Best Practice

Diversity and inclusion in the classroom

When it comes to diversity, equality and inclusion, many schools have got the basics in place, but there is more to consider – especially for teachers who must ensure the inclusion of all pupils in their classrooms. Adele Bates reflects on a recent SecEd Podcast discussion
Image: Adobe Stock

 

An equality curriculum drop-down day. An LGBT+ History Month assembly. A black people in sports display. Disability awareness training for staff. An equity policy on the school website (in rainbow colours)…

In many of the schools (although not all) I work with, these headline nods towards diversity and inclusion are present and correct. We have come a long way from how school looked when I was going through it in the 1990s.

But what next? There is of course more to genuine inclusion and diversity than this. And how is all this helping our pupils’ learning?

We have started to pick at the surface – role models that pupils can aspire to, safe spaces to discuss protected characteristics, and more training for staff to understand the different pupils they might get to teach and how to ensure they are included. It’s all good stuff

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