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November 2015 Author: Samuel Steel

Race to the Top 2: Diversity in Education

A Report Published by Elevation Networks

Trust

2

Foreword

For 20 years, 1986-2006, I was head teacher of what became a popular and successful large, mixed, multicultural comprehensive school in South East London. Following retirement from that I have worked as an education consultant for Future leaders and as a result have visited numerous inner city comprehensives in London. I was also the lead writer of a curriculum review for the New Labour government, published in 2007 and resulting from 7/7 on ‘Diversity and Citizenship’. My reason for introducing this report with facts about

my own professional background is merely to indicate

that I am very familiar with the terrain that the report

covers. I have also been aware during my professional career that as someone who is of mixed

African/white heritage that for large parts of my career at head teachers’ conferences I had to look

hard to find other non-white heads.

The report ‘Diversity and Citizenship’ arose out of concerns following 7/7 that Britain in Trevor Phillips’

words was ‘sleepwalking to segregation’. It was part of the government’s move to build the concept of

community cohesion and to inspect this in schools as a significant part of Ofsted.

Our key findings were negative in terms of the importance schools gave to education for diversity. To

quote ‘some schools make understanding identity and diversity core to what they do; for others it

barely flickers on the radar’. This lack of attention in many schools to the sensitivities of ethnicity and

identity was reflected in two reports published at the time: i) The Teacher Status project on the Status

of Minority Ethnic Teachers in England and ii) the Mayor of London’s report ‘Black Teachers in

London’. Both reports provide evidence of the disenchantment of black and minority ethnic teachers

as they encounter racist attitudes. A telling quote from the Mayor of London’s report was ‘teachers

from black and minority ethnic backgrounds, who had been teaching for 20 years, were half as likely

to rise to the post of head teacher as their white counterparts’.

In writing ‘Diversity and Citizenship’, a report commissioned by the government in 2006, the hope was

that it would bring attention to the issue and help to kick-start improvements. The evidence from this

report in 2015 is that there has been relatively little progress.

My experience as a head is that it is important to young people for the staff of the school to reflect

aspects of the ethnic makeup of this country. This is as true for predominantly white areas of Britain

as it is for the inner cities. Black and Minority Ethnic teachers should feel comfortable working

anywhere that they choose. For this to happen the importance of diversity has to be embedded in the

practice of all schools. Attitudes to equality have to go beyond the paper of the policy. The curriculum

needs to reflect a world seen through the eyes of different races, genders and religions. School

governors and recruitment panels need to understand all the unconscious biases around race and

religion that have been part of the Western world since the Enlightenment.

Things can change. In 2006 we found evidence around the country of good practice where schools

went out of their way to encourage a wide diversity of teachers to apply for jobs and who were

sensitive to the particular needs of these teachers. Some of these schools were in the inner city but in

others in largely white areas it was because the head and senior staff were determined to ensure that

their school was part of a wider society.

This good practice both in schools and in higher education needs to be highlighted and concerted

efforts made to ensure that the barriers to fair recruitment are removed immediately.

Sir Keith Ajegbo, Chairman of the Stephen Lawrence Trust

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About Elevation Networks

Elevation Networks (EN) is an award winning youth employment charity that seeks to

develop the leadership potential of young people to increase their employability. EN works

with young people aged 11-25 specifically focusing on groups that are traditionally

underrepresented within the labour market and in certain industries. The groups are ethnic

minorities, women, young people from low socio-economic backgrounds, students from non-

Russell group universities and young people Not in Education, Employment or Training

(NEET).

Elevation Networks specialise in connecting high achieving BAME and female students with

top recruiters. We have worked with many organisations in both the public and private sector

to improve their diversity strategies and to enhance the diversity of their talent pipeline.

Through our partnerships with schools, university societies, subject departments, lecturers

and career services we have helped hundreds of diverse candidates to secure mentoring,

placement, internship and prestigious graduate development opportunities with national and

multinational organisations including the Civil Service, National Audit Office, Financial

Conduct Authority, Teach First, PwC, Barclays, Deloitte, and Wragge, Lawrence, Graham &

Co.

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Contents

Foreword ............................................................................................................................. 2

About Elevation Networks .................................................................................................. 3

Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 6

Context ............................................................................................................................. 6

Policy Recommendations................................................................................................... 7

Diversity in Education – Statistical Summary ................................................................... 9

Diversity in the UK ............................................................................................................. 9

Primary Maintained Schools ......................................................................................... 9-10

Secondary Maintained Schools .................................................................................. 10-11

Higher Education (HE) Institutions ............................................................................. 11-12

Government Departments ............................................................................................... 12

Regional Variations .................................................................................................... 13-14

London ................................................................................................................... 14-15

Current BAME Underrepresentation ........................................................................... 15-16

Underrepresentation in English Regions .................................................................... 16-17

Attraction, Recruitment and Retention of BAME Staff ................................................. 18-19

Experiences of BAME Staff in the Education Sector ................................................... 19-21

Inequality and Institutional Racism ............................................................................. 20-21

Impact on Students .................................................................................................... 21-22

Diversity Initiatives .......................................................................................................... 22

Teach First .................................................................................................................. 22

Future Leaders ....................................................................................................... 23-23

Leadership, Equality and Diversity Fund ..................................................................... 23

Summary of Wider Research .......................................................................................... 24

Student Perceptions of Teaching Careers .................................................................. 25-26

Regional Breakdown ....................................................................................................... 26

Student Focus Group ................................................................................................. 26-27

Perceptions of teaching ............................................................................................... 27

Teachers as Role Models ............................................................................................ 27

BAME Underrepresentation .................................................................................... 28-28

Improving Diversity in Recruitment ......................................................................... 28-29

Interviews with BAME teachers ....................................................................................... 29

Career Attraction .................................................................................................... 29-30

Career Barriers ....................................................................................................... 30-31

Discrimination and Racism .......................................................................................... 31

5

Career progression and equal opportunities ........................................................... 32-32

Perceptions of BAME Teachers .............................................................................. 33-33

Underrepresentation ............................................................................................... 34-34

Increasing Diversity ................................................................................................ 35-35

Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 37

Methodology...................................................................................................................... 38

Secondary Research ....................................................................................................... 38

Statistical Analysis ....................................................................................................... 38

Background Research ................................................................................................. 38

Primary Research ........................................................................................................... 38

The Great Debate Tour ............................................................................................... 38

Student Focus Group .................................................................................................. 39

Qualitative Interviews .................................................................................................. 39

Annexes ............................................................................................................................. 39

Annex 1 Academic Attainment at Key Stage 2 Level (by Ethnic Group) ...................... 39

Annex 2 Academic Attainment at GCSE Level (by Ethnic Group) ................................ 40

Annex 3 Academic Attainment at First Degree Level (by Ethnic Group) ...................... 40

References and Bibliography ...................................................................................... 41-43

Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................... 45

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Introduction

This report examines the representation of Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME)

teaching staff within the UK education sector. Faced with an increasing BAME student

population and glaring inequalities for BAME staff and students the report examines the

implications of the lack of diversity in teaching and the education sector in general, with

specific recommendations for policy and practice.

Context

The size of the ethnic minority population in the UK is considerable. At the time of the last

census in 2011, 13 per cent of the UK population (equivalent to around 8.17 million people)

identified themselves as Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic1. Moreover, ethnic minority groups

have been growing exponentially year-on-year. It has been estimated that the number of

domiciled ethnic minority students alone has increased from 12% of the student population

in 1991 to 18.4% in 20112.

Most recent statistics show that in 2015 there were 1.09 million (30.4%) BAME primary

school pupils, 0.84 million (26.6%) BAME secondary school students, whilst in 2013/14 there

0.35 million (24%) in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)3. These figures are expected to

rise significantly as the ethnic minority population of the UK is predicted to more than double

by the year 2051 to around 20 to 30 per cent of the population.4

Whilst the UK ethnic minority student population has been rising over the past decade the

pace of demographic change has not been reflected in the representation of BAME teaching

and leadership staff within the education sector. Our research identifies that BAME teachers

are underrepresented ‘at every level of the profession’.

Inequalities for BAME teachers and students is are particularly concerning. The academic

attainment rate of ethnic minority groups has consistently lagged behind that of their white

peers. At Key Stage 2 level (KS2) 76 per cent of pupils from a black background achieved

the expected level in all of reading, writing and mathematics compared to the national

average of 79 per cent5. Pupils from Black ethnic backgrounds remain the poorest

performing ethnic group in in terms of GCSE pass rates including English and Maths6.

