hair texture, or the size and shape of facial and bodily features

experience flashbacks or intrusive thoughts about a traumatic incident

If your child is experiencing some of these things, it's a good idea to speak to your GP. You can find our tips on finding professional help below.

There is currently a huge discrepancy in racial equality which is why I think it's really important that we battle racism, so that everyone can live without fear or prejudice.

Where to find professional help

There are different places where you can find help for your child. Your GP, your child's school and considering whether counselling or therapy might help are good places to start.

You can find out more about speaking to GPs, finding a counsellor or therapist, accessing CAMHS, getting help from your child's school and finding local services on our guide to getting support from mental health services.

What can I do if I think a mental health professional is being racist?

Any mental health professional who you are interacting with has a duty of care to do their best to support you. If you are not happy with how a mental health professional is behaving towards you, you have a right to speak out.

How to raise a complaint:

Every NHS service provider (such as your GP or local hospital) has their own complaints procedure. You can find information on making a complaint on your service provider's website, in waiting rooms, or by talking to a member of staff.

You can choose to complain to the NHS service provider directly, or to the commissioner of the services, which is the body that pays for the NHS services you use.

You can make a complaint verbally, in writing, or by email.

Once you have made a complaint, you should expect an acknowledgement and the offer of a discussion about the handling of your complaint within working days.

Visit the NHS webpage on making complaints for more guidance.

If you need help and support with making a complaint, you can contact your local NHS Complaints Advocacy service. This is a free and confidential service, independent from the NHS. Contact your local council to find out who the advocacy provider is in your area.

Tips for looking after yourself as a parent

Where to find further support

Useful helplines and websites

While we take care to ensure that the organisations we signpost to provide high quality information and advice, we cannot take responsibility for any specific pieces of advice they may offer. We encourage parents and carers to always explore the website of a linked service or organisation to understand who they are and what support they offer before engaging with them.

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Racism & Mental Health | Guide For Parents

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If your child experiences racism, it can negatively affect their mental health. Here are some ways you can support them and places you can get help.

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Orchard Primary Academy: Talking to Children about Racism

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Orchard Primary Academy: Talking to Children about Racism

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Useful Links

At South Pennine Academies, we want every student to have the best possible chance to achieve in school.

Enter Site

What is race and racism?

Race can mean a person's colour, nationality, ethnicity or citizenship. It's a protected characteristic in law under the Equality Act 20101in England, Scotland and Wales, and the Race Relations Order 19972 in Northern Ireland. This means it's illegal to discriminate against someone, or treat them differently, because of their race. It's important to remember that someone's ethnicity or national origin may not be the same as their current nationality. For example, someone may have Indian national origins and be living in Britain with a British passport.

Race also includes different ethnic and racial groups. This means a group of people who all share the same protected characteristic of ethnicity or race. General examples of racial groups include White British, Black British, British Asians, British Sikhs, British Jews, Romany Gypsies and Irish Travellers.3

Racial discrimination or racism is when someone is treated differently because of their race, ethnicity, nationality or colour. Any type of racism or racial discrimination is abusive and distressing for children and young people who experience or witness it. If someone commits a crime against you because of your race it is considered a hate crime and is against the law. Instances of bullying that are racially motivated but not a crime are considered racist incidents.

Types of racism and racial discrimination

Racism, racial discrimination and racial bullying can take many forms and children and young people may experience more than one type of racism. For example, a young person experiencing racial bullying in school could also be sent abusive comments online, and face racial discrimination at their workplace. Racism can also happen alongside other forms of discrimination or abuse.

Racism or racial discrimination can include:

This involves treating a child or young person worse than someone else in a similar situation because of their race. It can also include policies in a school, workplace or similar organisation that disadvantage people from a particular racial group.

This involves making a child, young person, or adult feel humiliated, offended or degraded. Harassment can be through spoken or written words, offensive emails, comments online or on social media, jokes, physical or facial expressions.

This is when a person is treated badly because they have made a complaint of race related discrimination under the Equality Act 2010. It can also happen when someone is supporting a person who's complained about racism or racial discrimination.

This involves making openly racist remarks to a child, young person or adult. It can include racist comments, such as being called racists names or being sent insulting messages or threats. It can also include physical violence or assault, or damaging personal belongings.

Covert racism involves making comments that devalue or put someone down because of their race. These comments or 'microagressions' reflect racial prejudice and can make young people feel like they're less important because of their race or that they don't fit in.

Examples include things like saying 'I don't see colour', which may come from a well-intentioned place but it doesn't recognise the diversity which actually does exist. If you claim to not see colour it can mean you're not acknowledging a young person's identity and lived experience.

How racism affects children

Racism and racial abuse or bullying can be really distressing for children and young people. When a child is bulliedor treated differently because of their race, it can lead to feelings of isolation, depression, anger or even shame about their race or how they look.

In 2019/20, Childline delivered 547 counselling sessions where racist bullying, racism or being bullied for spiritual, cultural or religious reasons were mentioned.4In the same year, there were 75 contacts to the NSPCC helpline from adults with concerns about these issues.5

Racism or racial bullying can be overt or openly hostile, such as being called racist names or being sent threats. Or it can be covert or harder to recognise, involving subtle comments that put a child or young person down and devalue their experience or identity. Both types of racism are equally distressing for children and young people and can have a significant impact on their mental health.

Covert racism can affect young people's self-esteem and support the idea that's it's okay to challenge a person's experience. This type of racism is subtle and can make it seem like it's okay to dismiss racial prejudice or discrimination with comments like, 'it's in your head', or telling someone they're 'playing the race card'. These comments can be very subtle but they are no less abusive, painful and humiliating for children and young people.

