Racist language: An effective response

Cotham School is a diverse, multi-cultural, multi-faith secondary school with more than 1,500 students from a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds.

But that wasn’t always the case. When I arrived two years ago, I could clearly see the legacy of the old grammar school positioned within an affluent suburb of Bristol surrounded by grand architecture of Georgian and Victorian designs.

This backdrop appeared to contribute to a culture of high expectations and high aspirations. And yet there was still a dichotomy.
In lessons, students of all backgrounds generally work freely and well together but, at social times, this dichotomy was much more apparent. The bonds of diversity we are trying to encourage at school could never be quite as strong as the friendships formed on the route home and in local neighbourhoods.