Moreover, the diversity attainment gap continues at higher education level. In 2012/13 57.1

per cent of UK domiciled BAME students achieved a top-degree classification (first class or

upper second class), compared with 73.2 per cent of white British students. 7

1 ONS (2013)

2 RfO (2012)

3 HEfCE (2015a); DfE (2015c)

4 Sunak and Rajeswaran (2014)

5 DfE (2014c)

6 DfE (2014b)

7 Equality Challenge Unit (2014)

7

Policy Recommendations

➔ Work experience and volunteering

Students who had worked with young people reported increased motivation for teaching

careers. Similarly, teachers who had progressed to qualified teacher status often had

previous experience of working with young people in a non-teaching capacity. We

recommend the use of work placements or volunteering initiatives to feed into

existing teaching development programmes. Therefore work diversity placement

schemes for both secondary education, undergraduate and postgraduate level would

provide a more diverse talent pool to nurture and develop future teachers and

academics.

➔ Promotion of engagement in communities and public life

National youth programmes such as the government funded National Citizen Service

(NCS) could be used as platform to foster more engagement with underrepresented

groups. NCS is a government-funded programme for 16-17 year olds aimed at different

backgrounds to help them develop greater confidence, self-awareness and responsibility

with a view to create a more engaged society. Greater focus on the promotion of

continued civic and community engagement and participation in youth

development work could provide a generation of aspiring teachers from diverse

underrepresented groups.

➔ Replicating London strategies within other regions

Specific policy interventions in the London area such as the ‘London Challenge’ initiative

have been attributed to a significant rise in pupil attainment in recent years. Anecdotal

evidence also suggests that ethnic minority pupil attainment in London is

increasing at a higher rate compared to other English regions. Despite the presence

of the ‘London Effect’ there are still significant disparities for the prospects of both ethnic

minority staff and students in most UK regions. Increasing ethnic minority populations in

UK provincial towns has not yet been matched by increasing numbers of ethnic minority

teaching staff. Consequently, more should be done to tackle inequalities on a regional

level.

➔ Key focus on recruiting male primary school teachers

Statistics show that male BAME teachers are disproportionately underrepresented in

primary schools in comparison with their female counterparts. Moreover, there is a

perception amongst male BAME students that teaching ‘lacks prestige’, has few male

role models to inspire them, and offers poor incentives in comparison to other career

pathways.

Attraction and diversity strategies should focus on targeting male BAME groups

through the use of prominent BAME male role models. We also call for early

interventions within schools and colleges to promote teaching careers to this

specific target group.

8

➔ The school curriculum should be more representative

Many students that were surveyed felt that they did not have BAME role models that they

could relate to throughout their education experience. It is argued that a greater focus

on diversity within the school curriculum and ethnic minority role models could

enhance BAME perceptions of teaching as a profession and therefore encourage more

ethnic minorities to consider teaching as a career.

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Diversity in Education – Statistical Summary

Diversity in the UK

At the last census in 2011, 13 per cent of the UK population were identified as belonging to

BAME groups7. The ethnic minority population of the UK has more than doubled in size

since 1991, rising from 3 to 7 million, with the African population growing faster than any

other ethnic group, reaching a total of 990,000 in 2011. Meanwhile, the number of mixed

multi-racial ethnic groups within families and neighbourhoods has also risen by almost 50

per cent since 2001 to over a million people in 20118.

The growth in diversity is perhaps most evident among the student population, which is

estimated to have risen from 12% in 1991 to 18.4% in 20119. Accordingly, primary schools

have the highest concentrations of ethnic minority students, with 1.09 million (30.4%) BAME

pupils recorded in 2015. There are currently 0.84 million (26.6%) BAME secondary school

students and in 2013/14 there were 0.35 million (24%) BAME students in Higher Education

Institutions (HEIs)10, however these proportions are likely to rise significantly as the ethnic

minority population increases and as BAME students’ progress through the education

system.

DIVERSITY IN THE UK (%), 2011 CENSUS

Wh

ite

Gy

ps

y / T

rav

elle

r / Iris

h T

ravelle

r

Mix

ed

/ Mu

ltiple

Eth

nic

Gro

up

s

As

ian

/ As

ian

Britis

h: In

dia

n

As

ian

/ As

ian

B

ritish

: Pa

kis

tan

i

As

ian

/ As

ian

Britis

h: B

an

gla

des

hi

As

ian

/ As

ian

Britis

h: C

hin

ese

As

ian

/ As

ian

B

ritish

: Oth

er A

sia

n

Bla

ck

/ Afric

an

/

Ca

ribb

ean

/ Bla

ck

Britis

h

Oth

er E

thn

ic G

rou

p

UNITED KINGDOM 87.1 0.1 2 2.3 1.9 0.7 0.7 1.4 3 0.9

GREAT BRITAIN 86.7 0.1 2 2.4 1.9 0.7 0.7 1.4 3.1 0.9

ENGLAND AND WALES 85.9 0.1 2.2 2.5 2 0.8 0.7 1.5 3.3 1

ENGLAND 85.3 0.1 2.3 2.6 2.1 0.8 0.7 1.5 3.5 1

WALES 95.5 0.1 1 0.6 0.4 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.5

SCOTLAND 95.9 0.1 0.4 0.6 0.9 0.1 0.6 0.4 0.7 0.3

NORTHERN IRELAND 98.2 0.1 0.3 0.3 0.1 0 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.1

Table 1 Diversity in the UK (%) – ONS (2013).

Primary Maintained Schools

In 2014 just 12,100 out of 208,000 (6%) of local authority (LA) maintained primary teachers

were from BAME backgrounds. However, there is a significant disparity between those in

teaching roles compared to senior head or deputy head positions. Just 435 out of 14,500

7 ONS (2013)

8 Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2012)

9 RfO (2012)

10 HEfCE (2015a); DfE (2015a)

10

(3%) of LA maintained primary school heads are from ethnic minority groups, with similar

representation in primary academies, where 46 out of 1,300 heads (3.6%) were from ethnic

minorities.

PRIMARY MAINTAINED SCHOOLS 2014

Total (all ethnic groups)

Current BAME Representation*

%

Head Teachers 14,500 435* 3.0

Deputy Heads and assistants 19,400 935* 4.9

Classroom assistants and other 167,200 9,298* 6.2

All teachers 208,000 12,100* 6.0

Total of all BAME students: - 30.4

Table 2 BAME Representation in Primary Maintained Schools (DfE, 2015).

The primary school statistics also showed variations between genders. Although there were

more female BAME teachers compared to males, fewer male teachers progressed to head

teacher roles. Around 9,000 out of 124,300 (7.2%) of male teachers were from ethnic

minorities compared to around 25,800 out of 379,900 BAME female teachers (6.7%). The

BAME gender gap was also highlighted in senior head teaching roles, with around 162 out of

7,400 (2.2%) of male head teachers from BAME groups, compared to 475 out of 14,400

female heads (3.2%)11. The statistics therefore suggested that BAME teachers are not

progressing to senior levels within teaching, whilst underrepresentation was more acute for

BAME males at a senior level.

Secondary Maintained Schools

Year 2014 statistics for state-funded secondary schools show that of the 86,400 qualified

and unqualified teachers approximately 9.9 per cent (around 8,553) were from BAME

backgrounds. There was little disparity between ethnicity and gender; male BAME teachers

accounted for 9.9% compared to BAME females who represented 9.7 per cent, however

there was higher representation among Asian backgrounds, with around 4,000 teachers

(4.9%) compared to 2,300 (2.9%) from black/African backgrounds.

In common with primary schools there is also significant underrepresentation in senior

positions in UK secondary schools, with only 46 (3.6 per cent) BAME head teachers out of a

total 1,300, and around 439 (6.1 per cent) BAME deputy heads and assistants out of 7,200.

The highest representation was among classroom support staff, with around 7,517 out of

73,700 (10.2%) classroom assistants from BAME groups12.

11

DfE (2015a) 12

DfE (2015a)

“There are not many black teachers that I can relate to or have a bond

with.” – 2nd Year Undergraduate (University of Birmingham)

11

SECONDARY MAINTAINED SCHOOLS 2014



%

Head Teachers 1,300 46* 3.6

Deputy Heads and assistants 7,200 439* 6.1

Classroom assistants and other 73,700 7,517* 10.2

All teachers 86,400 8,553* 9.9

Total of all BAME students: - 26.6

Table 3 BAME Representation in Secondary Maintained Schools (DfE, 2015a). *Based on % (not absolute figures)

Published data for Scottish schools showed similar comparisons, with 1.3 per cent of primary and 1.8 per cent of secondary school teachers from ethnic backgrounds, both of which have remained relatively static since 2008. However, the comparative breakdown for head teachers, deputies and senior teachers shows that in 2014 there were no ethnic minorities within senior positions in Scottish primary schools, and just 18 principal teachers from BAME backgrounds within Scottish secondary schools; equivalent to 0.3 per cent of positions13. Comparable data for Wales is not currently available.

