Diary of an NQT
BLACK AND MINORITY ETHNIC LEADERS BLACK AND MINORITY ETHNIC LEADERS
Planning, planning, planning
THIS IS what my time is being taken up with now, There are lots of other opportunities to make
in these last weeks of the school year. “exciting” lessons and the possibility of various trips
It is across the board and BTECs and A levels are is obviously appealing – they bring a break from a
getting a look in, with a lot of resources already normal “routine” day at school, and it is great to
being spent in this area. However, for me see learning going on outside of the school
it is the Diploma in society, health and environment, which after all is where the
development that is the challenge. “real” world is.
Overcoming prejudices
Our school is working with In my short teaching career so far, the
a neighbouring school and a opportunities to go on trips have been
6th form college to form a local but a few. The other day I discovered
“consortium”. I was close to being asked to go on
The Diploma comprises of nine one to Spain, but someone else had
Hazel Davis
recognition of their success by officers and colleagues
in their own local authorities.
main units each specifically covering managed to muscle their way in before
an aspect of the industry. To spread me – gutted.
asks whether
Some of the respondents in the survey made
comments such as: “There is no system in place in
the workload, each member of the So back to my organisation of the my local authority to recognise the strengths of senior
teaching staff from the consortium Diploma trips – one is hopefully going
initiatives to get
teachers from BME backgrounds.
has been designated a unit for which to to be to a local magistrates’ court for the “When I was a senior teacher, no-one in the local
create a scheme of work. day and, if time permits, the Old Bailey
Mine is aptly named the “Anti-social as well.
more Black and
authority acted as a mentor. Even now I feel I have so
much to offer but I am an in-school person, so I don’t
and Offending Behaviour Unit”. In So at the moment, it does seem a
effect it broadly covers the justice little like all work and no play, but I minority ethnic teachers into
push myself forward unless I am invited.”
Another respondent said: “My biggest challenge
sector and I am finding the process am working on this too. was eight years ago when colleagues, people I had
of creating the 25-odd lessons I have always been an avid fan
leadership roles are working
considered friends, wrote a letter to the governing body
extremely enjoyable. of real ales, something generally objecting to my appointment as deputy headteacher
Pretty much everything is being associated with old men and flat
and speaks to two teachers
as an example of unfair positive discrimination. They
drawn up from scratch. God help caps. were represented by the National Union of Teachers.
us if we worked straight from the Minus the flat caps, there are
exam board’s suggested schemes of a few teachers that are members of
who have made the climb
I cancelled my membership.”
The study suggested ways in which assistance
work though. Take this plan – to make this guild and enjoy the odd-tipple here might be given to aspiring school leaders from BME
pupils “individually arrange to undertake a and there. So I have taken it upon myself backgrounds. These included involving BME leaders
telephone interview with someone from one to organise a staff tour to London’s only N ENGLAND, 12.9 per cent of pupils are in external school and college work, providing early
of the services to find out how they fit in to the remaining real ale brewery.
structure of the justice sector and the part they Maybe there is a new post of Staff
play in the process of a person who has committed Enrichment Officer available for me?!
a crime”.
I’m hoping it is not my NQT naivety, but surely • This year, our weekly NQT diarist is Charles
this is a “big ask” on many counts, and there are Aubeeluck, a qualified citizenship teacher who I
from Black and minority ethnic (BME) career opportunities to shadow school leaders from
backgrounds, yet the percentage of teachers BME backgrounds, offering lessons within leadership
from BME backgrounds is just 2.4 per cent. programmes on how school leaders should tackle the
According to the National College of challenges that they face.
School Leadership (NCSL), data on school There are a number of UK schemes which actively
leadership appointments from 2006 showed promote teaching among BME groups. Teachers
clear shortcomings to this activity that don’t need teaches sociology and health and social care at that just over one per cent of primary heads and just for the 21st Century is a project run by universities,
elaborating on. Ellen Wilkinson School for Girls in west London. over three per cent of secondary heads come from a colleges and SCITT (school-centred initial teacher
BME group. training) in Yorkshire and the Humber to promote
The statistics show that BME teachers are much the teaching profession among BME communities
less likely to be promoted to leadership positions than in the UK.
Teach it like Torno!
