Inclusive Leadership in Education Conference
9th October 2024 8.30 AM - 4PM
Welcome
Thank you for attending the Inclusive Leadership Conference at BNU, in collaboration with Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School. This is the first time we have collaborated on a sector wide conference with a Buckinghamshire School and we look forward to building relationships with you all, to develop a network across mainstream, further and higher education. The conference is an opportunity for delegates to learn from a range of education inclusion experts that work across the sector and we are honoured that they have joined us today. We look forward to working with you, across the sector, to address systemic inequalities and build an equitable and thriving education experience for every student, particularly marginalised students.
Professor Damien Page Deputy Vice-Chancellor
Event Schedule
Turn the following pages, presented in sleek black, to discover the complete schedule for today’s conference. Whether you’re looking for keynote sessions, or networking breaks, this guide will help you stay on track and make the most of your conference at BNU.
9am
Arrival registration
‘The Room’
9am - 9.10am
Introduction
Zahara Chowdhury, EDI Business Partner at BNU and Sanum Khan, Assistant Headteacher, Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School
‘The Room’
9.10am - 9.30am
Opening the conference
Damien Page, Deputy Vice Chancellor, BNU
‘The Room’
9.30am - 11am
Key note
Rachel Macfarlane
This keynote will examine the role of leaders in ensuring that educators are consciously operating through a lens of race equity, creating safe spaces to talk about race and recruiting, retaining and developing staff and governors/trustees of colour. Rachel will share case studies and examples of strategies adopted across a range of schools which are striving to achieve race equity
‘The Room’
11am - 11.30am
Break
‘The Room’
11.30am - 12.15pm
Key note
Aisha Richards, Founder and Director of Shades of Noir
This contribution will attempt to present a critical landscape of the HE sector at large through the canon of intersectional antiracism. Richards will aim to share perspectives with lessons learned from her practice as a leader in applied social justice in the sector.
‘The Room’
12.30pm - 1.15pm
Workshop 1 - Navigating Intersectionality
Hannah Wilson, Director and Founder of Diverse Educators
Taking an intersectional approach to DEI ensures that no-one is left behind and that as educators and employers we are seeking to identify and remove multiple barriers. This session will provide:
• An understanding what intersectionality is.
• Reflect on how multiple systems of inequality overlap.
• An awareness of the multiple factors that manifest advantage and disadvantage.
• Recognition of how intersectionality impacts individuals and groups.
‘The Room’
12.30pm - 1.15pm
Workshop 2 - Chiltern Academy Trust - Inclusive Recruitment: a case study
Sufian Sadiq, Director of Teaching School, Chiltern Academy Trust
In this workshop, Sufian will present what Chiltern Academy Trust do to recruit and develop more diverse talent. This session will also be an opportunity for Sufian to share what the Chiltern 5 year journey has been in improving inclusivity and where their focus is.
S2.06
12.30pm - 1.15pm
Workshop 3 - Restructuring ‘The Crooked Room’ How do students navigate a room that is structurally imbalanced?
Suma Din
This session looks at what causes the ‘crooked rooms’ in schools and HEIs and how it affects South Asian students’ and minoritized students’ identity, and their educational aspirations. Using an assets-based approach, we will look at ways to restructure the room to improve outcomes for students.
S2.03a
12.30pm - 1.15pm
Workshop 4 - The Iceberg of Inclusion
Khaiam Shabbir, Headteacher, the Cressex Community School
This workshop will focus on the myths of inclusion and what inclusive education and interventions really look like
S2.03b
1.15pm - 2pm
Lunch
‘The Room’
2.05pm - 2.50pm
Workshop 5 - Challenging Derogatory and Non-Inclusive Language
Hannah Wilson, Director and Founder of Diverse Educators
We will create a safe space to explore and unpack why derogatory and non-inclusive language is used, and how to minimise its use through clear and effective strategies. This training session includes:
• Examining the status and power of language
• Discussing exactly what derogatory and non-inclusive language is
• Reflecting on why it is harmful
• ·Sharing strategies to deal with its use when it is received or when it is used
• How to cascade best practice across the organisation
‘The Room’
2.05pm - 2.50pm
Workshop 6 - Bridging the Gap: The Cultural Competence Continuum for Inclusive Education
Adam Vasco, Director of Diversity and Inclusion, University of Wolverhampton
In today’s diverse classrooms, fostering an environment of inclusion and equity is more important than ever. Join Adam Vasco, Director of Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Wolverhampton, as he presents the Cultural Competence Continuum—a strategic framework designed to help teachers, leaders and schools enhance their cultural awareness and responsiveness. This session will explore practical approaches to integrating cultural competence into teaching practices, addressing the unique needs of diverse student populations, and promoting an inclusive educational experience. Discover how to bridge gaps, challenge biases, and cultivate a learning environment where every student can thrive.