Higher Education (HE) Institutions

Higher education academic staff equality and diversity statistics highlight significant

disparities between academic seniority and subject areas with virtually no BAME

representation in the ‘upper echelons’ of the higher education profession. In September

2015 Baroness Amos become the first Black women to head a UK university14, while only 25

out of 655 (3%) were employed in strategic leadership roles, and as few as 65 out of 1,570

(4%) were employed on senior management teams.

In 2013/14 just 935 (7%) of 12,125 professors were from BAME backgrounds. This

represented a 1 per cent decrease in real terms compared to 2012/13. Among senior

lecturers there were 1,385 BAME staff out of 16,565, equivalent to 8 per cent of all ethnic

groups, whilst for other BAME lecturers represented around 5,810 (9%) of the total. Despite

an increase of 1 percentage point in 2012 the number of BAME lecturers has remained

relatively static since 2010.

The HE statistics also showed significant disparities between academic functional areas,

with the highest concentration of BAME staff in modern languages representing 130 (42%)

BAME staff, and medicine and dentistry, with 1,460 (16%) BAME staff. In comparison,

educational faculties employed just 430 (5%) BAME staff15, which is perhaps endemic of the

lack of diversity in the education sector as a whole.

13

ScotStat (2015) 14

N.B: HEFCE statistics relate the 2013/14 academic year and adjusted for statistical significance. Professor

Rama Thirunamachandran was appointed Vice Chancellor of Canterbury Christ Church University in 2013 and Baroness Amos was appointed as Director of SOAS University in September 2015, hence the actual number of BAME Vice Chancellors may not be accurately reflected in the statistics. 15

HEFCE (2015a)

12

HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS (ENGLAND) 2013/14

Total Staff (all ethnic groups)


%

Vice Chancellor† 110 0‡ 0.0

Strategic Leadership 655 25 3.0

Senior Management 1,570 65 4.0

Professor 12,125 935 7.0

Lecturer (all) 62,960 5,810 9.0

Senior Lecturer 16,565 1,385 8.0

Research assistants 10,435 1,125 10.0

Total of all BAME staff in HE: 246,545 22,790 9.0

Total of all BAME students: 346,595 24.0

Table 4 BAME Representation in Education (HEFCE, 2015). *Based on % (not absolute figures) †Excludes chancellors and ceremonial positions. ‡ Figures of less than 5 adjusted for statistical significance16

Historical data published by the Higher Education Statistics Authority statistics record

showed that in 1994/5 there were 1,169 BAME full-time teaching and research staff,

equating to 3% of academic teaching staff17. Although employee diversity in higher

education has trebled within the last 20 years the representation of BAME staff has

consistently failed to match the growth of the BAME university student population.

Government Departments

Diversity within the Department of Education (DfE) outperforms that of most

educational and academic institutions overall. The representation of BAME staff

within the Department for Education (DfE) currently exceeds the diversity makeup of

the UK population and that of the Civil Service overall. In 2015, as many as 518

BAME staff (16.7 per cent) were employed within the department, whilst as many as

44,834 staff (10.6 per cent) were employed within the Civil Service as a whole18.

Promisingly, efforts to increase ethnic minority representation therefore appear to be

more effective at a governmental level. Specific targeting of ethnic minority groups

16 N.B: HEFCE statistics relate the 2013/14 academic year. Professor Rama Thirunamachandran was appointed

Vice Chancellor of Canterbury Christ Church University in 2013 and Baroness Amos was appointed as Director of SOAS University in September 2015, hence the actual number of BAME Vice Chancellors may not be accurately reflected in the statistics. 17

HESA (2015) 18

Office of National Statistics (2015)

“The roots of inequality in the world of academia could stem from the challenges

confronting black students from school to university.”

Baroness Amos

13

through recruitment initiatives such as the Fast Stream Graduate development

programme, diversity-focussed internships and equal opportunities policies appear to

be having an overall positive impact in terms of BAME representation. This is

significant given that the shaping of education policy has the power to influence

diversity strategies within the education sector as a whole.

GOVERNMENT Total (All Ethnic Groups) Current BAME

Representation*

%

Civil Servants 422,960 44,834 10.6

DfE Civil Servants 3,100 518 16.7

Table 5 BAME Representation in Government Departments

Regional Variations

Department for Education (DfE) statistics for maintained primary and secondary schools

show that the largest concentrations of BAME teachers are to be found in the London area.

In 2014 there were approximately 11,928 ethnic minority teachers in inner London

representing 40.4 per cent of the total, and approximately 17,189 (33.5%) in outer London.

This is perhaps not surprising given that London has some of the highest concentrations of

ethnic groups. Outside London the regions with the largest ethnic minority representation

include the West Midlands with 7,267 (13%) and East of England with 6,010 (10.5%). By

means of comparison the North East has just 672 (2.8%) ethnic minority teachers, and 2,176

(4.5 %) in the South West. The total representation for England as a whole was 12.5 per

cent, equivalent to 63,066 ethnic minority teachers19.

Significantly, a comparison of the school workforce survey data and 2011 regional census

data for the ethnic minority student population (aged 5-19) suggested that there is an

overrepresentation of ethnic minority teachers in outer-London and the South East. In outer

London, this equated to 10,594 ethnic minority teachers and 2,144 in the South East. In

comparison, the most significant shortfalls currently exist in the West Midlands (6,613 BAME

teachers), North West (5,579 BAME teachers) and 4,783 in Yorkshire and the Humber.

Similar regional disparities are also apparent for initial teacher entrants training in primary

and secondary schools, with 31% (around 1,029) ethnic minority joiners in London

secondary schools, compared to 15% (around 292) in West Midlands secondary schools.

19

DfE (2015a).

“I strongly disagree with the education system in the UK”

2nd Year BAME Undergraduate (University of Hull)

“The curriculum should be changed as opposed to who is teaching it”

BAME Undergraduate (University College London)

14

This compared to just 2% and 3% of primary school teachers in the North East and South

West20.

REGIONAL BREAKDOWN

Total Number Of Teachers (Head-count)

Total All Ethnic Groups (Actual)

Total All Ethnic Groups (%)

Total 5-19 Year Olds From Ethnic Groups (Actual)

Total 5-19 Year Olds From Ethnic Groups (%) *

North East 24,004 672 2.8 28,054 6.2

North West 66,699 3,802 5.7 180,815 14.3

Yorkshire and the Humber

48,702 3,360 6.9 159,210 16.7

East Midlands 43,629 3,447 7.9 118,848 14.7

West Midlands 55,897 7,267 13.0 257,530 24.8

East of England 57,241 6,010 10.5 134,105 13.0

Inner London 29,524 11,928 40.4 748,350 53.0

Outer London 51,309 17,189 33.5 198,279 12.9

South East 79,174 7,522 9.5 60,969 6.8

South West 48,352 2,176 4.5 32,358 6.0

ENGLAND 504,531 63,372 12.5 1,918,518 -

Table 6 Regional BAME Representation in Schools (England) DfE (2015a) *ONS 2011 Census Data (2015)

London

The London area is significant in having a higher representation of ethnic minority teachers

compared to BAME pupils and some of the highest proportion of BAME teacher trainees in

the country. Research conducted by the Greater London Authority indicated that the majority

of teachers from black ethnic backgrounds were located in areas with the highest number of

black pupils, namely the London boroughs of Hackney, Lambeth and Southwark, where 48-

50 per cent of pupils are black. It is therefore likely that ethnic minority teachers commonly

work in areas where the student population is of a similar background to their own.

However, specific initiatives to recruit ethnic minority teachers based on the local

demographic profile may have had a more positive impact on the number of ethnic minority

teachers recruited in the capital. In London, the former Training and Development Agency

for Schools implemented separate voluntary targets with each teacher training college or

university reflecting a demographic profile calculated depending on provider location and

opportunity to recruit locally, with financial incentives for training providers to both recruit and

train ethnic minority teachers21. At a leadership level, other policy initiatives such as ‘The

London Challenge’ saw research conducted into the distinctive characteristics of teaching

20

McNamara, et al. (2009) 21

Greater London Authority (2006)

15

and leadership in London in order to develop training on cultural and ethnic diversity for

courses provided by the National College of School Leadership22.

Such policies may therefore have had a positive impact on the number of ethnic minority

teachers recruited and subsequently better outcomes for ethnic minority students.