How to talk to children about racism

Children and young people will have seen images and stories in the news around Black Lives Matter. They may also have heard or taken part in recent conversations around racism since the murder of George Floyd and many others in the US. However, some children may not fully understand what's happening and may have questions. It's important to encourage positive and open conversations about race and racism with children and young people. And to have them often, not just when Black Lives Matter is covered in the news, to keep the conversation going. We have advice to help.

Sometimes we feel uncomfortable talking about things we don't know much about. If a child asks you a question which you don't know the answer to, it's okay to suggest that you learn together. The following resources can also be a great way to improve your understanding of race and racism:

Anti-racism

Learning about race, racism and privilege can lead people to consider what else they can do to combat discrimination. Sometimes, the next step can involve committing yourself to becoming actively anti-racist but it's not always clear what that means. But when people talk about being anti-racist, it includes:

listening to people with lived experience of racism and accepting it as truth

calling out racism and discrimination wherever you see it and using your own privilege to draw attention to it

continuing to learn about inequality and how it affects others

regularly assessing your own thoughts about racism and discrimination

passing on what you learn to those around you, including family, friends and colleagues.

While many parents or carers may feel afraid of saying the wrong thing, having an open conversation will help children learn about how racism still exists, and to recognise how it affects them or people they know. Talking openly can also help a child to feel more comfortable sharing how they're feeling with you, and to confide in you if they've experienced or seen racism or racial abuse.

We have support and advice for starting these conversations on our Talking about difficult topics page.

While many parents may be worried about speaking to younger children in an age-appropriate way, research shows that children can internalize racial bias between ages 2 and 4.6It can help to describe racism in a way that your child will be able to understand. For example, you could talk about fairness, being kind, accepting others for who they are.

For older children, let them lead the conversation so they feel confident sharing their ideas or experiences. It's important to provide a safe and comfortable environment for them to express themselves in by listening and asking questions without judging them.

It's important to show children that black history isn't just slavery, oppression and segregation. You could tell them about black contributions and stories that aren't linked to the struggle of slavery and civil rights. It could also help to diversify the books your children read and films or tv shows that they watch. Some recent campaigns and websites that might help you start a conversation include:

A parent's guide to Black Lives Matter- resources and activities for you to use to work towards racial equality.

56 Black Men- a campaign challenging the negative image of Black men throughout mainstream media.

NSPCC shop- we have a range of children's books on racial diversity and black history.

It can help explain to children that we aren't all the same, the human race is diverse and that is a good thing. The world would be a very boring place if everyone was the same. This can help children to notice race and appreciate it. It encourages conversation, understanding and empathy with people who are different from them.

NSPCC shop- we have a range of children's books on racial diversity and black history.

Childline: support for young people

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Welcome to the website of Orchard Primary Academy

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PanMacmillan: How to have open and honest conversations with children about racism

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PanMacmillan: How to have open and honest conversations with children about racism

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History teacher and writer Jaspreet Kaur on how to talk to children about race and racism.

As a school teacher for nearly a decade, I have seen the range of conversations that can come up in the classroom, and discussions about racism have always been the most difficult to navigate. This isn't because we don't know how to explain what racism is, but because we worry about protecting our children's innocence, and hope that avoiding talking to them about discrimination might mean we can protect them from it. As parents and educators, we're sometimes not practised in having to explain it in a way that is appropriate for young people. It's important for us adults not to make assumptions, meet children where they are, and be responsive to our children's needs too.

It is essential to have open and honest conversations with our children about race and racism no matter our ethnic background. These discussions play a crucial role in promoting understanding, empathy, and inclusivity from an early age. By addressing these topics proactively, we can equip our children with the knowledge and tools to navigate a diverse world with respect and compassion.

Start early

One of the key things to do is to start early. Research shows that children as young as five years old begin to notice and make sense of racial differences and even show signs of racial bias. Meanwhile, the children who are on the receiving end of that racial bias are left feeling confused about why they are being treated differently to their peers.

By initiating conversations about race from an early age, we can help our children develop a positive attitude towards diversity. You can begin by acknowledging and celebrating the uniqueness of different racial and ethnic backgrounds. Or, if your little one asks a question in public before you're ready to talk about race, rather than hushing them and feeling embarrassed, you can take it as a cue to emphasise the strength in diversity that enriches our society. For example, if a child asks why someone's skin looks different than theirs, you could explain that "skin comes in many different beautiful colours."

Encourage open dialogue

Creating a safe space for open dialogue is essential. Encourage your children to ask questions, express their thoughts, and share their experiences. Listen actively and validate their feelings, even if they might seem uncomfortable or challenging. You can even ask them their thoughts and encourage them to make sense of a situation while challenging bias. A great way to do this is by diversifying the books, films and TV shows they might watch, and finding opportunities here to fill in gaps in their knowledge or existing biases. By fostering an environment of trust and acceptance, we can ensure that our children feel heard and understood, allowing them to develop a deeper understanding of race and its impact on society.

Don't Miss

If there's ever a point where you don't know the answer, don't be afraid to tell your child so too. It's okay to not know, and it's also okay to find out together. Consider researching the answer with your child if it's appropriate to do so. Or a simple collaborative response like, "That's a really good question and I don't know the answer to that. I'll learn more and come back to share it with you, does that sound good?" signals to your child that it is okay to not know some things and seek out knowledge to learn more. Such uncomfortable moments can lead to deeper connection with your children and encourage curiosity.

