On Friday 19th May, we were delighted to be able to host the Afro Caribbean Education Network‘s Racially Inclusive Approaches for Primary Years Conference at St Cyprian’s Church.
We welcomed Primary and Prep School Heads, SLT members and industry leaders from all over the UK, including from our sister school, Francis Holland Sloane Square’s Junior School, for the conference.
After an introduction by Headmistress, Mrs Woodcock, FHS Alumna and Governor, Frances Baawuah, gave an emotive and immensely powerful talk about the importance of racial inclusivity in education.
Schools were then introduced to the work undertaken by Highgate School and Wimbledon High Junior School (GDST), and how they have identified, ordered, and implemented anti-racism principles.
ACEN ran a workshop on age-appropriate racial understanding and literacy, empowering attendees to acquire the tools to have these conversations confidently with parents, students, and stakeholders in their own environments.
The ACEN Young People’s Advisory Group (YPAG) and student representatives from Dulwich College, Haberdahsers’ Boys’ School and Dulwich College talked to attendees about their experiences in junior schools, helping delegates better understand how ‘othering’ is experienced and internalised in younger years.
The conference ended with an open, Q&A based session which helped schools apply the lessons learned over the course of the day, to support and plan the work they are undertaking in their own settings.
Following the success of our “Teachers Like Me”: Building Ethnic Diversity in the Staff Room Conference in November 2021 and our Widening Access to Selective Universities Conference in February 2020, which we hosted with partners St Marylebone School, All Saints Catholic College and All Saints Catholic College, we are honoured to have been able to again help raise awareness of this incredibly important cause.
We would like to extend our thanks and congratulations to ACEN, all speakers and attendees for such an interesting and productive day.
