Race Equality Programme
Sheffield is a beautifully vibrant diverse city, rich in heritage, culture and language and is home to many diverse communities. Sheffield’s children and young people are the future of the city. These young people are entitled to the best possible life opportunities that the city can give them at every stage of their educational journey from early years through to transitioning into adulthood and employment.
The Race Equality Programme builds on the findings of Sheffield’s Race Equality Commission (REC) and is committed to advancing race outcomes for both staff and pupils across the city of Sheffield.
More information about the Race Equality Programme, including training and resources can be found using the buttons below.
For any queries, please contact homaira.ibrahim@learnsheffield.co.uk.
Race Equality Commission
In July 2022, the city of Sheffield published its Race Equality Commission (REC) findings and recommendations, 504.7 REC Report). This was an independent, non-partisan strategic assessment of the nature, extent, causes and impact of race equality in the city and to make recommendations for tackling them.
It concluded that ‘race and racism remain significantly throughout the life course of Sheffield citizens.’
Education was one of the key themes which was scrutinised within the REC with the below recommendations and actions made. They identify the importance of why as educators we need to actively consider and implement anti racism into our thinking, actions and decision making in education provision across the city to advance and improve outcomes for Black and racially minoritised staff and pupils.
Education Recommendations
Action 6
Demonstrate a shared commitment and drive improvement of diversity in education workforces and governing boards:
- All 6th forms, Colleges and Schools (maintained and academies) to collect race and ethnicity data of governing boards (or their equivalent for academies), senior leadership teams, teaching and support staff.
- CEOs and Heads in the primary and secondary partnerships must co-ordinate an action plan of how diversity (or lack of) will be addressed over the next 5 years at both teaching, leadership and governance levels.
Action 7
School leaders must ensure their workforce is representative and racially literate and equipped to ensure they can educate future generations of Sheffielders to challenge racism:
- School leaders to consider how the curriculum reflects and embeds Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic histories
Action 8
Establish a robust system to scrutinise city-wide data for exclusions of all students to identify inequalities and failings in the system. School leaders, CEOs of Multi Academy Trusts and the Local Authority must liaise and agree a single system that:
- Reduces the number of students from over-represented ethnic backgrounds excluded from schools.
- Ethnicity of permanently excluded children is tracked and reported on as a standing agenda item at the Children and Families Committee and the School Forum to ensure that the numbers are reduced.
- Ensure that race and ethnicity are standing items on education panels such as the Secondary Inclusion Panel, Primary Inclusion Panel, Governors Exclusions Panel, and Fair Access Panel. Panels to be regularly reviewed for ethnic diversity and related training.
- Provides/increases appropriate alternative education interventions to best support students and their individual needs and talents.
- Develop an ambitious and effective end-to-end rehabilitation programme (where various agencies work collaboratively across social services, education and mental health) to ensure pupils are not disadvantaged and are either: i) quickly reintegrated back into mainstream education; or ii) remain within and benefit from a ‘transformed PRU’ (via rapid investment and support into Sheffield Inclusion Centre to enable it to become an educational centre of excellence inc sports / IT training facilities plus fast-track access to FE colleges and employer apprenticeships).
Action 9
Ensure that the early years data is available showing individual needs of children by ethnicity (language delay, autism spectrum, and special educational needs and disability SEND).
Action 10
Sheffield Hallam University, as the lead for teacher education in the city, to work with schools’ leaders and careers service to provide an action plan to address the following:
- Diversity of students enrolling on teaching related courses.
- The retention of Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic students on teaching courses.
- Where the number of home Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic students do not reflect the diversity of the student population , meaningful action must be taken to improve their representation in teacher training.
Action 11
Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Sheffield to publish a plan of action to address the challenges in retention and success of students from the most affected ethnic backgrounds. This should focus on:
- Retention of students.
- Achievement/Awarding gaps.
- Both universities should provide a rigorous check, calling in external independent support to address gaps which are above core city and national averages.
- Sheffield HE providers to i) Achieve and retain University of Sanctuary status ii) retain and expand financial and other forms of support(scholarships, information, pastoral care) for asylum seekers and refugees.
Action 12
Higher education providers to work toward the Advance HE Race Equality Charter, to improve staff and student outcomes, and
- Use the report and support tool to improve reporting of race related concerns.