Address stereotypes and prejudices

Help your children identify and challenge stereotypes they may encounter in their daily lives by pointing out discrimination when you see it. This could be while watching the news or when your child is sharing a story about what happened on the playground.

Teach them to question assumptions, challenge biases, and recognise that every individual should be judged based on their character and actions, rather than their racial or ethnic background. By debunking stereotypes and promoting empathy, we can empower our children to become agents of positive change in a world that still struggles with racial discrimination.

As parents, it is important to also lead by example. Examine your own biases and prejudices and be willing to challenge and unlearn them. Engage in ongoing learning and self-reflection to ensure that you are equipped to guide your children in these discussions. By modelling open-mindedness, empathy, and a commitment to equality, you can inspire your children to do the same.

Further helpful reading

To continue learning, here are some recommended resources:

Books: Let's Talk About Race by Julius Lester, Something Happened in Our Town: A Child's Story About Racial Injustice by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazzard, The Colors of Us by Karen Katz

Websites: Learning for Justice, EmbraceRace, Raising Race Conscious Children, Dealing with Prejudice and Stereotyping: Guide for Parents

Podcasts: Fare of the Free Child by Akilah S. Richards, Integrated Schools by Andrew Lefkowits

Organisations: The Conscious Kid, Teaching for Change, Colourful Pages

Remember, continuous learning and growth is key in navigating conversations about race and racism with your children.

Talking to our children about race and racism is an ongoing and important responsibility for parents from all ethnic backgrounds. By starting early, encouraging open dialogue, leading by example, emphasising inclusivity, addressing stereotypes and prejudices, and staying curious, we can foster a more inclusive and understanding society. Remember, these conversations are not just about teaching our children about race, but also about equipping them with the tools to create a more equitable and accepting world for all.

"You might feel that this fight is too big for you. How on earth can you dismantle so many complex, long-standing systems of oppression? My answer: piece by piece."
Equal parts memoir and manifesto, Jaspreet Kaur equips women with the confidence and skillset they need to navigate the difficulties that come with an intersectional identity. Pulling no punches, and tackling topics from mental health and menstruation stigma to education and beauty standards, Brown Girl Like Me will educate, inspire and spark urgent conversations for change; essential reading for South Asian women and people with an interest in feminism and cultural issues.

Illustrated by Anoosha Syed

I am Perfectly Designed is the perfect story for families of all shapes and sizes to share this festive season. Embodying the kindness and love of its creator, Queer Eye star Karamo Brown, it's an empowering story about loving who you are and a celebration of the bond between a parent and a child.

A tale of acceptance and celebrating difference. The Blues, Reds and Yellows lived in harmony. Reds were the loudest, Yellows the brightest and Blues were the coolest. However when one of the colours proclaims they are the best, discord breaks out and eventually the colours decide to live in different parts of the city. Then one day a Yellow befriends a Blue and they become inseparable, discovering a world of different possibilities and colours.

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How to have open and honest conversations with children about racism

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Jaspreet Kaur offers advice to parents of all and any ethnic background on how to discuss race and racism in a considered, positive and age-appropriate way.

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Dealing with Prejudice and Stereotyping: Guide for Parents - Oxford Brookes University

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Dealing with Prejudice and Stereotyping: Guide for Parents - Oxford Brookes University

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Make sure your children understand that prejudice and discrimination are wrong and unfair. Make it a firm rule that no person should be excluded or teased on the basis of race, religion, nationality or ethnicity, accent, gender, disability, sexual orientation, or appearance.

Help your children become sensitive to other people's feelings. Share stories and books with your children that help them to understand the points of view of other people. When personal conflicts occur, encourage your children to think about how the other person might be feeling. Studies indicate that caring, empathic children are less likely to be prejudiced.

Help your children understand the seriousness of name calling. Often young children do not know the meaning of the words they use, but they do know that the words will get a reaction from the victim. Children need to learn that discriminatory language is unacceptable and is as bad as undesirable physical behaviour. Children who use a racist or other hurtful name should be talked to right away. They need to understand that they have made a mistake and have hurt someone.

Help children recognize instances of stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination. Point out and discuss discrimination when you see it and make sure children know how to respond to such attitudes and behaviours. Television, movies and newspapers often provide opportunities for discussion. Encouraging children's critical thinking ability may be the best antidote to prejudice.

Encourage your children to create positive change. Talk to your children about how they can respond to prejudice and discrimination. Confronting other children can be particularly hard, so children need to have a ready made response to such instances. If another child is called a hurtful name, a friend might simply say, "Don't call him/her that. Call him/her by his/her name." Or, if your child is the victim, "Don't call me that. That's not fair." or "You don't like to be called bad names and neither do I." In all cases, try to help your child to feel comfortable in pointing out unfairness.

Take appropriate action yourself against incidences of prejudice and discrimination. For example, if other adults use bigoted language around you or your children, you should not ignore it. Your children need to know that such behaviour is unacceptable even if it is from a familiar adult. A simple phrase will do: "Please don't talk that way around me or my children." or "That kind of joke offends me." Adults need to hold themselves to the same standards they want their children to follow.

Accept each of your children as unique and special. Let your children know that you recognize and appreciate their individual qualities. Children who feel good about themselves are less likely to be prejudiced. Also, notice unique and special qualities in other people and discuss them with your children. Children who have poor self-images are more vulnerable to developing prejudices. They may try to bolster their own worth by finding a group of people whom they can put down. An insecure child might think, "I may not be very good but I am better than those people."

