Anti-Racism for Schools, Colleges & Universities
Practical anti-racism training for schools, colleges and universities exploring racial inequality, curriculum, bias, representation, belonging and anti-racist educational practice.
Practical anti-racism training for schools, colleges and universities exploring racial inequality, curriculum, bias, representation, belonging and anti-racist educational practice.
Creating an anti-racist learning environment means more than responding to racist incidents when they occur. It requires staff to understand how racism and racial inequality can shape curriculum, expectations, relationships, opportunities and people's sense of belonging. This course helps staff across schools, colleges and universities recognise racism in its overt and more subtle forms, explore bias and privilege, respond confidently when concerns arise and consider how everyday educational practice can contribute to racial equality. Through discussion, reflection and practical examples, delegates develop the confidence to challenge racism constructively and help create learning environments in which students and colleagues from different racial and ethnic backgrounds are respected, heard and able to thrive.
Racism within education is not limited to explicit racist language or behaviour. It can also be reflected in assumptions, expectations, curriculum choices, institutional practices, whose perspectives are valued and how concerns are heard and addressed.
The course encourages delegates to consider the learning environment as a whole and to recognise the part that everyone can play in creating greater racial equality.
Develop confidence to recognise overt and subtle racism, racial bias, stereotypes, assumptions and patterns of exclusion or inequality.
Consider how curriculum, language, expectations, everyday interactions and institutional practices can shape people's experiences of education.
Build confidence to respond to racist behaviour, inappropriate language, stereotypes and assumptions rather than allowing them to go unchallenged.
Identify practical actions that can strengthen racial equality, inclusion, belonging and anti-racist practice across the learning environment.
Racism can operate through individual behaviour and relationships, but it can also be reinforced through institutional practices, established norms and wider social inequalities.
Delegates explore the importance of looking beyond isolated incidents and considering the wider patterns that may affect people's experiences, opportunities and outcomes.
Racist language, stereotypes, assumptions, microaggressions, subtle acts of exclusion or different expectations may affect how students and colleagues experience the learning environment.
What happens between people?
Policies, processes, curriculum decisions, disciplinary approaches or established ways of working may create different experiences or outcomes for different racial groups.
What happens through the institution?
Historical and contemporary inequalities can shape access, opportunity, representation, belonging and people's experiences across education and wider society.
What wider patterns should we recognise?
An anti-racist approach to education does not mean teaching one prescribed view of history or society. It means being willing to examine whose experiences, histories and perspectives are represented, whose may be absent and how complex subjects relating to race are approached.
The course provides space to consider issues including racism, colonialism, migration, global citizenship, identity, interconnection and diversity, while helping delegates think critically about how these subjects can be explored appropriately within their own educational context.
Whose histories, voices, achievements and experiences are visible within what we teach, discuss and value?
How can staff create space for thoughtful discussion about race without avoiding difficult subjects or placing responsibility on students from racialised groups to educate others?
What assumptions may shape the resources, examples, perspectives and narratives that become established within learning?
Educational inequality is not created only by explicit discrimination. Expectations, assumptions and everyday decisions can influence who is encouraged, whose behaviour is interpreted in particular ways, whose ability is recognised and who feels that they belong.
Delegates consider how racial bias may influence decisions and interactions even when unequal treatment was not intended.
Are assumptions about ability, behaviour, aspiration or family background influencing how people are perceived or supported?
Who receives encouragement, responsibility, recognition, progression opportunities or access to particular experiences?
Do students and staff from different racial and ethnic backgrounds feel respected, represented, listened to and able to participate fully?
Knowing that racism should be challenged is different from feeling confident about what to do when it actually happens.
Delegates explore constructive responses to racist comments, stereotypes, inappropriate language and reported experiences of racism. The emphasis is not on learning a single script, but on developing the confidence and judgement to respond appropriately.
A comment is made
You might ask:
“What makes it funny, and how might it affect somebody hearing it?”
A stereotype is expressed
You might explore:
“The intention may not have been to cause harm, but what impact could that assumption have?”
A concern is raised
You might instead ask:
“Can you tell me what happened and how it affected you?”
People who experience racism are not all the same, and no individual student or member of staff can speak for an entire racial or ethnic group.
Anti-racist practice requires us to listen without expecting somebody to educate others, prove that racism occurred or represent everybody who shares a particular identity.
The course encourages delegates to listen with curiosity, take concerns seriously and avoid replacing people's lived experiences with assumptions about what they should think, feel or have experienced.
The principles of anti-racist practice apply across education, but the context is not identical in every setting. The course is tailored so that examples, discussion and practical application reflect the organisation and the people attending.
Explore age-appropriate approaches to race, curriculum, expectations, relationships, racist incidents, belonging and creating an inclusive school culture.
Consider racial equality across teaching and learning, learner experience, curriculum, progression, pastoral support and relationships within diverse FE communities.
Explore anti-racist practice across teaching, student experience, institutional culture, representation, belonging and the experiences of racially diverse staff and students.
By the end of the course, delegates should be better able to:
The course can be tailored for people working across schools, colleges, universities and other learning environments. It is suitable for both teaching and non-teaching roles where staff influence learning, culture, student experience or organisational practice.
It can be particularly valuable for:
No previous anti-racism training is required. The course can be tailored to reflect your institution, learners, workforce and existing anti-racist work.
We also offer related programmes where a broader foundation, leadership focus, allyship approach or organisation-wide programme is required.
For organisations wanting a broad foundation in how racism operates and practical ways employees can recognise, challenge and respond to it.
View course
For organisations wanting to develop practical allyship, including how people can use their voice, influence and privilege to support racial equality.
View course
For leaders who need to understand their responsibility, influence and accountability for recognising racial inequality and creating and sustaining anti-racist workplace cultures.
View course
All our courses are tailored to ensure the training reflects your organisation, education setting, staff, learners and equality priorities.
The course can be delivered face-to-face or online via Zoom or Teams.
To support participation, discussion and interaction, we recommend the following group sizes per session:
Need to train a larger workforce? No problem. We regularly work with organisations that need to train larger numbers of employees. Where appropriate, training can be delivered across multiple sessions to ensure everyone receives the same high-quality, interactive learning experience. We can develop a delivery programme to suit your workforce size, locations and timescales.
Please note: the half-day rate is not always available for face-to-face sessions.
Over 25 years' experience delivering equality, diversity and inclusion training, consultancy and professional development.
Keep updated with the latest equality and diversity news, offers and updates.