S2.06
2.05pm - 2.50pm
Workshop 7 - Challenging Antisemitism and Islamophobia in education settings
Michelle Perkins, Facing History
This session will support you to engage students in discussions about racial and religious hatred in our society, its impact, and what can be done to challenge it. We will also consider the role that social media plays in amplifying the spread of both Antisemitism and Islamophobia, and how we can each stand up against bigotry and hate as well as the promotion of rigorous and effective safeguarding policies.
S2.03a
2.05pm - 2.50pm
Workshop 8 - Reverse
Mentoring for Success
Robina Begum, Consultant and Practitioner, The Reverse Mentoring Practice
In an increasingly diverse and interconnected world, fostering cultural humility and leveraging reverse mentoring can lead to more inclusive and innovative workplaces and organisational cultures.
This workshop is designed to guide participants through the transformative practice of reverse mentoring— where traditional mentoring roles and power dynamics are flipped and empower the global majority communities to guide their senior leaders to help develop their inclusive practice through their lived experiences.
Participants will explore the concept of cultural humility, which goes beyond cultural competence by emphasising ongoing self-reflection, openness to learning, and the importance of recognising and challenging power dynamics in cross-cultural interactions.
S2.03b
2.55pm - 3.40pm
Student panel
Zahara and students from local schools and BNU
In this candid panel discussion, Zahara will be in conversation with students about what inclusive learning looks and feels like for them, what they want and need from the future of education.
‘The Room’
3.45pm - 4pm
Close Damien Page and Khaiam Shabbir
Reflection and a call to action for the education sector.
‘The Room’
Vistor map
Registration
Sessions and Workshops
Sessions and Keynotes will be held in South wing and The Room. Please refer to the map below for guidance. To locate the rooms for sessions in the South Wing, please go through the main entrance and take either the lifts or the left, or the spiral staircase on the right to reach the third second and third floor.
THE ROOM
SOUTH WING
Speaker bios:
Rachel McFarlane: Rachel Macfarlane is the Lead Adviser for Underserved Learners at HFL Education. She was Headteacher of three contrasting schools over a sixteen year period. In 2011 Rachel set up an all-through 4-18 academy in Ilford. This was judged to be outstanding in all areas by Ofsted in 2014 and 2018. Rachel has written a number of books on the themes of equity, inclusion, great schools and learning power approaches. Obstetrics for Schools (2021) examines the disadvantaged gap and how to overcome it. Unity In Diversity (2023) addresses race inequity and is a practical guide for developing anti-racist schools. Her latest book, The A-Z of Inclusion and Diversity came out in May 2024. Rachel is passionate about supporting schools to effect social mobility and achieve equity for all learners.
Aisha Richards: Aisha Richards is a creative practitioner with a broad skillset that includes art, visual communication, creative direction, fashion design and graphic design, to name a few. Her academic interests are focused on critical pedagogies in art and design, antiracist practice and decolonisation in creative arts industry and practice. She is the Founder and Director of Shades of Noir, an independent programme that champions social justice pedagogy and centres the voice of the marginalised in the arts, culture and higher education. As a multiaward-winning academic leader and researcher, Aisha has pioneered programmes that address inequalities to improve staff and student recruitment, retention and progression in the education sector and beyond.
