Reporting back on progress

Education theme

In the education theme, we are working to ensure that:

Using the experience and knowledge of Black, Asian and minority ethnic professionals in Southwark to address racial discrimination and unconscious bias, and develop a cultural understanding of children from all backgrounds across the school environment.

In working with headteachers and governors from Southwark’s schools we will design a session to be delivered to companies to attract more black professional governors onto Southwark’s governing bodies.

This will include designing a programme to help those people who support our senior leaders in schools feel more confident about challenging bias, whether conscious or unconscious and to celebrate diversity across the school environment.

The programme will further help support existing career development pathways for all school staff (not only teachers) which will include opportunities to mentor others, be mentored and will deliver training sessions to other school professionals.

Working in partnership with schools, headteachers and other education leaders, to develop and implement a webpage hosting examples of effective, inclusive practice across Southwark to help our teachers and all school staff to start and develop in their careers

We have set up a group of primary headteachers, a chair of governors and other local education leaders to advise us on exactly what should go on the “Southwark Standard” webpage. It will include examples of Southwark’s diverse curricula and resources for sharing across the borough; opportunities for Continuous Professional Development locally; a place for Careers Leads to network and share work experience opportunities; and, a bank of mentors for our Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority staff. We have recruited someone to work with all schools to develop this.

Supporting schools and young people to develop relationships and links both within, and outside of school, to support them to find and attend meaningful work experience placements. This will help them develop their hopes, ambitions, confidence, and understanding of the world of work. These links will help to expand on the advice and guidance our young people receive and develop more, or better, opportunities for them to move into employment when the time is right

We are starting to work with careers leads in schools to identify support that would be useful for them and to add opportunities for work placements and networking opportunities to the Southwark Standard webpage.

Page last updated: 31 August 2022