Building your anti-racist classroom
Introduction
Over the summer (2024), racist and Islamophobic violence erupted across the country. With Black, brown, migrant and Muslim communities being targeted, it has left many fearful of being attacked because of the colour of their skin or their religion.
As students return to school in September, it’s essential that teachers are responding to their experiences and nurturing safe spaces for students to process these events.
The Need
The government’s response to the racist violence has been void of addressing structural racism and Islamophobia in society. The Department of Education’s guidance to schools is insufficient in supporting teachers to address the root causes of inequalities which result in violent racism. It shifts the focus on merely ‘spotting extremist context and fake news,’ but thinking critically is more than just spotting misinformation - it should lead to an understanding of inequalities, power structures and equip young people to transform the world around them. To truly address structural racism, we must implement anti-racist education.
We have heard from teachers who don’t feel prepared to respond to these issues or who don’t understand how to teach in ways that are locally, socially, and culturally relevant. An anti-racist curriculum is responsive to the experiences and backgrounds of students and more accurately reflects the reality of the world we live in. It helps to nurture safe spaces where all young people can bring their whole selves and better prepares them for the world we live in.
What We Did
This resource has come out of training and study sessions that we have run with teachers and trainee teachers across England. It sets out five practical steps that teachers can take to create safe spaces for students in their classrooms and embed anti-racism into their practice. When worked on collectively, it has the power to change the culture of the school into one that is child-affirming grounded in safety and trust.
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