Anecdotal evidence also suggests that ethnic minority pupil attainment in London is

increasing at a higher rate compared to other English regions. Between 2010 and 2014

the most significant improvements in attainment at Key Stage 1 (KS1) were found among

Bangladeshi, Black Caribbean and Black African students, of which the largest

concentrations live in the London area. The overall GCSE pass rate is also proportionally

higher in the capital than the rest of the UK and other comparable urban areas.23

Specific policy interventions in the London area such as Teach First, the rise in sponsored

academies and the ‘London Challenge’ initiative have been attributed to the significant rise in

pupil attainment in recent years. The higher rates of BAME student attainment in the capital

have been attributed to the ‘London Effect’, whereby pupils in London scored more highly

than pupils from disadvantaged schools and neighbourhoods in other urban areas.

Moreover, the prevalence of multi-ethnic schools is actually viewed as having a positive

impact on student attainment for all ethnic minority groups24.

Despite the presence of the ‘London Effect’ there are still significant disparities for the

prospects of both ethnic minority staff and students in most UK regions. Increasing ethnic

minority populations in UK provincial towns has not yet been matched by increasing

numbers of ethnic minority teaching staff. Consequently, more should be done to tackle

inequalities on a regional and local level.

Current BAME Underrepresentation

Based on the current representation of BAME teaching staff we estimate that approximately

63,232 primary school teachers and 22,982 secondary school teachers would be required to

reflect the current diversity make-up of the student population in state-funded schools.

Similarly, around 4,408 primary school BAME head teachers and 346 secondary BAME

head teachers would be required to match the current diversity of students.

Within higher education, 26 vice-chancellors, 157 strategic leaders and 377 senior managers

would have to be recruited to match the current diversity make-up of university students,

whilst 2,910 professors, 15,110 lecturers and 3,976 senior lecturers would be required to

meet the current representation of academic teaching staff. If the diversity makeup of

teachers reflected the UK ethnic population, the sector would need to employ 27,040

primary, 11,232 secondary BAME teachers, and 8,185 lecturers.

Supposing that the recruitment of ethnic minority teachers was benchmarked against

the current ethnic minority student population the current shortfall of primary

teachers would equate to 51,132 primary school teachers, 14,429 secondary teachers

and 9,300 university lecturers.

22

Kidson and Norris (2014) 23

Demos (2015). 24

Burgess (2014)

16

DIVERSITY DEFICIT IN EDUCATION


Most Recent BAME Representation*

% Shortfall based on ethnic student population**

Shortfall based on UK ethnic minority population†

PRIMARY MAINTAINED SCHOOLS

Head Teachers 14,500 435* 3.0 3,973 1,450

Deputy Heads and assistants

19,400 935* 4.9 4,963 1,587

Classroom assistants and other

167,200 9,298* 6.2 41,531 12,438

All teachers 208,000 12,100* 6.0 51,132 14,940

Total of all BAME students:

- 30.4

SECONDARY MAINTAINED SCHOOLS

Head Teachers 1,300 46* 3.6 300 123

Deputy Heads and assistants

7,200 439* 6.1 1,476 497

Classroom assistants and other

73,700 7,517* 10.2

12,087 2,064

All teachers 86,400 8,553* 9.9 14,429 2,679


- 26.6

HIGHER EDUCATION (HE) INSTITUTIONS

Vice Chancellor / principal‡

110 0 0.0 26 14

Strategic Leadership 655 25 3.0 132 60

Senior Management 1,570 65 4.0 312 139

Professor 12,125 935 7.0 1,975 641

Lecturer (all) 62,960 5,810 9.0 9,300 2,375

Senior Lecturer 16,565 1,385 8.0 2,591 768

Research assistants 10,435 1,125 10 1,379 232

Total of all BAME staff in HE:

246,545 22,790 9.0 36,381 9,261


346,595 24.0

Table 7 BAME Representation in Education (HEFCE/DfE, 2015). *Based on % (not absolute figures) **Based on the current representation of ethnic minority pupils in each level of the education sector) †Based on 13% of the UK population (ONS, 2013) ‡Excludes Chancellors and ceremonial positions.

17

Underrepresentation in English Regions

Inner London and Outer London show the greatest proportional representation of BAME

teaching staff relative to the student population. Comparing current estimates for maintained

primary and secondary schools shows the greatest representation across inner and outer-

London schools and even suggested an overrepresentation in some areas. The West

Midlands currently has the largest shortfall compared to the local ethnic minority student

population, where 6,613 ethnic minority teachers would be required to match the current

diversity makeup of students.

REGIONAL SHORTFALL

Total Number Of Teachers (Head-count)

Total All Ethnic Groups (Actual)

Total All Ethnic Groups (%)

Total 5-19 Year Olds From Ethnic Groups (Actual)

Total 5-19 Year Olds From Ethnic Groups (%) *

Required Representation of BAME Teachers

Current Shortfall Based On Ethnic Minority Student Population

North East 24,004 672 2.8 28,054 6.2 1,494 822

North West 66,699 3,802 5.7 180,815

14.3 9,561 5,759


48,702 3,360 6.9 159,210

16.7 8,143 4,783

East Midlands

43,629 3,447 7.9 118,848

14.7 6,417 2,971

West Midlands

55,897 7,267 13 257,530

24.8 13,880 6,613

East of England

57,241 6,010 10.5 134,105

13.0 7,434 1,423

Inner London

29,524 11,928

40.4 748,350

53.0 15,655 3,727

Outer London

51,309 17,189

33.5 198,279

12.9 6,595 -10,594

South East 79,174 7,522 9.5 60,969 6.8 5,378 -2,144

South West 48,352 2,176 4.5 32,358 6.0 2,898 722

ENGLAND 504,531 63,372

12.5 1,918,518

- 77,453 14,082

Table 8 Regional BAME Representation in Schools (England) DfE (2015a) *ONS 2011 Census Data (2015)

“A pool of diverse teachers for role models is also needed to inspire the next

generation [of students] – both in their own careers and to enter the

teaching profession”. Sandra Kerr, Race for Opportunity

18

Attraction, Recruitment and Retention of BAME Staff

In 2013/14, 12 per cent of teacher trainees were from BAME backgrounds; a figure which

has remained relatively static for the past 5 years25. Despite various government initiatives to

increase BAME recruitment and retention rates in the teaching profession there has been

little evidence to support the efficacy of these interventions26.

There has been a limited amount of research that identifies why BAME members are not

attracted to teaching and the causality of BAME teacher attrition. Some studies have

suggested that cultural and practical barriers deter ethnic minorities from entering teaching.

Cultural barriers include the undesirability of teaching compared to other professions in

certain BAME communities, perceptions of poor pay and stressful working conditions.

Practical barriers, such as lower academic attainment, geographic and family commitments

of older candidates also prevent BAME teaching candidates from entering the profession

and progressing through the initial stages of teacher training. Whilst some of these issues

are common to all minorities some were particularly acute for BAME groups27. Given the lack

of diversity in the sector it would appear that barriers for ethnic minority groups are more

significant than most.

A study by the University of Exeter28 into BAME PGCE students identified that personal

experiences had a direct impact on the attitudes and perceptions of trainee teachers.

Several recruits did not have any black role model teachers that they could relate to, whilst

many did not have positive experiences of the British education system, with instances of

racist bullying and low expectations from teachers and peers. Conversely, some saw this as

a positive ‘call to action’, and joined the teaching profession in order to rectify historical

injustices. A similar study also found that concern for ethnic communities and a desire to

become ‘role models’ for pupils at risk of underachieving. BAME teachers also reported a

strong desire to increase ethnic representation in order to encourage stronger engagement

from ethnic minority pupils.29

25

National College for Teaching and Leadership (2013) 26

Wilkins (2013) 27

Carrington and Tomlin (2000); Bhopal (2015); Wilkins and Lall (2011). 28

University of Exeter (2010) 29

Cunningham and Hargreaves (2007)

“Typical barriers include lack of funds, poor career planning and low self-esteem.”

_____________________________________Female Secondary School Teacher

“Teachers themselves don't promote their own profession”

___Male 1st Year Undergraduate (Southampton University)

19

Retention of teachers remains a particular problem for the sector as a whole. A recent

National Union of Teachers (NUT) survey indicated that nearly half of teachers in England

are considering leaving the profession in the next 2 years, with 67 per cent citing excessive

workloads as the primary reason for wanting to leave30. Whilst recruitment figures have

increased year-on year since 2011, teacher wastage has also increased from 44,530 in 2011

to 49,120 in 2014, representing an attrition rate of 10.4 per cent31. The ethnicity of leavers is

not currently recorded, however in 2003 (the most recent figures available) 5.2 per cent of

leavers were from ethnic minorities, compared to 4.7 per cent of ethnic teachers32, which

may suggest that more BAME teachers are leaving the profession proportionate to their

white counterparts.

