EDI Update - November 2022

FROM THE HEADMASTER

In a world where turbulence and trauma are increasingly prevalent, and the less appealing aspects of human nature are ever more apparent as pressures increase, it is even more important that we focus on raising awareness and understanding of, and active engagement with, matters around equity, diversity and inclusivity. If we want to build a world where mutual respect and a commitment to care for others are front and centre then this must remain a critical part of an education at Canford.

Previous EDI updates have set out plans and initial actions to ensure firm foundations are laid to enable us to develop this work. Our vision and values are clearly and carefully woven into the fabric of this approach. This latest update gives further insight into our ongoing commitment to a community which is warm, welcoming and listens to and supports everyone.

I have been so impressed by the manner in which everyone has embraced this commitment and, whilst we are not perfect and there is always more to do, I know that the whole Canford community will continue to follow this journey with open hearts and minds.

I hope you find this third EDI update helpful and please do not hesitate to get in touch should you wish to know more.

BEN VESSEY

OUR VISION FOR EDI AT CANFORD

OUR COMMUNITY

To empower all pupils, staff, parents, governors, and OCs to take responsibility for diversity and inclusion.

OUR AIM

OUR EDUCATION

To engage with staff, pupils, and parents in a proactive way to embed the value this brings to our school community.

To build an equitable and diverse school that prepares pupils to embrace differences in the global community.

OUR CULTURE

To create and maintain an open culture by encouraging exploration to ensure all pupils, staff, parents, governors, and OCs feel a sense of belonging.

OUR FUTURE

As a community to excel in EDI, leading the sector whilst empowering future generations of Canfordians.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2022

Richard Redwood – Assistant Head Personal Development: Black History Month offers us an opportunity to pick up conversations with the Canford community surrounding race. Learning about Black History is vital to our understanding of race in Britain today. An understanding of the history of Black people within the UK makes sure that pupils value the contributions of Black Britons, as well as understanding why many of the problems we see today still exist. Whilst many argue that a month is not enough, we hope that at Canford raising awareness in October leads to a year-long conversation about racial equality.

Our Black History Month programme has involved all academic departments, with internal activities complemented with a range of diverse external speakers.

Author, broadcaster and educator Jeffrey Boakye spoke to Fifth Formers via Teams about his life, the language surrounding race, and ways in which we can all reflect on our own identity. Jemma Roye, Founder of ‘Let’s Start A Conversation’, spent three days talking to all Canford pupils discussing their lived experiences and how we can continue to build a strong anti-racist community. Founder of online education platform Enrich Learning and growth business online mentor The Process, Onyinye Udokporo spoke to Fourth and Fifth Formers about social mobility, while award winning social entrepreneur George Obolo talked about reversing current employment trends and some of his most significant projects, including co-founding The Black Excellence Network and his work with Department for Education, UCAS, McKinsey & Co and MediaCom.

JEMMA ROYE

Celebrations extended to food with a special Black History Month themed lunch and there was a lively Sixth Form debate with the motion ‘This House supports the celebration of Black History Month’.

Departmentally, the History Department and Global Connections Group collaborated to create a Black History Month calendar in the theme of ‘Sharing Journeys’. Each day had a picture of a significant individual in History with a clickable link to an article or video which would provide further information on the individual.

In English, Anglo-Guyanese writer and teacher Carinya Sharples visited for National Poetry Day, and throughout the month pupils were given insight into the diverse range of poetry on the IGCSE syllabus. Business and Economics lessons focused on financial and economic issues in different countries, Mathematicians explored the work of Benjamin Banneker, MFL considered Immigration and Multicultural societies and PE looked at under-represented groups in sport. The diversity of Rome in 64AD was part of the work in Classics, Philosophers considered William Wilberforce and the slave trade and Biologists assessed biological evidence supporting the concept of race and the complicated legacy of Charles Darwin. Physicists studied orbits, while Geographers considered the role of colonisation in wealth inequality. The Drama department took the opportunity to look at recordings of ‘Small Island’ and ‘The Mysteries’ and continued teaching on ‘Noughts and Crosses’ as part of the GCSE curriculum.

Pupils and staff have also been encouraged to discover more through extended reading, with the Canford librarians recommending a list of 100 fiction and non fiction titles.

JEFFREY BOAKYE

GEORGE OBOLO

ONYINYE UDOKPORO

FESTIVAL OF IDEAS CHANGING PEOPLE, CHANGING PLACES

We want all members of our school community to embrace learning, to listen and to question, to share and to challenge. Each year all pupils and staff take part in a Festival of Ideas on a particular theme, explored through a wide range of talks by visiting speakers with a variety of stories and life experiences to share.

This year’s Festival in October was based on the theme of ‘Changing People, Changing Places’. As Head of Enrichment Jamie Ings writes:

“The past three years have been more turbulent than any other trio for a number of decades. The world has had to deal with a seemingly endless string of globe altering issues. Something that is undeniable is that adaptation has been essential in order to ensure that that global society is able to continue to function. The world we live in is no longer neat and linear. The world is three dimensional, global, interconnected and multicultural, and so too are the problems we face. The world has changed, and so have we.”

JAZ O’HARA

EXPLOR E . EXPRES S . EXCE L

ALEX LEWIS

Thought-provoking talks were from speakers who had broken boundaries, experienced change in their own lives and who seek positive change in an ever changing world. Highlights included Alex Lewis speaking of overcoming the challenges he faced when losing his limbs due to Strep A Toxic Shock Syndrome, and an inspiring talk on the refugee crisis by motivational speaker and podcaster Jaz O’Hara, the founder of The Worldwide Tribe. Louisa Parker explored Dorset’s black history with pupils, while Dipo Faloyin explained how ‘Africa is not a Country’, pushing back on stereotypes through an eclectic range of subjects. We are very grateful to all those who took the time to share their experiences with us during this year’s Festival.