White teachers. TeacherWorld is an online resource supporting
The NCSL believes that the under-representation teachers and trainees from diverse backgrounds.
of BME people in middle and senior leadership roles The site offers networking facilities and direct
contributes to the potential shortage of school leaders communication with others in the same boat.
Teaching’s got talent
and provides few role models for the next generation Last year the Training and Development Agency
of school leaders. for Schools allocated £1 million to initial teacher
Various schemes have been put in place to training providers to support the recruitment and
encourage more BME teachers to enter the profession retention of BME teachers.
“A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream profession and recognised the power that good and there is no shortage of publicity endeavours This year, the Network for Black Professionals is
you dream together is reality.” John Lennon. teachers have on society. devoted to the cause. a consortium partner with the Children’s Workforce
I say “Teach it”, you say “like Torno”. I say “Teach The beauty of his speech was his humility A report from the NCSL in 2002 found that Development Council, which has launched a Youth
it”, you say, “Teach it like Torno!”. You can tell what and his recognition that if we work together as a BME school leaders commonly expressed a lack of Workforce Leadership and Management Development
I’ve been watching can’t you. I might even change society we can change things. Henry emphasised
my name to DJ Torno in the light of Britain’s got that dreams can come true. After it was announced
Talent. When I come to think of it, I cannot believe that some of the money would be used to fund a
the hype that surrounds celebrities or at least those new kind of teaching award from 2010, the Henry
seeking fame. If only people were this enthusiastic Winkler Teaching Award for Special Needs, he
about signing up to be teachers the world might be a said: “Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think
different place. that I would have the honour of a Teaching Award
Can you imagine Jim Knight and Ed in my name. It fills me with gratitude and
Balls, the educational equivalents of Ant shock because I was my fourth grade
and Dec, alongside Chris Woodhead teacher’s nightmare!
(surely I don’t need to tell you “It never ceases to amaze me that
who he is) passing judgement on there are now teachers who truly
potential candidates. The winner understand and inspire
would get a year’s free CPD and a the student who learns
£5 book voucher. They would get differently.”
instant celebrity status, at least in As a result of Henry’s
the teaching fraternity, and become dyslexia and his passion
regular stars on Teachers TV. Or for supporting children
another teaching celebrity idea could with learning difficulties,
be “Big Cover”. We could spend the he has written a series of
summer term watching teachers in 16 books based on his
the staffroom for hours on end. Are own childhood. The hero
you with me? We could make millions. is a 10-year-old dyslexic
Fame and fortune here we come! boy called Hank Zipper,
Admittedly in the past I have and the books follow his
lambasted the celebrity world for adventures in the classroom.
its airheaded culture and its focus Undoubtedly they will go a
on superficial success. I have long way in continuing to give
ranted about the shallow nature teachers a greater understanding of
of the showbiz community and students with special educational needs.
how we need to challenge this. And so I apologise to the celebrity
However, I would like to community and recognise that not all are
spend some time redressing the shallow. Henry opened my eyes to the
balance. I have a tale to tell about fantastic work that is going on in certain
a certain celebrity who deserves the circles.
praises of every adult and child in He also reminded me that as a profession
every school. we do have our champions and though we
He is none other than Henry Winkler may not always realise it there are people
aka “The Fonz”. A few weeks ago I had rooting for us. More importantly they are also
the privilege of attending a Teaching championing the people who need our support
Awards gathering in Henry’s honour and most – the students.
to celebrate the fact that he won £40,000 in So as you embark on this final half-term,
a competition held by Absolute Radio which don’t lose sight that there are many out there who
he duly donated to the Teaching Awards Trust. champion what we do and have massive faith in the
Anyone who heard Henry speak on that day could education system.
not help but be moved by what he had to say. He said If we continue to believe this I am sure we will all
that he had grown up believing he was stupid and it end up having “Happy Days”.
wasn’t until he was 31 (when his son was diagnosed
with dyslexia) when he too, for the first time, started • David Torn is professional tutor and an advanced
to understand why he had struggled throughout his skills teacher at St Edward’s Comprehensive School
life – he also had dyslexia. in Essex. He is the London Secondary School Teacher
By the end of his short speech, Henry’s sincerity of the Year 2007 and is passionate that the purpose of
had shone through. He clearly valued the teaching education is to change lives. He returns in two weeks.
8 SecEd • June 11 2009
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