Recent studies have indicated that the degree of support for BAME teachers entering the

profession has a correlative impact on their subsequent retention and progression within the

sector. Such studies have suggested that BAME teachers commonly draw upon the support

of informal community networks and fellow BAME colleagues to overcome barriers to career

progression33 whilst the presence of effective coaching, BAME mentors and tangible senior

BAME teacher role models have been found to have a positive impact on the progression of

BAME teachers to more senior positions in the profession.34

Experiences of BAME Staff in the Education Sector

Recent literature has focussed on the experiences of BAME staff in the higher education

(HE) sector, within the context of diversity, progression and equal opportunity.

A study of 35 senior BAME academics reported that BAME staff identified that whilst few

staff experienced overt racism, some reported subtle discrimination including a ‘lack of trust’

from fellow colleagues and some pupils, whilst others experienced a sense of ‘exclusion’

from their university, which were deemed to have an adverse impact on the career

progression and recognition of BAME staff35. Several studies have identified that individuals

often exhibit an ‘unconscious bias’ towards other ethnic groups, including a heightened

awareness of prejudice which often results in unintentionally negative outcomes36.

The research points to similar social and institutional barriers for BAME teachers in primary

and secondary schools. Factors such as unfair recruitment and selection practices, biased

community attitudes, and overt and covert racism from parents, teachers and administrative

staff were found to be preventing BAME teachers from progressing to more senior positions

30

NUT/YouGuv (2015) 31

DfE (2015a) 32

Smithers and Robinson (2003) 33

Johnson and Campbell-Stephens (2013); Bush, et al. (2006). 34

Ogunbawo (2012). 35

Bhopal and Jackson (2013) 36

Jordan et al., (2012); RfO (2015); Manfredi and Hunter (2012)

“Being from a working class background is a challenge.”

Female Secondary Teacher

20

within the sector.37 The research therefore suggests that the effect of unconscious bias may

have a negative impact on the recruitment of BAME staff in the education sector, and more

significantly their progression to more senior roles such as head teachers.

Inequality and Institutional Racism

Several common themes emerged from the literature. Negative perceptions of teaching are

commonly formed from early experiential interactions with the education system, whilst

practical and cultural barriers were also prevalent in the early stages of teacher training.

More significantly, instances of institutional racism appear commonplace across all levels of

the profession, and this is reflected in the lack of diversity at all levels.

The concept of ‘institutional racism’ gained significant prominence following the publication

of the MacPherson report in which the Metropolitan Police force was branded as

‘institutionally racist’.38 Whilst institutional racism is not commonly attributed to the teaching

profession, evidence strongly suggests that racism does exist at an ‘institutional level’.

A major study of 500 BAME school teachers found that over half had experienced

discrimination at work; however for black African teachers this was as high as 80 per cent.

Moreover, two-fifths of teachers had experienced racism during the recruitment process.

Incidences of discrimination were also more prevalent amongst senior BAME leaders;

indicating a culture of institutional racism at all levels of the profession.39 This is perhaps

more evident in higher education institutions, in which only one out of 110 vice-chancellors

are from a BAME background. Claims of institutional racism are supported by evidence that

BAME staff had experienced instances of racism in 56 per cent higher education

institutions40.

37

Bush et al. (2006); Johnson and Campbell-Stephens (2013) 38

MacPherson (1999) 39

McNamara, et al. (2009) 40

Equality Challenge Unit (2009)

“Culturally we are not taught to go into teaching.”

BAME Undergraduate (University of Swansea)

“Whilst I was training someone it made it more difficult for me because of their

prejudices.”

- Female Secondary School English Teacher

“[Institutional Racism is] the collective failure of an organisation to provide an

appropriate and professional service to people because of their colour, culture, or ethnic

origin. It can be seen or detected in processes, attitudes and behaviour which amount to

discrimination through unwitting prejudice, ignorance, thoughtlessness and racist

stereotyping which disadvantage minority ethnic people.” MacPherson Report, 1999

21

Following the enactment of the Equality Act in 2010 public sector bodies have had a duty to:

“have due regard to the desirability of exercising [functions] in a way that is designed to

reduce the inequalities of outcome which result from socio-economic disadvantage”.41 In

2014 the Department for Education (DfE) published its equality objectives with an aim to

increase the academic attainment of ethnic minority students and an expectation for

educational institutions to produce “evidence of increased representation of

underrepresented groups”.42 However in light of recent statistics it may take many years

before improved diversity outcomes are evidenced at a micro-environmental level.

Whilst legislation has led to the development of equal opportunity policies throughout many

academic institutions the literature suggests that diversity and equality for BAME teachers

and academics has received low priority in the sector’s policy agenda. Much research has

been conducted into the extent of institutional racism within the education sector, with many

BAME teachers citing racism as one of the biggest inhibitors to inclusion and career

progression.43

Impact on Students

Much has been written about the disparities between the academic attainments of ethnic

minority students, with certain ethnic minority groups often performing less well academically

compared to their white peers44. Whilst this disparity is apparent at primary key stage 2 level,

the attainment gap continues to widen throughout secondary school, becoming more

significant within higher education.

Statistics show that at Key Stage 2 (KS2) level 76 per cent of pupils from a black

background achieved the expected level in reading, writing and mathematics compared to

the national average 79 per cent45, however, pupils from Black ethnic backgrounds remain

the poorest performing ethnic group in in terms of GCSE pass rates including English and

Maths46. The diversity attainment gap is also apparent within higher education, in 2012/13

57.1 per cent of UK domiciled BAME students achieved a first class or upper second class

degree classification, compared with 73.2 per cent of white British students.47 Despite these

statistics there is a dearth of literature concerning the potential causality between the

underrepresentation of ethnic minority teachers and the lower than average academic

attainment of ethnic minority pupils48. (Annexes 1, 2 and 3).

41

Equality Act (2010) 42

DfE (2014) 43

Pilkington (2012); Pilkington, et al. (2015); McNamara, et al. (2009) 44

Elevation Networks Trust (2012); Equality Challenge Unit (2015); Macauley (2000); Kingdon and Cassen

(2010); Phillips (2011) 45

DfE (2014c) 46

DfE (2014b) 47

Equality Challenge Unit (2014) 48

Equality Challenge Unit (2009)

“I was told not to mention my name on my CV.”

_______________________________________________ BAME Student

- BAME Undergraduate (University of Swansea)

22

London in particular has a higher than average representation of ethnic minority teachers;

the statistics suggest that in parts of outer-London and the south east with BAME teacher

representation equalling or indeed exceeding the ethnic makeup of students. Despite this

Black and Caribbean ethnic students in London perform the least well at GCSE level, with

only 57 per cent across London getting 5 A*-C to at GCSE, compared with 75% of all

London students49. The London example suggests that the representation of ethnic minority

teachers alone may not increase ethnic minority student attainment. Some argue that other

factors such as institutional racism may have a greater negative impact on BAME students50.

Diversity Initiatives

Teach First

Teach First is a charity that provides 2-year leadership development and teacher training for

graduates within primary and secondary schools in underprivileged large urban areas.

Teach First has featured highly in the Sunday Times Top 100 best graduate firms to work

for. In 2015, 1,685 graduates joined the Teach First programme, of which 15% were from

BAME groups, 28% were male, and 21% were from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Since 2003 around 54% of the Teach First graduates completing the programme have

progressed into teaching careers, whilst 70% have remained in the education sector51.

However, with nearly half of the graduate cohort leaving frontline teaching, and almost a

third leaving education altogether after completing the 2-year development programme, the

longer-term impact on improving diversity in the teaching profession is less apparent. The

diversity profiles of continuing teachers is not currently available, hence it has not been

possible to determine the proportion of the BAME candidates actually progressing into

teaching careers. Moreover, with 49,120 teachers leaving the profession overall in 201452

the dual challenge of recruiting and retaining diverse teachers may not be fully addressed by

such initiatives alone.

49

Greater London Authority (2013) 50

Phillips, (2011); Wynne-Jones (2015) 51

Teach First Cohort Profile (2015) 52

DfE (2015a)

“Some people want to achieve but the consensus is that if no one else from a similar

background has gone before you then there is nobody to direct them. Even ‘celebrating’

the first black leaders shows that there is still an issue in that area.”