Respond to children's questions and comments. Find out more about what your children think in order to know what misconceptions may need to be corrected. After you have determined what they think, respond with a simple, "I'm trying to understand why you said that, but I don't see it that way." Be direct. Be brief. Use language your children will understand. Examples of questions that might be addressed:

"Why don't people like those people? Why do people call them names?"

One answer could be: "Some people make judgments about a whole group people without knowing very much about them. Sometimes people are afraid of those who seem different from them and, unfortunately, they express that with name-calling and negative treatment. When people grow up with these ideas, sometimes it's hard to get rid of them."

It is important for children to know that they can help to overcome racism, sexism and all forms of bigotry. Show them how the choices they make can help to create a fairer world: "When a lot of children like you grow up, differences will become less and less important, and people will respect each other even for their differences."

"Why do those people look (or act) so funny? Why can't he walk? Why do they believe such strange things?"

Children need to realize that all people are different. It is important to communicate to children that we often think others are different simply because they are unfamiliar to us. We don't think our own beliefs and appearances are strange or funny because they are what we're used to. Point out that we must appear different to others, too.

"I don't like (name of group) people."

Such a comment needs to be handled carefully. It is important that you address such comments without making your children become defensive. With young children, the tone of the discussion should be one of exploring their thinking. A discussion might go as follows:

"You sound as if you know all the people who are (name of group), and that you don't like any of them. You can only like or dislike people you know. If you don't know someone, you can't have a good reason for liking or not liking them. There are children you may not like to play with, but their skin colour (religion, accent, appearance, size, etc.) should have nothing to do with it." Discuss with your children the character traits they look for in their friends, such as kindness, honesty, etc.

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Dealing with Prejudice and Stereotyping: Guide for Parents - Oxford Brookes University

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Make sure your children understand that prejudice and discrimination are wrong and unfair. Make it a firm rule that no person should be excluded or teased on the basis of race, religion, nationality or ethnicity, accent, gender, disability, sexual orientation, or appearance. Help your children become sensitive to other people's feelings.

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Booktrust: How to talk to children about racism

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Booktrust: How to talk to children about racism

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Katie Daynes and anti-racism educational charity Show Racism the Red Card explain why it’s important to talk to children about racism

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Barnardo's: Talking to your children about racism

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Barnardo's: Talking to your children about racism

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By now, you're likely to have seen the news of the killing of an unarmed Black man by a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, US. George Floyd died after an officer knelt on his neck for nine minutes. Children are likely to have seen the footage or heard of George Floyd's killing and the protests that have followed on from this. They might be confused about why people are protesting. It's important to help them understand the issue that underpins this: racism.

Even if they haven't seen or heard of this coverage of George Floyd's death, it's important to talk to children about racism. If you're wondering how to start, read on for our tips.

Check in with yourself first

If you're Black, this means looking after yourself. It's hard to see story after story of brutality without it taking a toll on your mental health. Think about coping strategies before you broach a conversation with your child. You'll be in a better position to support them, make them feel safe and answer any questions they have calmly.

For others, this will mean taking the time to challenge yourself and examine your own prejudices and privileges first. All of us carry some form of bias and prejudice - and the first step to progressing is to reflect and recognise that. It's important to listen in to understand racism and experiences of Black people and people of other ethnicities if you're not aware of them. There are plenty of helpful resources available to help you - here are a few to get you started:
Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh​​​​​​ Me and White Supremacy by Layla F Saad​​​​​
Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race and About Race podcast by Reni Eddo Lodge

Think about how you might talk to your child about George Floyd if they ask, but be aware that it could be very upsetting to bring up the graphic details of how he died if they don't already know.

It's natural to worry that you might get something wrong when talking about race, but take it one step at a time. Remember that keeping the conversation about race going, rather than a single "talk" will help your child feel confident in asking you questions and telling you how they feel. If your child asks a question that you don't have the answer to, don't be afraid to say you don't know. It's fine to research and come back to them with the answer, or if they're old enough, research and learn alongside them.

Don't wait for them to bring it up

Some parents might think that the best way to raise a child to not be racist is to not talk about race at all. However, studies show that children notice patterns in the world around them from a young age: between the ages of three and five, they begin to apply stereotypes and express racial bias (Winkler, 2009), so it's never too early to talk about it and to help them think critically about what they see. Use the terms of fairness to help - for example, you might ask if it's fair that there aren't any Black and brown characters on a television show that they're watching.

Not speaking about race can make it seem like an impolite subject and can leave children to draw conclusions of their own, potentially helping to reinforce the notion that racial inequalities that exist are natural. Speaking about it regularly will also help to complement and enhance what they learn in school, see on the news and hear from friends.

If they express a racial prejudice, ask about it instead of shutting it down immediately. You might ask, "What makes you say that?" to help get to their thought process and the root of it, so that you can examine it together.

If they're confused about the protests, help to explain how protests have played a part in lots of social movements in history to help make things fairer. Reassure them most protests are peaceful and that people have the right to speak up if things aren't fair.

Being 'colourblind' isn't helpful

Asserting that you "don't see race" doesn't help as some might think it would - race is not the problem, the prejudice and stigma attached to it is. By talking about race, your child will learn more about the issue, think for themselves and be more comfortable about speaking out about racism.

It's also worth noting that children of a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic (BAME) background are likely to have experienced racism in some manner and be reminded of their race through this. Having the choice to not think about race is a privilege that only some of us have.

Representation matters

It's important for children to be represented in the stories they read and see. It helps them to see a place for themselves in the world. But many children struggle with this; a study by Centre for Literacy in Primary Education found that only 1% of children's books published in 2017 had a BAME main protagonist and only 4% included BAME background characters.

