Our pick of the latest resources, programmes and workshops
Schools can access a 3-hour training workshop plus
PTA+ OFFER SPECIAL
teacher mentoring, covering two visits for £1,000 + VAT plus travel until 31 December 2021
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I Am Ally – Building Anti-Racist Spaces
There’s never been a better time to stress the importance of good mental health and wellbeing in young people. Grace Barrett, co-founder of the Self Esteem Team, has always championed such topics, providing workshops for school children on subjects such as sexuality, drugs and addiction. Her upbringing as a person of colour led her to start I Am Ally, which provides anti-racism resources to primary and secondary schools. ‘From speaking to schools and our
own research, we know the demographic of pupils in schools is changing dramatically, but that this shift isn’t yet reflected within school leadership teams or teaching staff,’ she says. ‘Schools often know racism is a problem but don’t know how to tackle it, and staff are often left feeling vulnerable and unqualified to support pupils facing these issues.’ I Am Ally’s teacher sessions begin
with a short history of racism in the UK, detailing what racism looks like and explaining how schools can create anti-racist spaces for all pupils. The workshops give staff a real-world understanding of racism and leave them with the confidence to navigate conversations about race. After receiving individual mentoring
from I Am Ally, teachers can mentor each other and deliver classes to students. I Am Ally remain on hand to field questions and offer feedback. ‘Research shows by seven years of
age, children have already made value judgements on race, based on their exposure to people of colour,’ says Barrett. ‘Workshops expose students to different kinds of faces in positive, everyday roles, helping to create a more balanced opinion of people of colour and providing pupils with a full understanding of what racism is and its implications.’
Claire Ryan, deputy head, Our Lady’s Roman Catholic High School, Manchester ‘We are a diverse school and we knew we needed to make talking about race a whole-school priority. Our headteacher attended a training conference where Grace Barrett was speaking, and was wowed by her enthusiasm for helping schools tackle issues on race. Grace met with our senior leadership team, identifying key areas of improvement. She has already made some excellent suggestions, including involving the Student Council in organising a Celebration Event. She’ll be visiting again during the autumn term to carry out three workshops for our teaching staff which will further give us the confidence when speaking about race and help us continue to provide a safe space for our pupils.’
l For more, visit
iamally.co.uk pta.co.uk AUTUMN 2021 53
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