BAME Undergraduates (Coventry University)

23

Future Leaders

The Future Leaders programme provides a fast-track leadership development programme

for qualified teachers who aspire to become senior leaders within the profession. The

programme supports aspiring leaders to reach headship in challenging schools with the aim

of raising the attainment of disadvantaged pupils. In 2015, 139 of Future Leaders cohort

achieved a headship position53. However, without published figures it has not been possible

to ascertain how many of these leaders are from ethnic minority backgrounds. We estimate

that around 1,450 BAME head teachers are required to meet the current diversity shortfall in

primary schools alone. However, without a clear mandate for addressing the diversity issue

in school leadership such programmes may simply reinforce the diversity ‘status quo’

amongst senior leaders.

Leadership, Equality and Diversity Fund

In March 2015 the government launched its Leadership, Equality and Diversity Fund

programme administered by the National College of Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) to

support local, school-led initiatives aimed at increasing diversity in senior leadership.

Schools and colleges can apply for grant funding of up to £30,000 to fund diversity projects

at a local level. In 2014/15 the grant fund supported 20 secondary and 10 primary school

initiatives, supporting over 1,000 teachers to next-stage promotion within 12 months of

completing the programme. The school-led grants have replaced national diversity

programmes in a move to tackle specific barriers to leadership positions faced by teachers in

their local areas54. However, without a coherent national strategy for tackling diversity issues

it may be difficult to evaluate full impact of such initiatives in the short-term.

Literature Review Summary

The literature illustrates the underrepresentation of BAME teachers in nearly every strand of

the teaching profession within the UK. The underrepresentation is more acute when

compared to the diversity makeup of students and the predicted growth rate of the young

ethnic minority population55. Given the importance of teachers as role models for students,

there is clearly a need for the social profile of teachers to reflect the characteristics of the

population they serve56. However, not only are BAME teachers underrepresented in primary,

53

The Future Leaders Trust (2015) 54

DfE (2015b) 55

Sunak and Rajeswaran (2014) 56

Riddell, et al. (2006)

“I feel very fortunate to have been accepted onto the Teach First programme. The

programme arranges the school and contract of employment. I feel confident about her

position for the next 2 years.”


“If diversity strategies were effective then there would be more BAME teachers.”

Female French Teacher (Secondary School)

24

secondary and higher education institutions and across geographic regions, but the dual

issue of racism and inequality appear to be preventing many ethnic minority teachers from

progressing to more senior teaching and leadership roles.

The literature suggests that significant cultural, institutional, and practical barriers are

preventing more ethnic minority teachers from entering the profession and progressing

through initial teacher training (ITT) courses. Whilst efforts to increase representation

through legislation and equal employment opportunities policies has raised the prominence

of diversity issues within the sector.

“Both staff and students from minority ethnic groups continue to experience

disadvantages compared to White staff and students; and yet such racial inequality

continues not to be a high priority issue for senior managers and academic

leaders.”57

Summary of Wider Research

Wider research indicated a strong need for more research into why BAME groups are

underrepresented in the education sector, including factors pertaining to recruitment,

the factors preventing ethnic minorities to progressing to more senior teaching and

leadership roles, and the implications for diversity and student attainment.

Student Perceptions of the Teaching Profession.

Student perceptions of teaching were generally positive or neutral. Those who had positive

perceptions illustrated how teachers have a positive impact.

Those who had neutral perceptions highlighted poor working conditions in terms of salary

expectations and the lack of black role models.

57

Pilkington (2012:243)

“Teachers have the power to be influential to vulnerable people and make a positive change to their lives.” Female Undergraduate (Aston University)

“I feel it is amazing to impart knowledge onto another generation.”

1st Year Undergraduate (University of Birmingham)

“As a profession it didn't look to bring in much money but at the same time can

give you skills to enter a job that can!” - Female Undergraduate (Aston University)

“Both staff and students from minority ethnic groups continue to experience

disadvantages compared to White staff and students; and yet such racial inequality

continues not to be a high priority issue for senior managers and academic leaders.57

25

Those with negative perceptions were largely influenced by personal experiences and

cultural influences. Poor pay, lack of recognition and poor image were also cited:

Student Perceptions of Teaching Careers

We asked over 1,300 BAME undergraduate students if they would be interested in teaching

careers. The results were categorised by gender and geographic region. Just 14 per cent

of respondents said that they would be interested in a teaching career.

Figure 1 Number of BAME students who would consider teaching careers. Sample Size: 1,346

The majority of respondents were not generally interested in teaching even though they

admitted that the lack of Black teachers has a negative effect on BAME students. Many

“Teachers have the power to be influential to vulnerable people and make a positive change to their lives.” Female Undergraduate (Aston University)

“I feel it is amazing to impart knowledge onto another generation.”

1st Year Undergraduate (University of Birmingham)

“Black people are big dreamers and we aim for competitive industries.”

BAME Undergraduate (University of Swansea)

“Teaching has its disadvantages and its advantages. Personally I believe the system is somehow getting worse.” 2nd Year Female Undergraduate (University of Hull)

26

spoke about the Black teachers they had that encouraged them to 'do more'. This was met

with mixed reactions; some found the increased spotlight of the teacher's attention negative.

They felt the teachers were harder on them than they were on non-BAME students. Others

were encouraged to be better. Those who expressed an interest in the profession cited

intrinsic reasons such as inspiring and developing young people and giving back to their

communities. Respondents were also keen to redress the diversity deficit within the

profession.

Respondents who stated that they were not interested in teaching careers cited similar

reasons, including poor salary expectations compared to other professions and low ‘prestige’

of teaching compared to other careers. Perceptions of poor working conditions were

commonly highlighted.

It was apparent from the responses that students felt that teaching as a profession was

something that required ‘passion’, but that they were generally uninterested in teaching as a

career. Those who were unsure cited that teaching was regarded as a ‘last resort’ career, or

something they would consider if no other opportunities were available to them.

Regional Breakdown

A regional analysis of the responses indicated that respondents in the East Midlands region

were most likely to go into teaching. Comparing the results with current representation

indicated that around 20 per cent of respondents from the London area would consider

teaching, which also has the highest representation of BAME teachers in the country. In the

West Midlands around 5 per cent said that they would consider teaching; an area which

currently has one of the lowest BAME teacher representation in the English regions.

“We need more BAME in the teaching field.”

Female Undergraduate (University of Birmingham)

“[Teaching] doesn't appeal to me, long hours and not enough of a financial

payment.”

Female 1st Year Undergraduate (University of Birmingham)

27

Figure 2 Number of BAME students who would consider teaching careers (by region). Sample Size: 1,346

Student Focus Group

Perceptions of teaching

Students generally had positive perceptions of teachers as being influential to young people.

The group stated that students need a level of education to be successful in life and to

achieve what you want to do in the future. However from the discussion several negative

factors emerged:

● The group thought that the education system puts boundaries on certain groups; for

example, setting low predicted grades.

● The group felt that teachers do not put enough effort into supporting lower grade

pupils; instead they believed that teachers were more concerned about the school’s

reputation/league tables rather than individual student performance.

● Higher achievers appear to get more attention, whilst the cultural differences

between state and private schools (one student was educated in a state school but

had a sibling in private education) also have an impact on the level of attention that

teachers provide to individual students.

● The group felt that [BAME] students are not given the ‘full potential to express

themselves’ through their cultural identities. Instead, they felt compelled to fit in with

defined ‘cultural norms’ as prescribed by teachers and the education system.

● The group thought that social media and television programmes have an impact on

people’s perceptions of ethnicity, but this was also dependent on family influences

and open-mindedness.

Teachers as Role Models

The group said that teachers should be inspirational to young people. Some of the students

expressed that teachers of similar backgrounds were easier to relate to, but none had

specific role models.

29

34

7

12

36

29

4

35

8

81

136

43

16

311

71

75

349

70

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

East Midlands

London

North West

Scotland

South East

South West

Wales

West Midlands


Students who would Consider Teaching Careers (by Region)

Sum of Yes

Sum of No

28

BAME Underrepresentation

The group’s opinions on underrepresentation highlighted several cultural and institutional

factors. In terms of recruitment, the group felt that it is still difficult for ethnic minorities to get

interviews because of ‘racism’. The group felt strongly that equality was an issue, particularly

during the application process. For example, diversity (ethnicity) questions on application

forms may be seen as a barrier to ethnic groups.

The students felt that interview candidates are ‘expected to behave in a certain way’, and

that people with different cultural backgrounds were more likely to be discriminated for not

matching predetermined stereotypes. Some students are less likely to respect people from

different backgrounds, but it depends on their upbringing, and level of interaction with other

ethnic groups and social reference groups.