Adam Vasco: As the Director of Diversity and Inclusion in Professional Practice at the University of Wolverhampton, Adam Vasco is deeply committed to working towards eliminating inequality and promoting diversity, inclusion, and belonging in education. His dual Nigerian/Scouse heritage, coupled with over two decades of experience in the wider educational sector, has shaped his unique perspective and fuelled his passion for transformative change.
Adam is currently finalising his doctoral research on cultural competence in education, which enhances his leadership in initiatives aimed at closing awarding and recruitment gaps, diversifying curricula, and boosting staff representation from underrepresented groups. A seasoned leader and changemaker in education, Adam's strategic and research-based approach is dedicated to making a lasting impact on both the educational landscape and wider society. He leverages his expertise to influence policy, drive systemic change, and empower communities, affirming his role as a pivotal figure in educational reform."
Michelle Perkins: Michelle is responsible for Facing History UK's programme activity, training and supporting the teacher network, facilitating CPD workshops and seminars, and delivering educational projects with teachers and students. Michelle has a BA (History), MA (Jewish History and Culture) and PhD from the University of Southampton, where her thesis focused on gender, social welfare and identity during the occupation of France. Prior to her role at Facing History, Michelle has worked in the academic and corporate sectors, as Visiting Lecturer and Tutor at the Universities of Southampton and Westminster, Knowledge Manager at BP, and in research and editorial for companies such as IHS and Procurement Leaders.
Robina (Ruby) Begum: Robina is an Education and EDI specialist, who has worked within the mainstream and Higher Education, voluntary, and community sectors for over 10 years. She has advanced education, revolutionised organisational cultures, and empowered communities to take action through her work in tackling discrimination and intolerance in society. Robina is an advisor and member of the Greater Manchester Equality Alliance, and is currently one of the Reverse Mentoring Practitioners and Consultants, at the Reverse Mentoring Practice Ltd.
Sufian Sadiq: Sufian Sadiq is the Director of Teaching School at Chiltern Learning Trust, with responsibility for overseeing two regional Hub areas in the South East of England. Chiltern Teaching School are one of the largest providers of CPD to the sector nationally. He is a passionate activist within the educational landscape around race, equity, and inclusion. He is a Fellow and Board Member of the Chartered College of Teaching, as well as a Fellow for the Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors. He plays an active role in numerous charitable organisations as a Trustee and also holds key governance roles within educational organisations.
Suma Din: Suma Din is an author, educator and researcher with a focus on motherhood and social justice in education. Her publications for adults explore Muslim women’s spirituality and her children’s non-fiction books cover the subjects of faith, global citizenship and environmental responsibility. Dear Mother is her second book on motherhood after Muslim mothers and their Children’s Schooling.
Alongside writing, Suma has spent over two decades working with Muslim women and girls in community-focused education programmes and taught parents in the Adult Education sector delivering Family Learning courses. Active in the voluntary sector, she has been a school governor at two primary schools, was a member of Bucks SACRE and has supported other local education initiatives. Suma lives in Buckinghamshire UK and is mum to three adults.
Khaiam Shabbir is a headteacher of a Buckhinghamsire based secondary modern school. He has served the education sector for 22 years. He has been a mentor to a generation of teachers and leaders in education and beyond. As well as working on grassroots community initiatives to tackle disadvantage and support vulnerable individual, Khaiam has worked with stakeholders to identify barriers and develop community based solutions. Khaiam graduated in 2002 with a BSC in Economics and 2003 in a postgraduate qualification in teaching.
Hannah Wilson: Hannah Wilson is a Leadership Development consultant, coach and trainer. She is the Co-Founder of #WomenEd and #DiverseEd. She is the Co-Editor of Diverse Educators: A Manifesto.
She previously taught English, Drama and Media Studies over a 20 year career in schools. She has held multiple leadership roles including Head of Department, Head of Year, Assistant/ Deputy/ Executive Headteacher and trust-wide/ Teaching School wide roles as well.
Find out more about the services, resources and training that she and the Diverse Educators team provider here: www.diverseeducators.co.uk
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