ellie@inclusivepractice.co.uk | 07738 198 095

ellie@inclusivepractice.co.uk
07738 198 095

Why is EDI important in schools?

Equality/ Equity, Diversity and Inclusion are essential ingredients of healthy and happy schools. When schools and educational providers prioritise EDI, they create a welcoming and supportive school culture for pupils and staff alike.

We live in an increasingly diverse and vibrant society, which is reflected in our school communities. Diversity (variety, difference) is a natural part of society, but a lack of understanding of differences can lead to intolerance, prejudice and discrimination. Under the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duty, schools have both legal and moral duties to promote equality of opportunity, tackle discrimination and foster positive relations between diverse groups. What that means is that they must be able to demonstrate how they are removing or minimising disadvantages, meeting diverse needs, seeking to eliminate discrimination and supporting pupils’ understanding of differences.

Teaching pupils to understand and respect differences is fundamental to their development and builds empathy, compassion and trust. When pupils work alongside others of different cultures, backgrounds, faiths, and identities in the classroom, it enriches their understanding of the world. This broadens their perspectives, develops their critical thinking skills, dissolves prejudices and prepares them for life in modern Britain as respectful and engaged citizens.

Schools that view innate differences and individual uniqueness as an asset and take steps to address and remove barriers through targeted support and a differentiated approach to teaching and learning (equality and equity), create an environment where pupils feel safe to be themselves. When pupils feel valued and respected for who they are and their needs are met, they develop a stronger sense of belonging, leading to greater engagement, confidence and improved self-esteem.  In essence, they thrive.

A crucial part of what makes young people feel a sense of belonging is when they feel represented and included in the life of the school (Inclusion). Part of creating an inclusive and equitable school culture is about examining the learning experience of different groups of pupils. It is important to observe where and to what extent pupils encounter role models that look like them/ have similar lived experiences, and to what extent they have exposure to people they can relate to- in the curriculum, on the staff team, in school textbooks, classroom resources and library books. It is important to ask who is represented and who isn’t.  Our own biased lenses through which we view the world, can inadvertently lead to us create teaching resources that mirror our own default lenses. We might use names, characters and images that reflect our own identities or those of dominant cultural groups such as White, middle class, heterosexual, non-disabled people etc. The following statistics exemplify this point:

The message conveyed by unequal representation, either overtly or subtly, is that some characteristics hold greater value than others. This means that some pupils have a greater access to role models that represent them than others. If pupils cannot see someone like themselves in their teachers, the authors of the books they read, the artists, poets, playwrights, sportspeople they have access to in school, such career-paths and professions may not seem available to them. They may experience low self-esteem and feel the need to hide or cover up aspects of their identity in order to ‘fit in’. Marian Wright Edelman- a civil rights activist, coined the term ‘You can’t be what you can’t see’. We need to ensure all pupils can see people like themselves positively represented. We need to be deliberate in exposing pupils to diversity in all its richness day in, day out. In taking a proactive approach and carefully curating diverse teaching and learning materials, we dismantle inequalities and create an environment where all pupils feel seen and that they can succeed.

In summary, schools that embed EDI in their policies, processes, people, curriculum and resources, create an environment where pupils and staff feel safe, valued and engaged, creating a sense of belonging which leads to better outcomes for all.