01.12.2021

An innovative training programme that enables teachers and school leaders to better educate, navigate and handle racism in schools, has been launched in Cardiff today.

‘Promote Equality' is a development programme created by Rachel Clarke,a Deputy Headteacher and the granddaughter of the first Black Headteacher in Walesand champion of equality and diversity, Betty Campbell.

The toolkit aims to Educate, Empower and Enhance schools with the resources, support and skills to help broaden understanding and challenge perspectives to imbed long-lasting change in the education system and beyond.

Mount Stuart Primary is leading the way for Cardiff schools by becoming the first Welsh school to establish this programme for the next 18 months - 2 years as part of their ongoing development.

The initiative has been implemented as one of a series of major new plans from the Race Equality Taskforce, designed to help improve the lives and opportunities of Black and ethnic minority communities in Cardiff.

Cllr Huw Thomas, Leader of Cardiff Council said: "This is a really exciting partnership and will have a huge impact on the development of the city's education system.

"Our teachers are already doing great work, but great schools rely on great training and support.This programme will ensure a better understanding and empower our school leaders which will also benefit the well-being of students and teachers.

"This isn't a one-off workshop; it is part of a long-term action planto really help support our Black and ethnic minority residents in Cardiff and is testament to the hard work of the Taskforce to help implement change."

Co-Founder of ‘Promote Equality', Rachel Clarke said, "I feel privileged to carry out my anti-racist work at Mount Stuart school, having the opportunity to continue my grandmother's inclusive and important work.

"This launch to the training programme signals an important step for professional learning in Wales and I am confident this will make a positive impact to the lives of Black Asian and Minority Ethnic communities. Educating the educators is key to sustained improvement in societal outcomes and I'm delighted and proud that Wales is leading the way."

Mount Stuart Primary School Headteacher, Helen Borley, said: "As we start this journey towards an Anti-Racist country; we are putting this important work front and central to everything we do. We want our pupils to become the generation that grow up and live in a country where equality is respected and expected for everyone."

Chair of the Race Equality Taskforce and Councillor for Butetown, Cllr Saeed Ebrahim, said: "This proposal was agreed in September as part of an action plan set out by the Taskforce, so it is fantastic that we have been able to implement such a high-quality training programme so quickly.

"I'm delighted that Mount Stuart Primary has become the first school in Wales to spearhead this training programme. This is a real full-circle moment for Butetown as Rachel, Betty's granddaughter, continues her legacy at the school where Betty was headteacher."

The next set of proposals by the Race Equality Taskforce will be sent to Cabinet in an annual report in January.

Promote Equality

Promote Equality is a tool that will support the organisation's drive for racial equality and equity. The comprehensive and self-directed nature of this, not only makes this training platform unique but one which also secures sustained change. The intentional long-term structure of this ensures that development in the area of racial equality can be achieved through bite-sized tasks across the whole organisation. 

The platform has been developed as a self-directed course, with a facilitator from the organisation delivering the training, once an initial pre-course module has been completed, along with the reading of the detailed facilitator notes.

Website:www.promoteequality.org

Email:admin@promoteequality.org