New Academic Year, Renewed Focus on Equalities 

A new academic year has begun, and for many schools this will mean a renewed focus on equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) work. But it can be hard to know where to begin. This article will provide some starting points to consider as you embark upon a renewed EDI journey.

Current Issues in EDI 

Throughout the summer, issues of equality, diversity and inclusion have not been far from the headlines, and these topical issues will be impacting on the young people and staff in your school. Be proactive and find opportunities to talk about these issues and build support structures to underpin this work. Below are some of the topical issues impacting young people:  

Misogyny and Sexism

A recent National Policing Statement about Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) stated that there has been a 37% increase in the number of reported VAWG-related crimes from 2018/19 to 2022/23 across England and Wales. This kind of violence is rooted in misogynistic and sexist attitudes and according to a 2023 Teacher Tapp survey, 70% of teachers have seen a rise in sexist language in the classroom during the last 12 months. One of the factors impacting this trend is that young men and boys are identifying with, and are inspired by, online influencers who put forward misogyny as a solution to young men’s problems. These attitudes and behaviours are having a detrimental impact on the boys themselves as well as causing harm to girls and school staff. It is important to provide young people with counter-narratives to the information they are absorbing online to prevent these behaviours from worsening. For further information about preventing sexism in school, read our blog post Six Tips for Tackling Misogyny in Schools or download our free resource Outside the Box. 

August Riots

After the riots and displays of violence aimed at people of colour, Muslims, asylum seekers and refugees, schools should be prepared to have conversations with students who may have questions about what happened and why. Some students may even return to school with challenging views, which they may feel emboldened to express more freely. Other students may be feeling anxious or scared, so the school should look to put measures in place to support these students. Our Guidance on Talking to Young People About the Summer Riots provides some ideas about how to do this. Being proactive about this topic will ensure that students feel safe to approach the issue and have their questions answered. For help to discuss issues of racism and Islamophobia, take a look at our free Reject Racism and Faith in Us resources.  

Olympics Gender Rows

It has been a great summer for sport. But the gender rows around women’s boxing at the Olympics have cast a dark shadow over events. There have been toxic arguments over the participation of Algerian boxer Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting from Taiwan, despite the International Olympic Committee being explicit that they “were both born as a woman, been raised as a woman, have a passport as a woman and who have competed for many years as a woman.” They stated: “This is the clear definition of a woman. There was never any doubt about them being a woman.” The experiences of Khelif and Yu-ting bring into question the inclusivity of competitive sport and the impact of online harassment. Students may have questions about this and so this issue provides an opportunity to open up conversations around gender equality and transphobia.

A Strategic Whole-School Approach

Whilst being prepared to talk about and support young people and staff to deal with topical issues is great, this is only one piece of the jigsaw. To truly promote equality, diversity and inclusion throughout the school, it is important to take a strategic whole-school approach. As a starting point, it’s a good idea to identify the school’s current strengths and weaknesses. You can do this through conducting an audit of your current practice and by consulting with the school community to understand the issues that exist for staff, students, parents/carers and governors. The list below sets out some areas you should consider:  

• Curriculum – is the whole school curriculum inclusive and representative of a diverse range of people? 
• Digital environment – is your school website and social media accessible to all? 
• External speakers and visitors – consider whether the speakers you invite into school help to perpetuate or counter stereotypes. 
• Language and communications – is information shared with students and families in a way that is accessible to all? 
• Policies and procedures – scrutinise your policies and procedures for any potentially discriminatory practices. 
• Staff – don’t just focus your efforts on students. Remember that staff should also factor into the school’s EDI strategies. 
• Whole school culture – Does the school celebrate and value diversity and difference? 
• Whole school strategy – How does promoting equality and tackling discrimination and prejudice factor into the school’s development plan and long-term approach?

For help with conducting an audit of your school’s current EDI practice, take a look at our Auditing Current Practice Toolkit, which is free to download with an EqualiTeach Empowered subscription. If you feel that you need a more structured approach to this work, our Equalities Award will provide guidance and support from our expert EDI advisors as you look to undertake this audit. 

Once you’ve completed an audit of your school’s strengths and weaknesses, you can look to develop an action plan to address those areas in need of development. Remember that there is no quick fix to resolving issues of inequality. Give yourself time to implement new initiatives and remember that this work will be an ongoing and continuous process of learning and development. 

Consult the Wider School Community 

Undertaking a consultation with the wider school community can be incredibly helpful in identifying issues that the senior leadership team may not be aware of and in identifying potential solutions. Staff, students and parents and carers with different and diverse knowledge and experience will bring useful, and often necessary, insight and perspective.  

You can consult with students, staff and parents/carers through surveys, focus groups, semi-structured interviews, and spot questions at events such as school plays and parents’ evenings. Just make sure that any consultation you do is fully accessible, with consideration of the language and accessibility needs of users to ensure there are no barriers to participation. 

Working Together 

The road to equality isn’t easy. But it will be easier if you can bring as many people on board as possible. Make sure that the responsibility isn’t centred in one person and look to build EDI working groups and committees to help with this work. Regular communication with staff, students and parents/carers about changes the school is making and providing opportunities for the school community to ask questions about these changes, is key to bringing people along with you on this journey. People can be nervous and suspicious of things they don’t understand and so updating staff and families on the EDI work that the school is doing, will help to avoid negative knee-jerk reactions and encourage a more positive response to this work. “You Said, We Did” updates, parent information meetings, staff briefings, assemblies and social media posts can all be used to talk about and share the work the school is doing to promote equality, whilst also providing an opportunity for people to ask questions and express their concerns. 

Download our free Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Journey Roadmap to guide you in creating an action plan that drives long-term, meaningful change.

Good luck with the new academic year and your renewed approach to equality, diversity and inclusion. 

For more assistance in building your school’s EDI strategy, you can attend our free webinar: New Academic Year, Renewed Focus on Equalities on the 26th September at 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm. Register here.