Exposing your child to a diverse range of people, stories and characters from a young age can help to develop a positive attitude to inclusivity, widen out a child's view of the world, make them less accepting of stereotypes and less intimidated by difference. Think about the characters and stories in the books that they already have - could they be more inclusive? Introduce more stories that show different characters and deal with issues of race. Our practitioners suggest:
Look Up! by Nathan Bryon and Dapo Adeola​​​​​​
Baby Ruby Bawled by Malaika Rose Stanley
The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q. Rauf
Something Happened in Our Town by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazzard

For children who are moving on to young adult books, try these:
A Change Is Gonna Come by Mary Bello Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman The Life of Stephen Lawrence by Verna Allette Wilkins
When you're reading, let your child talk about differences but also help point out the similarities between them and the characters too. Be mindful of content that reinforces racial stereotypes and avoid it where you can. If you come across racial stereotypes in stories, think about how you might discuss these and their harmful effects.

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If you're wondering how you can talk to your child about the issue of racism, read on for our tips.

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Talking to children about race and discrimination - Place2Be- including resources for parents / carers

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Talking to children about race and discrimination - Place2Be- including resources for parents / carers

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Scenes of anger and protest across the world by the Black Lives Matter Movement following the death of George Floyd in the USA, have highlighted the divisions that still exist and need to be addressed in society. As mental health practitioners, it's important we acknowledge the heightened anxiety and pain felt by members of our community.

One of Place2Be's school-based mental health professionals, Dianna Roberts, has held sessions with Year 6 pupils in her school about race and racism:

"Some of the children were quite anxious about asking questions or saying the wrong thing. We talked about how normal it is to feel uncertain and confused, and to have lots of questions. They wanted to know why racism had come back, or why people hadn't been protesting before. We also talked about where they were getting information from, and the majority said social media. Only a few said they'd spoken to a parent about it."

Here are some resources you may find useful when talking with children and young people on issues around race and discrimination.

Resources for parents and carers

A Parent's Guide to Black Lives Matter
This guide aims to provide resources, advice, and tips to ensure that children are aware of racial inequality, racial hierarchies, and white privilege present in modern-day society, as well as share tools and knowledge in which to combat racism today.

Racism and violence: helping children to handle the news
The Child Mind Institute have shared advice on helping children to deal with troubling news about race and violence

George Floyd: Why are there huge protests in the US and around the world?
BBC Newsround's report helps children to make sense of what has happened in recent days and weeks

How to talk to your children about race and racism
How to answer questions about race and racism? Entrepreneur, blogger and mum-of-one Freddie Harrel and Behavioural scientist and diversity consultant Dr Pragya Agarwal - who has three daughters - shared their personal experiences and tips with BBC Woman's Hour...

Resources for schools

Black Lives Matter - Book Trust Book List
Book Trust has selected books that examine the structural oppression experienced by the Black community, aimed at inspiring and empowering young children to talk about anti-racism.

Remember that if you are struggling with your mental health, there is always help available.

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Talking to children about race and discrimination - Place2Be

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We share some resources you may find useful when talking with children and young people about race and discrimination.

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British Red Cross Talking about race with students | Teaching resources

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British Red Cross Talking about race with students | Teaching resources

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Our guide will give you confidence to talk to children and young people about race and racism and develop their understanding and awareness.

This resource helps teachers and parents to create a safe space for children and young people to ask questions and discuss race and racism. Through our resources we aim to help learners become more empathetic and resilient through kindness and mutual respect.

It provides information to help educators prepare for a conversation and introduce the topic to learners. It also includes several activities and analogies to help children and young people explore and discuss the topic. There are separate documents for children (ages 3 to 11) and young people (ages 11 to 18).

Our Black Lives Matter resource for young people helps learners reflect on movement with a focus on how people might experience racism and how it might feel.

Learning objectives
Learners will:

discuss racism in an open and safe environment and ask questions

use techniques like active listening to help develop understanding

explore what a stereotype is and start to challenge assumptions we hear and see in the media

celebrate others' differences and similarities

be empowered to create an anti-racist environment.

Resource overview

This provides an overview of what to expect from the resource. There are differentiated activities for primary and secondary learners.

1. Guidance: preparation

Advice for teachers and parents on how to prepare for and approach the subject. Have the confidence to talk to children and young people, how to raise the topic, create a safe space for discussion and respond to questions.

2. Creating an anti-racist environment: taking action

Explore ways in which children and young people can be an active ally with friends and family. Consider how it would feel to be supported.

3. Active listening: listening activity

Use this activity to set out an environment of active listening where people can share safely, and others listen and reflect on what is said.

4. Challenging stereotypes: discussion activity

Provide an opportunity to discuss what we mean by stereotypes and challenge some thoughts learners might have.

5. In my community: debate activity

Encourage learners to think about discrimination and equality in their local community and environment with this walking debate.

6. Video activity

Video activities for different ages exploring race and racism. For children, discover the importance of loving your skin. For young people, think about discrimination against key workers.

7. Celebrating similarities and differences: discussion activity

Explore the traits that make us who we are, what do we have in common with others? Discuss a series of statements about similarities and differences.

8. Reflection

Make a plan of action with your children and young people and work on it together.

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This resource was created in June 2020 by the British Red Cross.

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Talking about race with students | Teaching resources

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A free primary and secondary teaching resource about how to support and talk to children and young people about race, racism and anti-racism.

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"I am struggling with the racist bullying I get at school... I feel like everyone is against me. School is a quite an isolating place and nobody has ever stood up for me.