BLACK CLASSICISTS EXHIBITION

We have a Classics Exhibition in the Rathbone Room of the Library for 2 weeks, called Black Classicists: Ostracism to Scholarship. It is an international exhibition that began in the USA and is now travelling around the UK.

LOUISA PARKER

DIPO FALOYIN

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

SEPTEMBER

Mental Health Wellbeing Awareness Launched Charter

Meetings with Pupil Groups (Challenge Sexism, Rainbow Alliance, Open Minded, BBMC) OCTOBER

Black History Month

10th - World Mental Health Day 11th - Meal and Assembly 11th - National Coming Out Day NOVEMBER

2nd - National Stress Awareness Day 13th - World Kindness Day 19th - International Men’s Day

25th - International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women JANUARY

DECEMBER

1st - World AIDS day 3rd - International Day of Persons with Disabilities 10th - Human Rights Day

15th - World Religion Day 22nd - Chinese New Year 27th - Holocaust Memorial Day FEBRUARY

LGBT History Month

MARCH

8th - International Women’s Day 19th - Mother’s Day

21st-27th - Neurodiversity week

21st - International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

2nd - Time to Talk Day 6th-12th - Race Equality Week 11th - International Day of Women and Girls in Science

22nd - World Water Day APRIL

22nd - Earth Day

MAY

15th-21st - Mental Health Awareness Week

17th - International Day Against Homophobia

JUNE

Pride Month

5th - World Environment Day 18th - Father’s Day

A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH

Our approach to EDI is collaborative, inclusive and dynamic, involving pupils and staff within School, external expertise from across our wider community and advice and guidance from the Governing Body.

CANFORD

We also welcome support from former pupils and we would like to offer our thanks in this update to Old Canfordian Donald Geikie C67 for a most generous donation to Canford in respect of our EDI programme. He was delighted to hear about all the initiatives and plans at Canford and felt compelled to contribute, for which we are truly grateful. Donald is also giving a talk on 18th November to pupils called ‘In Conversation with Donald Geikie’.

CANFORD COMMUNITY CHARTER

EDI

CANFORD

JUNE 2022

This charter is a public document that details Canford’s commitment to the equality, diversity and inclusion agenda. This charter was drawn up by the EDI House Pupil Leaders and embodies our shared understanding of the importance of awareness, education and celebration of difference in all its forms. In summary, everyone commits to being an ‘active bystander’ in not tolerating language or behaviours that fall short of treating others with dignity, kindness and respect. We aim to create a rich set of opportunities for pupils and staff to develop their understanding of the protected characteristics within our community and beyond. www.gov.uk/discrimination-your-rights

AGE

AT EDI CANFORD AT OF Inclusion CANFORD AT

We accept that there are necessary distinctions made between members of our School community but we strive to treat all persons, regardless of age, with the same respect.

YEAR OF Inclusion CANFORD AT

We will aim to:

• Commit to promoting a culture of mentoring and support

• Create opportunities for interaction across our School community

• Understand that seniority makes an individual more able to be inclusive in their approach

DISABILITY

We strive to treat all members of our School community with any form of disability in a respectful and kind manner.

We will aim to:

• Commit to making others feel good

• Create an informed culture surrounding mental and physical disabilities in the community

• Understand the meaning of words and adjust our language if we discover it is causing unintended offence

GENDER REASSIGNMENT

We strive to treat all members of our School community in a respectful and kind manner.

We will aim to:

• Develop a community that is accepting of transgender people

• Create an environment for the transgender community to feel safe and supported

• Commit to validating people for their identity and not their gender

MARRIAGE & CIVIL PARTNERSHIP

We strive to have an understanding School community that is accepting of employees personal circumstances.

We will aim to:

• Create a workplace that is accepting of staff who are married, in a civil partnership, cohabiting or single

• Provide access to employees to understand their rights and obligations

• Commit to treating all employees fairly

PREGNANCY & MATERNITY DISCRIMINATION

We strive to have an understanding School community who are respectful of employees personal circumstances.

We will aim to:

• Create a workplace that is supportive of pregnancy and maternity

• Provide access to employees to understand their rights and obligations

• Commit to a fair workplace for all

RACE

We strive to treat all members of our School community from all ethnic backgrounds in the same respectful and kind manner.

We will aim to:

• Commit to celebrating all racial and cultural backgrounds

• Creating opportunities for all to be equipped with knowledge to help them recognise racism happening around them

• Create a culture of Anti-Racism

RELIGION OR BELIEF

We strive to treat all members of our School community with any religion or belief in the same respectful and kind manner.

We will aim to:

• Commit to being accepting and supportive of all people in their different religious or non-religious viewpoints

• Create opportunities to discuss core values from different religions

• Create mutual respect for those of different faiths and beliefs

SEX

We strive to treat all members of our School community from all sexes, all genders or non-binary presentations in a respectful and kind manner.

We will aim to:

• Commit to finding opportunities to validate people for their identity not their gender

• Create paired events across houses and departments to facilitate positive engagement

• Empower all members of our community to challenge sexism

SEXUAL ORIENTATION

We strive to treat all members of our School community in a respectful and kind manner regardless of their sexual orientation.

We will aim to:

• Commit to being accepting and supportive of people no matter their sexual orientation

• Create an informed community of acceptance surrounding sexuality

• Understand the appropriate language to use

SIGNED BY:

This is a dynamic document that is constantly evolving through learning more about EDI and sharing experiences. The charter will be reviewed on an annual basis.