‘This work supported us with reviewing our compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duty and provided useful insights to help support and focus our EDI work’
Lindy Bannis, Assistant Principal, The Stephenson Academy
Building a positive school culture of Equality, Inclusion and Diversity (EDI)
From the gap between the performance outcomes of girls and boys and the disproportionate exclusion rates of pupils from specific ethnic backgrounds to the inequality of representation in educational leadership positions, issues of equity, diversity and inclusion impact on multiple areas of school life.
Understanding Legal Equality Obligations for Schools
The right to equality is enshrined in the first two articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) which states:
● All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights (Article 1)
● Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without
distinction of any kind (Article 2)
Every school has legal obligations to meet the requirements of The Equality Act (2010) and all public sector schools must adhere to the Public Sector Equality Duty. The most effective equality objectives drive the agenda for schools to benefit from improving their EDI work.
Not sure where to start? Our EDI Review process is highly recommended to to any school leader looking to create a more inclusive and equitable learning environment for their students. Find out more here
Georgina Reynolds, Vice Principal, James Wolfe Primary
Modular EDI INSET to Meet Your Specific Needs
Schools will be at different stages in their EDI journey.
A typical INSET day programme will include three modules and a half day ( 3 hours) would include two modules of your choice.
We offer a flexible INSET programme which can combine modules such as:
Whole Staff Introduction to Building a Positive School Culture of Equality, Inclusion and Diversity (EDI) covering
- What does The Equality Act (2010) require of schools?
- What is the Public Sector Equality Duty?
- What are the protected characteristics and what are the implications for schools
- Equality vs Equity – why does this matter?
- What are the benefits of an effective EDI strategy?
Equality: Direct and Indirect discrimination understanding and application
- What is direct discrimination?
- What is indirect discrimination?
- From PSHE and anti-bullying to parental engagement and pupil outcomes – why discrimination awareness matters
Pupil voice and harnessing the energy and passion for change
- Pupils have different experiences to adults in the school. Many of them have already seen the impact and power of collective movements such as #metoo and #blacklivesmatter. This module looks at how schools can harness and channel pupil concerns and sometimes their frustrations into an effective strategy for inclusion and equity
Adding an intersectional lens to EDI strategy
- Background to embracing Intersectionality as an EDI tool
- Internal vs external accountability
- Embracing the complexity of human identity
Curriculum matters
- How inclusive is your curriculum?
- Utilising pupil voice in curriculum planning for inclusion
- Strategising curriculum change
Unconscious bias, privilege and allyship
- Identifying and addressing barriers to embedding proactive equity, diversity and inclusion
- Strategies to explore privilege and unconscious bias
Staff Wellbeing & Equality in Recruitment
- What does an effective EDI strategy look like in terms of staff recruitment, retention, promotion, opportunity and wellbeing. This is a Senior Leaders, governors and HR-focused module.
Leading EDI in schools
- Small group or one-to-one support for leaders of EDI to discuss their school’s current position and develop/amend personalised EDI plan.
A typical INSET day programme will include three modules.
Looking for to develop more inclusive classroom practice across your school ?
Take a look at our INSET : Inclusive Classroom Practice for practical strategies and ideas
JMC EDI Team