November 2022
- Over the last year at NBP16, we have been working hard to embed our equity and diversity work into the long-term DNA of the centre.
- We now have long standing and established staff working groups at both schools, committed to keeping these conversations on the agenda and amplifying social justice in all areas of school life.
- Antiracism is now written into policy at both schools, not just in isolation, but also now building into other core policies and school improvement planning to create a long term accountability.
- One of our two core improvement priorities at Post 16 this year is culturally inclusive classrooms. Teachers and associate staff and drawing together previous research, resourcing and curriculum development to to prioritise equity in the learning experience, ensuring that every student in every classroom has fair and ambitious access to learning. This is especially for our black and brown students, but also in consideration of SEND, gender, sexuality, bursary and young carers.
- Bringing in the opportunity for students to declare their pronouns as part of our admissions process has put pressure on the developers of our information management system. Student pronouns now feature as an integral element of the student profile and can therefore be easily pulled into marksheets, seating plans and a wide range of other resources to keep this important identity facet at the for.
- With the launch of our student Hub (an central online intranet for P16 students), students will now have immediate access to update their pronouns / name, report sexual harrassment and engage with a range of support and resources around diversity and wellbeing.
- At both sites, we have now expanded our multi-faith prayer spaces to ensure that these are ample enough in size and accessible to all students as a space for prayer and/or reflection.
- Leadership at the centre are engaged as research participants in a pioneering PHD project aiming to unlock the ideology of whiteness in Bristol school leadership, seeking to create equitable opportunity and better representation in this space.
- This year’s PRIDE group is now up and running at the Centre, with significant student attendance. Students are working together to explore further adaptations and opportunities for optimal inclusivity in this space.
- During Black history month, a range of talks, film screenings and debates were held to mark the occasion. This included a focus on local history and the Seven Saints of St Pauls.
- Personal development provision at NBP16 has been pulled into the spotlight this year, with increased staffing, resource and timetable allocation. Some core areas of focus include exploring lived experience in relation to race, faith, gender and sexuality.
- Further developing our work to remove barriers to education for our students from low income households, this year some of our bursary funding is being directed towards food and nutrition to ensure all students have access to healthy and ample food, during and outside of school hours.
- Student leadership at the centre continues to drive our equity and diversity work, with a delegation recently attending the Integrate conference and the planning for Culture Day later this term.
- This academic year brings a positive development where Young Carers will be reported on nationally via school census. Young Carer leads have been appointed at both sites and a network establish for support and access to linked opportunities.