"I don't really want to address it to the school because that'll create more drama and it will make more people turn against me and my school life will be even more miserable. I'd rather the school did a talk about racism and its history."*

*Girl, aged 12.

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Advice to help parents or concerned adults understand how to talk to children about race and racism, and what you can do to support a child who's experiencing racial bullying.

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Blog: Using books to affirm identity and belonging

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Blog: Using books to affirm identity and belonging

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The power of books to affirm identity and belonging

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Author Atinuke shares her experience of books being a powerful tool to shine lights on forgotten areas of history and strengthen children’s identities and confidence.

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Blog: "Where are you really from?" Using books to talk to children about race

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Blog: "Where are you really from?" Using books to talk to children about race

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"Where are you really from?" Using books to talk to children about race

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Author and geneticist Adam Rutherford explains how books can help tackle the topic of race with children.

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Pupil Voice: Learn about effective pupil voice; its importance in AR Practice and how to remove barriers to universal engagement

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Pupil Voice: Learn about effective pupil voice; its importance in AR Practice and how to remove barriers to universal engagement

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Comms about School of Sanctuary events and the Norfolk ARIE network

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Comms about School of Sanctuary events and the Norfolk ARIE network

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Responding to, reporting and recording Prejudice-Based Incidents webinar 19/06/23

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Responding to, reporting and recording Prejudice-Based Incidents webinar 19/06/23

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Black History Month 2023: Celebrate our Sisters with this Padlet of resources

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Black History Month 2023: Celebrate our Sisters with this Padlet of resources

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Our Migration Story: The Making of Britain

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The buried remains of a woman with African ancestry from Roman York were discovered in Sycamore Terrace, York, in 1901.

The skull and teeth of her skeleton, which have been stored in Yorkshire Museum, were recently examined by scientists at the University of Reading.

Invasion, conquest and migration

Migration to Britain in the first century was part of the expansion of the Roman Empire and the outcome of colonial and imperial processes. The Roman Empire grew from the city of Rome to encompass Europe, North Africa and the Near East. Britain was first invaded by Caesar in 55/54 BC and then conquered in 43 AD by the Emperor Claudius.

The reasons for the Roman Empire's expansion are much debated. There was obvious economic gain to be had, and military security is often given as a reason for the Empire's wars, but competition for military honours and internal politics also played an important part in growth. Emperor Claudius, for example, was initially perceived as weak and tried to increase his prestige by conquering Britain.

There were not enough citizens of Rome or even Italy to control the whole Roman Empire, but there were many people in the provinces that had accepted Roman rule. Inscriptions carved into stone to commemorate the dead on tombs, or to record who set up an altar to the gods, show that people came not only from Italy, but also from Gaul, North Africa and Spain; in the later Roman period new troops were recruited from Germany and even from beyond the frontiers of the Empire. The Roman conquest of Britain led to the migration of many soldiers and administrators, merchants and also women and children.

It is difficult to estimate total numbers of people who came to Britain during the era of Roman control: troop movements are quite well-documented but there are no surviving records of how many civilians journeyed to the province. Stone inscriptions were only erected by a few wealthy individuals who had adopted Roman ways of doing things; from the whole of Britain only about 2,500 stone inscriptions survive. The analysis of skeletons offers archaeologists an opportunity to identify the origin of many more individuals by studying skull shape as well as isotope and DNA signatures (more on this below). Evidence suggests that, over time, locals and incomers intermarried, and that the populations in major urban and military sites were very diverse.

Due to the relative lack of written sources for the Roman period, we often do not know why individuals came to Britain. Some migration was voluntary, to take advantage of opportunities in a new Roman province, but there was also forced migration, for example, of slaves. We know even less about how the local population responded to incomers; while there were revolts against Roman rule there is also much evidence that suggests integration. Many of the incomers occupied powerful positions, and their practices and beliefs probably influenced the lives of local peoples.

Digging up migration history: The Ivory Bangle Lady

One way we can learn about early migration history is through the work of archaeologists, who have studied human remains to learn more about the people of Roman Britain. For example, the grave of a young woman (see main source above) was discovered in 1901 in Sycamore Terrace York; she was buried in a stone sarcophagus with very rich grave goods (objects placed into a burial for the afterlife, or as an offering to the dead) in the later 4th century. The objects placed into her grave included bracelets made from local jet and more exotic ones made of ivory. A short inscription on a bone mount, that once probably decorated a box, suggests that this high status young woman was a Christian as it says 'Hail, sister, may you live in God'. Recently, the skull and teeth of her skeleton, which have been stored in Yorkshire Museum, were examined by scientists at the University of Reading.

The shape of her skull suggests that she had North African ancestry; this is not very surprising in a place like York, where inscriptions and written sources mention Africans. People from Africa who came to Britain include the Emperor Septimius Severus, who was born in what is Now Libya and ruled from AD 193-211.

Archaeological scientists can also analyse the chemical signatures preserved in human teeth. The ratios of stable isotopes such as oxygen, carbon, nitrogen and strontium in human teeth can provide information about ancient diet and origin. Oxygen and strontium signatures vary depending on the climate and underlying geology of the area where an individual grew up. Individuals from hot, coastal, areas will have a different signature to those who grew up in cooler areas of continental Europe. However, it is important to stress that isotope analysis is better at excluding local origin (i.e. an individual's signature is very different from the local signatures) than pinpointing a specific area of origin (i.e. many areas have similar isotope signatures).

