EDI Update - May 2022

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EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION UPDATE MAY 2022

FROM THE HEADMASTER Building a deeper awareness and understanding of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion both within our school community and more widely has been heavily focused on prompting and engaging with more open and honest conversations. The aim of this approach is not to create negative and potentially destructive confrontation but to promote positive and constructive challenge and dialogue in a way which helps everyone to be better educated, mutually respectful and to embrace difference as something which makes us all stronger and more secure.

The last EDI update shared in January gave some insight into work we had been doing in the previous months across various contexts including activities focused on challenging sexism and also work with Flair to help us better understand how to take more effective action in relation to ensuring that Canford is an anti-racist community. Those activities included initiating a review of our policies and procedures, training for staff, working groups and education sessions both for and facilitated by pupils and much more.

Building on the Flair survey recommendations we have put a lot of effort, time and resource into developing our anti-racism strategy and embedding this into the school culture. You can read about our progress to date later on in this update. This of course takes time and requires support and we have been liaising closely with external advisors such as Let’s Start a Conversation and The Dorset Race Equality Council as part of this process. This work has involved staff and pupils who have been actively engaged together in a range of activities and initiatives designed to promote opportunities for those open and honest conversations, and to ensure that deeper awareness and understanding grows within and across the school community. Other key areas of focus have also been given close attention as this update shows. At our April INSET staff welcomed back Laura Bates, founder of The Everyday Sexism Project, who has done some excellent work with the pupils in past months and who we hope will also be offering a session for parents in the near future too.

For me one of the high points of our EDI work over the past term was when I took a group of Lower Sixth pupils to a conference run by Prejudice Free Dorset where many community groups from across Dorset came together to discuss and debate how to challenge prejudice in all its forms. Our pupils worked with a wide range of people throughout the morning. When the time came to leave I was approached by numerous delegates who wanted to say how brilliant, mature, informed and engaged the pupils had been during those discussions. This feedback was great to hear not least as crucial momentum for building a more equitable, diverse and inclusive community needs to be driven in large part by the pupils.

I hope you find this second 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

OUR CULTURE

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.

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.

LATEST EVENTS TO SUPPORT OUR EDI WORK INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY Canford celebrated International Women’s Day by imagining a gender equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. A world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive.

A world where difference is valued and celebrated. We also held a debate on the motion: ‘This house would strive for gender equity rather than gender equality.’

Pupils and staff photographed striking the #BreakTheBias pose.

NEURODIVERSITY WEEK AND THE ‘OPENMINDED’ PUPIL GROUP Neurodiversity covers a spectrum of neurological conditions such as Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Tourette’s, Attention Deficit Disorder, ADHD, Dyscalculia and Autism Spectrum Disorder/ Condition. Every individual is on a spectrum, some with more than one condition, but all with their own strengths and weaknesses.

The first meeting of the Neurodiversity

Canford has started a pupil focus group named ‘OpenMinded.’ This group of interested pupils and staff is seeking to raise awareness of neurodivergence and hidden disability in our community. Approximately, 1 in 7 people are considered to be neurodivergent in the UK. This means that their brain functions and experiences the world differently to those who are classified as neurotypical and alters the way that they learn and behave.

Group ‘Open-Minded’

PAUL WHITTAKER OBE TALK TO FIFTH FORM

Paul Whittaker talk to Fifth Form

Paul Whittaker OBE spoke with our Fifth Form this term to help motivate them to follow their dreams. As a profoundly deaf musician, his message was clear. Follow your dreams, don’t let people tell you that you cannot do something. He taught our pupils to sign along to songs. The Fifth Form had great fun using BSL to ‘No Woman No Cry’ and ‘Reach for the Stars’.

AUTHOR LOUISA REID TALK – DISCUSSING GENDER STEREOTYPES Louisa Reid read from two of her recently published novels ‘Gloves Off ’ and ‘Wrecked’. Fourth Form pupils were encouraged, as part of the World Book Day celebrations, to consider how gender stereotypes can constrain us.

Louisa Reid talk to Fourth Form in Canford Magna Church

TALKS FROM JEMMA ROYE ON BUILDING AN ANTIRACIST CULTURE TO ALL LOWER SCHOOL PUPILS Jemma Roye returned to Canford to talk with all our junior pupils about what it means to be an anti-racist. These sessions were powerful and wellreceived by pupils who asked deep questions about this sensitive topic.

PUPIL VISIT TO PREJUDICE FREE DORSET CONFERENCE Several Lower Sixth Pupils attended the Prejudice Free Dorset conference.

Pupils enjoyed discussion about EDI issues with representatives from local agencies and pupils from other schools. As well as developing their own understanding, pupils came back with ideas for external speakers they would like to invite to Canford as part of next year’s EDI events programme.

DEVELOPMENT OF RESPONSE AND RECONCILIATION FRAMEWORK FOR RESPONDING TO REPORTED INCIDENTS In collaboration with other agencies, we have finalised our response and reconciliation framework document. This seeks to provide a framework for responding to reported incidents involving the protected characteristics. The EDI Pupil Leader committee helped to develop the document.