In terms of representation at senior levels the students stated that unconscious bias and

institutional racism were prevalent in educational establishments. The group felt that there is

a certain ‘cult’ within higher positions in education, and if certain people do not fit that mould

then you won’t be able to succeed.

Improving Diversity in Recruitment

The students highlighted both intrinsic and practical barriers in the recruitment process. In

terms of intrinsic barriers the students stated that “black people limit themselves to what is

out there in terms of opportunities because of discrimination”. The group also thought that

individual upbringing plays a part in breaking down cultural barriers, e.g. ‘believing that you

can achieve anything’.

“A teacher should be someone who shows you how you should be in the future.”

“I had 1 black maths teacher who used to push me more than other teachers, because I feel that BAME teachers feel more of a ‘bond’ with students from similar ethnic backgrounds and want to give something back to their communities.”

“I would not necessarily relate to someone more or less if from a similar background to me, as I can also relate to teachers from different backgrounds.”

“All of my teachers were white but I had 1 ethnic minority teacher who I felt I could relate to more.”


“Black boys are more ‘business driven’; more motivated by money and salary expectations; however some ethnic minorities are more driven to give something back to their communities.”

“Teachers do not get paid as much as other professions but people don’t think about the

impact that teachers can have.” BAME Undergraduates (Coventry University)

29

The group had not really considered teaching as a career, but those that had volunteered or

previously worked with young people, such as ‘Camp America’ type activities had found the

experience of working with young people ‘rewarding’, and believed that ‘anyone could be a

teacher if they wanted to try it’. One participant had volunteered in a school. The group

thought that activities such as volunteering would encourage more people, particularly

graduates, to find out about the teaching experience and consider careers in teaching.

The group thought that teaching graduate development programmes were a good idea,

particularly as it would enable people to try teaching. Some expressed concerns that

‘student teachers’ may not be taken seriously by some pupils, particularly in secondary

schools. Consequently, most expressed a preference for primary school opportunities.

Interviews with BAME teachers

Interviews were conducted with 6 BAME teachers; 2 male and 4 female. All were located

within inner-city schools, including one primary, one independent secondary and one faith

school. Five respondents had qualified within the past 5 years or were due to qualify in the

current academic year; one had qualified 10 years ago. Core teaching subjects included

English, French and Computer Sciences.

Career Attraction

Teachers who had progressed to qualified teacher status emphasised that they had

previously worked with young people in non-teaching capacities before becoming teaching

assistants and progressing to qualified teacher status. Prior experience was the main

influence on preference for school type and wanting to become a teacher. The respondents

cited working with young people in a non-teaching capacity, either through volunteering or

other youth work. This was also reflected in the results of the focus groups, which showed

that volunteering and youth work had a positive influence on BAME undergraduates’

willingness to consider teaching as a career.

“We should break-down barriers from the application process, e.g. African names on application forms, because selection panels will often feature no ethnic minorities. There should be no difference between two candidates with the same qualifications; the colour of their skin should not hinder them.”


“If you wanted to be a teacher, it is much more than a job, as such, incentives such as money are not as important. The main incentive is actually ‘becoming a teacher’, in a similar vein to becoming a doctor […] it is not about what you get – but what you give. It is the individual drive to ‘change the world’, but incentives might encourage those ethnic minorities who are more business orientated and entrepreneurial.”


30

Contrary to previous studies58 none of the respondents highlighted a desire to enter teaching

as a means to correct ‘historic injustices’ or increase representation of ethnic groups.

Career Barriers

None of the respondents had experienced significant personal barriers to entering the

profession and most had positive experiences overall. The lack of recognisable BAME role

models was seen as a major barrier which would discourage ethnic minorities from joining

the profession and this was also highlighted within the literature, student surveys and focus

groups. Issues of race and personal background also had a negative impact on how BAME

teachers were perceived.

58

Cunningham and Hargreaves (2007); University of Exeter (2010)

“I used to do youth work in secondary schools before commencing teacher training and

becoming a qualified teacher […] My prior school experience was only in the primary

setting and I prefer working with younger children. Additionally, you get to teach a

number of subjects instead of just one.”

Male Year 3 Primary Teacher

“I love working with young people, I did some youth work with a church, and then

become a teaching assistant, now a qualified teacher on the Teach First programme.”

Female Secondary School Teacher

“I always enjoyed working with young people. Whilst at university I worked on an

intervention working with young BAME boys to raise aspirations in Nottingham schools.”

Male English Teacher (Secondary School)

“There are a lack of role models and inspirational BAME teachers in influential positions.

Also think some BAME communities have had bad experiences in the education system

which doesn’t motivate them to pursue a career in teaching. I didn’t have that many

barriers getting into teaching because I had positive role models in the profession that

supported me through the process.”

Male Secondary School Teacher

“Initially wouldn’t say there were any barriers, but there are issues regarding gender and

race. I have experienced negative attitudes as a BAME woman from a working class

background.”

Female Secondary School Teacher

31

Two of the respondents highlighted cultural barriers within certain ethnic communities. In

common with the student responses and previous research59 the teaching profession was

not viewed as a prestigious career; professions such as law and medicine were more highly

valued among ethnic minority groups.

Discrimination and Racism

Occurrences of racism and discrimination were noted throughout the initial recruitment

stages and were viewed as a significant barrier to progression within the profession. In

common with previous studies teachers noted both subtle discrimination and overt racism.

Significantly, discrimination at leadership level and a lack of support from colleagues had a

negative impact on teachers’ career progression to more senior positions.60 One respondent

had experienced ‘positive discrimination’. More favourably, one respondent had experienced

‘positive discrimination’ from both staff and students.

59

Carrington and Tomlin (2000); Bhopal (2015); Wilkins and Lall (2011) 60

Bhopal and Jackson (2013)

“There is a lack of black professions in education and no role models for BAME people to

aspire to. In the part of Africa where I am, teaching is not a desirable profession; there

are more desirable jobs. To be a professional you have to succeed academically, and this

is not always the case for BAME students.”

Female Secondary School English Teacher

“West African’s don’t respect teaching as a career, family perceptions of teaching are not

great in comparison to becoming a doctor for example.”


“A lot of us are first-born in the UK but aspirations of parents are mostly to become a

lawyer or doctor, etc. We are not told that we should become a teacher. Growing up

there were not enough black teachers as role models. I never wanted to be a teacher

whilst I was young.” Male English Teacher (Secondary School)

32

Career progression and equal opportunities

Whilst teachers were encouraged “to grow professionally”, the lack of diversity of head

teachers and in leadership roles appeared to have a two-fold effect on career progression for

BAME teachers. It was felt that BAME teachers are being ‘side-lined’ for promotion and this

also negatively affected their career aspirations.

“I do feel their many undertones and subtle hints of discrimination that exist in a school environment. I think there is an element of a ‘glass ceiling’ for BAME teachers; being overlooked for certain positions in a school is a common occurrence.

Attending the NASWUT BAME conference in 2014 with over 300 BAME teachers across the UK was an eye opener to hear of the racism that some BAME teachers face in schools across the UK. The main concern from teachers is the lack of professional support from the school.”

Male Secondary Teacher

“I have experienced instances of racism, for example, during an interview the panel assumed I was of ‘Turkish’ origin. I have also experienced snide remarks/comments from people in senior positions.”


“Diversity drives innovation and inspires other BME teachers to aim high. BME teachers

normally have to work twice as hard as their counter parts to obtain a certain job role in a

school. Also many BME teachers feel they are being by-passed by their counterparts for

senior positions. Many schools have an inclusion polices on paper, but my concern is that

in reality it’s a different matter altogether.”

Male Secondary Teacher

“It depends on who is responsible for your progression and other candidates. I did a

psychology degree and wanted to be an educational psychologist. Teaching is a way into

my chosen career.”

“[I work in] a Christian faith school so it practices values of acceptance and inclusivity in

terms of the faith. There is significant diversity and inclusion in terms of race, religion and

disability. Female Secondary English Teacher

“Barriers [to promotion] include not being able to reach to the top of their career due to

their race and a lack of representation of their ethnicity within certain levels of staff.”

Year 3 Teacher

33

Significantly, the lack of diversity in leadership positions appeared to limit opportunities for

ethnic minority teachers to ‘reach the top of their career’. This reflected in the statistics

across all levels of the sector, with very little or no ethnic minority representation in head

teaching and senior management roles.

Perceptions of BAME Teachers

The perception of teaching amongst BAME communities is generally positive, with teachers

seen as ‘role models’ and as someone to aspire to by their communities.