Studies of the remains of the Ivory Bangle Lady suggest that she was born and brought up in the south of Britain, or the continent, rather than in Africa. Archaeologists can interpret this finding in a number of ways. For example, it is possible that one parent of the Ivory Bangle Lady was from North Africa, but that she grew up in a different part of the Empire. Other skeletons from York and other Romano-British towns show that some incomers (as identified by their isotopic signatures) look almost like locals in terms of their burial rites and grave goods, while some archaeologically very exotic burials are in fact those of people born locally. Why could this be? We need to consider the fact that the dead do not bury themselves. Grave goods and burial rites might be shaped by parents or partners who had a different geographical origin to the deceased. A few hundred skeletons from the Roman period have now been studied by scientists using what is a very expensive technique, and the results show high levels of mobility and migration - up to 30% in some towns. However, the sample study is biased as it examines mostly unusual and exotic burials, so actual migration levels were likely much lower. A different picture of movement would probably emerge if countryside burials for the same period were sampled.

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Our Migration Story: The Making of Britain

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PSHE: growing up and transition to high school tips

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PSHE: growing up and transition to high school tips

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Natalie A Carter and Melissa Cummings-Quarry are the authors of Grown: The Black Girls’ Guide to Glowing Up

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Growing up and starting secondary school: Some personal tips for young people and parents

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Natalie A Carter and Melissa Cummings-Quarry remember all too well what it was like to start secondary school. Drawing from their personal experience and well-earned wisdom, they share some heartfelt advice for both children and families.

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Three black scientists you need to know - BBC Ideas

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Space scientist Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock selects three unsung heroes she thinks deserve wider recognition. (Made in partnership with The Open University.)

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Black History Month | British Scientists

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Black History Month | British Scientists

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Black History Month | British Scientists

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A Scientist Just Like Me is designed to raise awareness of diversity in science-related jobs and to provide illustrated examples of a wide range of science-based careers. It consists of a series of short slideshows, each one 'telling the story' of a particular scientist or person working in a science-related job.

The slideshows are intended to be used as discussion prompts, guided by a teacher. They can be used in different ways and for different purposes, for example:

to show children an example of someone from a particular ethnic background working in a science job

to challenge gender stereotypes about science jobs

as part of a science topic that relates to the work of the scientist

as stand-alone fifteen-minute discussion activities

with a small group or the whole class, or in a whole school assembly

The A Scientist Just Like Me resource was created by PSTT Fellows, Kulvinder Johal, Alison Trew and Ali Eley during 2021.

Acknowledgements
We are extremely grateful to all the scientists featured in this resource; we thank them for their time, for sharing their information, and most of all for the enthusiasm and commitment to the aims of the resource.

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A Scientist Just Like Me - Primary Science Teaching Trust

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Introducing children to a diverse range of scientists and people who work in science-related jobs.

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Resources and guidance to support Black, LatinX, and Multilingual students to thrive in grades 6-8 A Pathway to Equitable Math Instruction is an integrated approach to mathematics that centers Black, Latinx, and Multilingual students in grades 6-8, addresses barriers to math equity, and aligns instruction to grade-level priority standards.

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Short educational films exploring the lives of London’s West Indian community during the 1960s, 70s and 80s, produced alongside the BBC One collection of films directed by Oscar winner Steve McQueen. These BBC Teach films combine extracts from Steve McQueen’s collection of films with archive and bespoke narration, to bring significant moments from recent black British history to life for students.

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Designing a culturally and historically responsible curriculum

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Designing a culturally and historically responsible curriculum

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Culturally Responsive Literacy Learning and Teaching to Champion Antiracism and Student Confidence

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Culturally Responsive Literacy Learning and Teaching to Champion Antiracism and Student Confidence

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Introduction

Our students bring radiant stories to our learning tables. When they enter our classrooms, our students carry their cultures with them - their ethnic heritages, their life experiences, their racial identifications, their passions, their ages, their family histories - the all of themselves. And, if we tap into these rich wells, culture can be the cornerstone of promise for our students.

Culture is the lens by which one looks at the world and, thus, profoundly shapes relationships, motivation, engagement, and achievement. Stefanie Rome (2006) names culture as "whatever is meaningful and relevant to the learner." Stefanie's wise counsel means that we must know our students deeply to match the learning to the learner. Geneva Gay insightfully defines the compass of culture in Culturally Responsive Teaching:

Honoring children's hungry need to be heard and affirmed, Jabari Mahiri brilliantly details the value of honoring youth culture to grow students' literacy in Shooting for Excellence and What They Don't Learn in School: "To be literate is not to be free; it is to be present and active in the struggle for reclaiming one's voice, history, and future."

As a white, middle-class mother and aunt, international educator, progressive protestant and all faiths student, former rotary dial telephone user, third culture kid, female teacher, I worked to bridge my culture to my students' cultures; age, gender, ethnic heritage, and geographic origins are a few trestles on this bridge. My students and I shared some aspects of our cultures but we were also blessed to have unique and diverse cultural legacies to share with one another. Wanting to minister to students' multiple literacies (Tatum, 2005), then and now as a Director of Curriculum and Professional Development serving international schools, I work to craft instruction which nurtures students' academic literacy, social literacy, emotional literacy, and cultural literacy. Students' understanding of cultural literacy is chief in helping them develop a sense of their own cultural identify. Striving to keep culture at the heart of my teaching reflects my intentions to be a culturally responsive teacher.

