Supporting Black and Minority Teachers
Supporting diverse recruitment
Schools seek to increase the number of teachers and staff from Black and other minority communities. They recognize that having a diverse staff helps students from diverse backgrounds perform better and have a brighter future.
Challenging Discrimination
Black and minority teachers working in schools have challenges around discrimination and feel unsupported with schools diversity efforts.
Recommendation:
Providing support to help staff overcome these challenges and making resources available to promote racial equity school-wide can help create an inclusive environment and, in the end, contribute to positive outcomes for the students they work with.
Real World Examples:
Data from the 2021/22 academic year shows 2.5% of all school teachers in England were from a Black background (Gov.uk, 2023). The "Visible and Invisible Barriers" report by The Runnymede Trust explores the experiences of Black, Asian, and other racially minoritised teachers in England, highlighting the challenges and barriers they face in the education system.
MEDIUM
Mindful Moves:
Provide dedicated time and resources
GOAL: Teachers can focus on race equity work without feeling overburdened, improving the quality and impact of these initiatives.
Support and educate school leadership and teachers to create a diverse and inclusive educational environment that addresses the needs of all students, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds. Focus on improving the mental health and well-being of Black staff.
Allocate time within the school schedule for teachers to be involved in race equity initiatives and provide additional resources or compensation for their efforts.
- Offer Training: Offer culturally specific training to staff members.
- Budget Review: Review the school budget to see if there is money available to administer additional race equity responsibilities
- Race Equity Panel: Create a race equity panel to divide responsibilities among a team rather than one individual
Be mindful of asking Black and minority staff to participate in these activities without providing them value to help them progress their careers and/or ambitions
MEDIUM
Mindful Moves:
Offer development programmes to selected staff
GOAL: Teachers and school leaders develop the skills needed to create inclusive classroom environments, address diverse student needs, and support the mental health of their colleagues.
Support and educate school leadership and teachers to promote a diverse and inclusive educational environment that meets the needs of all students, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, with a focus on improving the mental health and wellbeing of Black staff.
Facilitate training sessions focused on cultural competence, implicit bias, inclusive teaching practices, and mental health awareness. This can be done by using resources and case studies, with a focus on supporting Black teachers.
- Additional Training: Culturally inclusive training to identify mental health needs within children specifically of black/mixed heritage.
- Diversity in the curriculum: Engage with diverse learning materials, utilising free resources such as: Free Learning Resources — The Black Curriculum
- Training is for all and is marketed as a positive necessity.
- Black and minority teachers are not made to feel hypervisible in the space.
Mindful Moves:
Implement Immediate Mental Health Support
GOAL: Teachers receive the mental health support they need, reducing the risk of burnout and improving overall wellbeing.
Support and educate school leadership and teachers to promote a diverse and inclusive educational environment that meets the needs of all students. Particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, with a focus on improving the mental health and wellbeing of Black staff.
Implement Immediate Mental Health Support:
Partner with mental health organisations to offer immediate counselling services, stress management workshops, and tailored resilience training for Black staff. Ensure these resources are communicated and easily accessible.
Partner with mental health organisations to offer immediate counselling services, stress management workshops, and tailored resilience training for Black staff. Ensure these resources are communicated and easily accessible.
- Identify teachers and provide 1:1 sessions with wellbeing reviews
- Identify local therapeutic services that are accessible
- Support in applications for community services
Ensure Black teachers don’t feel stigmatised, singled out or negatively excluded from the school community