PERSIAN NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS To celebrate Nowruz, Persian New Year and the arrival of spring, a special lunch menu was developed with the help of our Persian pupils. The food was delicious, and pupils enjoyed learning key facts about Nowruz from posters which were displayed around the school site.

PUPIL REPORTING TOOL LAUNCHED IN SCHOOL QR codes that link to a pupil reporting tool were launched across the school site. If any pupil is concerned about any incident, they can now very easily report it at the click of a button.

EDI THEMED HOUSE DEBATING A lively evening of debating was held on a range of EDI topics. The motions were as follows: • This House Rejects traditional masculinity Lancaster proposition vs. Salisbury opposition • This House Would ban transgender athletes from women’s sports School proposition vs. Wimborne opposition • This House Believes that science can never answer our biggest questions Marriotts proposition vs Monteacute opposition

TURKISH CHILDREN’S DAY CELEBRATIONS Canford’s pupils of Turkish heritage worked with our wonderful catering team to develop a special menu enjoyed by the Canford community at lunchtime. After lunch, pupils and staff were invited to come to the table in front of the fireplace for a cup of Turkish tea and to say “hello” in Turkish in exchange for some Turkish Delight.

Events organised by pupils with Turkish heritage

• This House Would decolonise the curriculum Franklin proposition vs. Beaufort opposition • This House Would set quotas for employees who are neurodiverse for all employers de Lacy proposition vs. Court opposition We were pleased to invite Mona De Silva, President of Hallmark Toastmasters to judge the competition. Final placings were 1st place de Lacy, 2nd place Beaufort, 3rd place Wimborne.

House Debating 2022

CHINESE NEW YEAR Our Chinese New Year celebrations included a delicious lunch made by our Catering team, and pupils and staff enjoying an evening playing traditional Chinese games, trying out Chinese art techniques and celebrating with tasty snacks and tea, led by our pupils from this country.

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 Governing Body Reviews strategy and receives regular updates

Internal Groups include: Anti-racism group Challenge Sexism group Rainbow Alliance Open-minded group Strategy group

External Experts offering guidance and support include: Dorset Equality Council Everyday Sexism Project Flair Let's Start a Conversation

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.

ANTI-RACISM STRATEGY The Flair survey was commissioned in 2021 to review attitudes to racism in the Canford Community, and a summary of findings was published in the first EDI update in January 2022. Building on the results of the survey, we have dedicated significant time and resource to developing an Anti racism strategy for the School based around four key pillars: • • • •

Building Awareness and Understanding Increasing Engagement Structures, Systems and Support The Community

ACTIONS SO FAR Building Awareness and Understanding • Staff INSET on Building an Anti-Racist Culture - January 2022 • Pupils attend Prejudice Free Dorset conference - March 2022 • Chapel service by Clare Williams from ‘Get Real’ - March 2022 • Shell/Fourth Form/Fifth Form workshops with JR from Let’s Start a Conversation - March-May 2022 Increasing Engagement • Anti Racism Group of pupils and staff established - January 2022 • Review of academic materials to promote diversity and inclusion - introduction of Shell module in History examining Britain’s multi-racial society and a review of A Level set text choices in English March 2022 (ongoing) • Draft EDI Charter compiled to share with the school community for feedback - March 2022 • Pupil mentoring group led by JR from Let’s Start A Conversation established for pupils from the Black and Indigenous People of Colour (BIPOC) community - from March 2022 (ongoing) Structures, Systems and Support • Review of policies and protocols including content of the school website by The Dorset Race Equality Council - February 2022 • Online reporting tool for pupils and staff created - February 2022 • Review of the school Code of Conduct to include system for addressing incidents related to protected characteristics including racism and sexism - March 2022 • Mentoring/independent listener system through Let’s Start a Conversation established for pupils and staff to raise issues, share and discuss concerns and ideas relating to racism - March 2022 The Community • Review and refresh recruitment documentation, training and activities to seek more diverse fields of applicants – February 2022 • Discussions held with The Prosperity Project to review and develop a more diverse recruitment strategy and process and to set up unconscious bias training for interviewers - February 2022 • Regular communications to the school community - EDI updates, social media and website news from January 2022

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NEXT STEPS • Include monitoring of attitudes to protected characteristics including racism and sexism within a new annual EDI survey • Establish Online Diversity Hub through LSAC with access to materials for staff on Anti Racism education • Training day with The Prosperity Project to develop diverse recruitment strategies, support pupils to facilitate discussion sessions using the Challenge Sexism model and discuss the draft Canford EDI Charter – May 2022

PROTECTED CHARACTERISTICS

AGE

RACE

GENDER REASSIGNMENT

MARRIAGE AND CIVIL PARTNERSHIP

SEX RELIGION OR BELIEF

FINDPUPILS OUT FROM EDI COMMITTEE EDI AT

CANFORD

SEXUAL ORIENTATION

DISABILITY

PREGNANCY & MATERNITY MORE

www.canford.com/equality-diversity-inclusion @canford_equality