Cultural responsiveness is not a practice; it's what informs our practice so we can make better teaching choices for eliciting, engaging, motivating, supporting, and expanding the intellectual capacity of ALL our students (Hammond, 2014). Culturally responsive teachers develop students' intellectual, social, emotional, and political learning by using cultural referents to impart knowledge, skills, and attitudes (Ladson-Billings, 1994). Culturally responsive teachers realize not only the importance of students' academic achievement, but also maintaining their cultural identity and heritage (Gay). Culturally responsive teachers work from Althier Lazar's (2004) cultural sensitivity, the awareness that cultural differences exist and have an impact on the meanings, values, perceptions, and behaviors of particular groups of people, and craft instruction with cultural relevance, teaching informed by a knowledge of the shared meanings, values, perceptions, and behaviors of particular communities.

Culturally responsive teachers respect the cultures and experiences of their students and then use these as resources for teaching and learning. This is critical because many students come into a classroom with an array of experiences and skills but learn to believe that these are useless when they cannot apply them to the classroom (Fuhrman, 2020). Culturally responsive teaching appreciates the existing strengths and accomplishments of all students and develops them further in instruction. Culturally responsive teachers acknowledges the legitimacy of the cultural heritages of different ethnic groups, both as legacies that affect students' dispositions, attitudes, and approaches to learning and as worthy content to be taught in the formal curriculum.

As Zaretta Hammond (in Elena Aguilar, 2015) explains,

Culturally responsive teaching is the heart of antiracism. In order to fight against this problem of misclassification and misleading students to believe that they are incapable, teachers must ensure that their curriculum is responsive to the needs of their students. Living as co-learners in a culturally sensitive, relevant, and responsive classroom, students dwell not only in respect but in hope and possibility, too. Banks (1991) asserts that if education is to empower marginalized groups, it must be transformative. Being transformative involves helping "students to develop the knowledge, skills, and values needed to become social critics who can make reflective decisions and implement their decisions in effective personal, social, political, and economic action."

Special education math teacher Rachel Fuhrman (2020) details culturally responsive teaching beautifully here:

Putting these words and this research into responsive action, what follows are a few tenets from my own teaching and some of the strategies I use to engage students in edifying and affirming learning. These principles - stories, culture connections, strengths, outside learning, text treasures, relationships - guide my efforts to develop culturally responsive learning and teaching to support all students' confidence, competence, motivation and understanding for learning (Jackson, 2004). I hope they paint a portrait of promise possibilities for your students' learning.

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Laura Benson shares "Promising Stories: Culturally Responsive Literacy Learning and Teaching to Champion Antiracism and Student Confidence"

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Building Anti Racist Education: presentation

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Building Anti Racist Education: presentation

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Read If Racism Vanished for a Day by UWE Bristol on Issuu and browse thousands of other publications on our platform. Start here!

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You do not need to be an expert in critical race theory or anti-racist pedagogy in order to design an online toolkit exploring the key issues and offering advice. This could include podcast content, blogs and YouTube videos exploring anti-racist content as part of learning and teaching practice. For my online toolkit, Disrupt the Discourse , I recorded interviews with colleagues specialising in anti-racist pedagogy, drawing on their professional experience to create an authentic learning experience for academic peers. You can do the same using existing multimedia tools from within your organisation, creating content in many shapes and forms. On a basic level, start by writing a blog. Or if you are more tech savvy, record a series of podcasts. Or, over time, develop an online video course. The possibilities are endless.

When tackling difficult and sensitive issues of racism and structural inequality, it can be extremely difficult to know where to start. I genuinely don't think it is a matter of academics not wanting to tackle these issues or talk about them. I just think they do not know how to do so and fear getting things wrong, causing offence or making a mistake. Using digital tools and channels makes the subject matter and content more widely available and accessible. I have found solace in building or joining a community of like-minded practitioners who are committed to the cause and together have co-created solutions as a part of a collaborative endeavour. Some of the most creative solutions in tackling big social issues have emerged from such communities, and creating content that explores these issues helps to reframe what could often feel like an arduous task.

Kevin J. Brazant is a learning development practitioner at London Metropolitan University.
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Making space for academic colleagues to think about race as part of pedagogy

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Kevin Brazant shares tips on how to use digital content creation to deconstruct themes of equality, diversity and inclusion with colleagues and inform their learning and teaching practice

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KS1-4 suggestions 'Belonging & Change Making'

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KS1-4 suggestions 'Belonging & Change Making'

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Recommended for staff: read, listen, watch

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Recommended for staff: read, listen, watch

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Celebrating Black History Month 2023 on CBeebies

Celebrate Black History Month throughout October 2023 with your little ones. Discover more about the CBeebies House presenters black history heroes, explore history with JoJo & Gran Gran and read articles from around the BBC.

This poll uses a cookie which we have classified as 'strictly necessary' for the duration of your online session. Find out more. BBC Terms of Use.

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Celebrating Black History Month 2023 on CBeebies

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Celebrate Black History Month throughout October 2023 with your little ones. Discover more about the CBeebies House presenters black history heroes, explore history with JoJo & Gran Gran and read articles from around the BBC.

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Kwame Akoto-Bamfo: 'You see the faces of our ancestors'- video

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Kwame Akoto-Bamfo: 'You see the faces of our ancestors'- video

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Kwame Akoto-Bamfo, a Ghanaian sculptor, is using his skills to create the Ancestor Project - portraits of Africans who were imprisoned, kidnapped or coerced into slavery.

Using the ancient Akan tradition of creating portraits of the dead, Kwame wants to show people how great their community was before slavery.

Video producer: Sulley Lansah

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Ghanaian artist Kwame Akoto-Bamfo creates sculptures of slaves to immerse people in their experience.