Early experiences of teaching and education did not have a significantly detrimental impact

on whether the respondents wanted to enter teaching, however there was a sense of

wanting to inspire others from ethnic minority groups by demonstrating ‘what can be

achieved’. There was also evidence that ethnic minorities are being stereotyped and

discriminated against acceding to professional occupations such as teaching. The findings

therefore supported previous studies which found that ethnic minorities experience face low

expectations from their peers and colleagues.61 This is subsequently likely to deter many

from ethnic minority groups from considering teaching as a career.

61

University of Exeter (2010)

“In terms of the community’s respect for teachers it is good for the children to have role

models. One [BAME] student commented that it was great to have me as a role model”


“I have positive experiences being a teacher in my community. They see me as a role model and admire the passion I have to see any child achieve to the best of their ability. Most say there are not enough of us and that there should be to reflect the communities we live in”.

“[However] the perception of BAME teachers should not be underlined by the stereotype roles such as Head of Years, Behaviour Management or Inclusion Management. We need to be seen as professionals that have the ability to lead any area of school life, if they decide to pursue that route of career development.”

Male Secondary School Teacher

34

Underrepresentation

The lack of representation had a negative impact on the number of visible role models for

BAME children to aspire to. It was felt that increasing the representation of ethnic minority

teachers would have overall positive benefits for students of all ethnic groups and BAME

students in particular. The lack of ethnic minority staff in senior positions including

governmental and policy-making roles had a detrimental impact on the aspirations amongst

BAME teachers. BAME pupils faced “disillusionment” at the lack of ethnic minority role

models in schools. This was more evident in schools with a large ethnic minority cohort but

with few BAME teaching staff.

It is arguable that the lack of diversity in schools may also be having a detrimental impact on

BAME students’ attainment and aspirations. Where policies are in place which focus on

improving the outcomes of ethnic minorities, for example in London, this has been found to

have an overall positive impact on the outcomes of ethnic minority representation and

attainment among all ethnic groups.

“My school is placed in a very multicultural working/middle class area where BAME teachers are perceived positively. Most say there are not enough of us and that there should be to reflect the communities we live in. Out of 13 teachers, I am the only black teacher in my school. Some black parents are glad to see a person of their own ethnicity teaching their children. This has helped in building stronger relationships between the school and home on one occasion.

I went to an all-white teaching staff school when I grew up, but it didn’t have a positive or negative impact on my perceptions of teaching. I didn’t really start thinking about it until I applied to go on the PGCE course. I wanted to go into teaching not just because I love it but also to prove to myself and others of the same ethnicity that it’s possible.”

Female Year 3 teacher

“I have experienced either negative attitudes, e.g. “What are you doing going into

teaching?” and positive attitudes, e.g. it’s amazing to inspire the next generation.

[However] there is an awareness of feeling isolated, e.g. being side-lined from

conversations. There was an attitude that ‘you’ll only ever be a teaching assistant’, and

‘you will only get to a certain level, forget being a leader.’

“My personal perceptions of education were generally negative as I attended a failing

school and I had to fight to obtain GCSEs. There was a general expectation that pupils

would ‘end up on benefits’; however there were some amazing teachers and the cultural

beliefs of parents pushed me to do better.”


“It’s a known fact that BME students benefit hugely from seeing BME teachers in

leadership positions on a daily basis. A school that has a strong emphasis on diversity

helps to build a brighter future for students to embrace and respect other cultures. The

drive to recruit new BAME teachers is cause for concern. Until we see more BAME

teachers in senior positions and in influential positons in the education cabinet then we

will continuously fail to raise aspirations and show clear pathways for teachers of colour

to follow.” Male Secondary Teacher

35

Increasing Diversity

In terms of recruiting more BAME teachers it was felt that unless the profession addresses

diversity in senior leadership and teaching positions then current strategies are unlikely to

raise aspirations which promote career pathways for BAME staff. In terms of improving

diversity recruitment strategies the respondents favoured a ‘top-down’ approach with more

BAME representation in the Department for Education (DfE) together with stronger ‘support

networks’ and ‘mentoring systems’ and greater ‘diversity awareness’ throughout initial

teacher training programmes. Increasing the funding for diversity initiatives and providing

additional financial assistance were also noted.

It was also felt that more should be done to attract and recruit candidates from an earlier age

together with initiatives, such as teaching ‘career workshops’ prior to university. Existing

initiatives such as Teach First are largely aimed at the graduate market, however it is argued

that earlier interventions, including youth volunteering and work experience programmes

which enable BAME secondary school pupils to experience teaching and youth work would

develop a much wider talent pool.

The issue of teachers’ pay was highlighted throughout the student surveys. Some teachers

argued that teaching is not seen as a desirable profession among some ethnic minority

groups, including certain African cultures. Reviewing the pay structure of teachers and

raising the ‘prestige’ of teaching as profession may go some way to redressing cultural

perceptions of teaching careers.

“There are a lot of black African/Caribbean children who need someone to look up to/

have role models, not just at home but in the community too. The lack of BAME teachers

seems to have a link with few BAME children being interested in pursuing a career in

teaching.”

Year 3 Teacher

“I think it is ignorant to say [diversity] is ‘not important’. I can see people in positions of

influence and this is what inspired me to do well. [The lack of diversity] has an impact on

student because you are led to believe that you can only become a ‘social worker’, not a

doctor, etc. For example a BAME student who wanted to become a doctor was told that

she should become a nurse.” Female Secondary Teacher

36

Without policies which provide support to BAME teachers our objective to increase

representation in the profession, particularly in senior positions, is unlikely to become a

reality. Unless more BAME staff are appointed to head teacher, principal, managerial and

vice-chancellor positions then historic inequalities are likely to remain. Moreover, improved

outcomes for BAME pupils are unlikely to be fulfilled without a significant increase in support

for ethnic minority teachers.

“The government need more educators from BAME backgrounds in the Department for

Education. More transparent and clear career pathways are also needed for BAME

teachers to have a chance at reaching senior positions in schools and there should be

better network systems for BAME teachers in the profession. [e.g.] mentoring systems for

BAME teachers would help to strengthen and empower their teaching practices. Finally,

there needs to be a better awareness of diversity at Teacher Training Courses and

Programmes. Too often the courses are too cheesy or quickly brushed over.”

_____________________________________________ _Male Secondary Teacher

“There is definitely more that needs to be done. They try and recruit graduates by they

should start targeting and recruiting ethnic minority students from a younger age by

making the education system more appealing as a career for ethnic minority groups.”

Female English Teacher (Secondary School)

“I think the perception of teaching needs to be changed. Low pay strategies does not

make teaching an appealing career for existing or new teachers. There needs to be an

effect to make it more of a specialist career similar to medicine or law. At the moment

anyone can go into teaching whereas doctors and lawyers are held in much higher

esteem. There should be workshops with young people to show them the impact of being

a teacher.” Male English Teacher (Secondary School)

37

Conclusion

This report has highlighted the diversity challenges that currently exist at all levels of the

education profession. This lack of diversity is particularly acute within positions of leadership

across all levels of the sector.

In light of the increasingly diverse makeup of the UK population; current policies and

initiatives appear to be ineffective in recruiting sufficient numbers of ethnic minority teaching

staff and progressing those that are recruited into leadership positions. Consequently, the

number of ethnic minority teaching and leadership staff has failed to reflect the current

diversity makeup of the student population and wider population as a whole. This problem

was more acute in the West Midlands, North West and Yorkshire regions, which all have

sizeable ethnic minority communities. Initiatives within London appear to have been more

effective in terms of increasing diversity over recent years; however significant challenges

remain in ensuring that diversity and inclusion is tackled at a national level.

This report has argued that the current diversity shortfall is contributing to the roots of

inequality in terms of contributing to the lower academic standards for certain groups of

ethnic minority students, particularly those from black ethnic backgrounds. Other factors

such as institutional racism and the school curriculum were also reflective of the inequalities

faced by BAME students in education.

Our conversations with BAME students and teachers showed that working conditions, a lack

of visible BAME role models and institutional racism appear to be deterring ethnic minorities

considering careers in teaching, or being promoted to positions of responsibility and

leadership. The results of our survey of ethnic minority undergraduates indicated that as few

as 12 per cent of students would consider teaching as a career. Whilst most BAME students

had respect and admiration for teachers, most wanted careers with higher ‘prestige’, better

pay and working conditions. Moreover there appeared to be a cultural perception that

teaching was not a desirable profession for ethnic groups.

Despite negative perceptions of teaching our evidence strongly suggested that students who

had previously worked with young people were more positive about teaching as a career.

Moreover, teachers often had previous experience of working with young people in a non-

teaching capacity and this had a bearing on their propensity to become qualified teachers.

Interviews with teaching staff indicated that the current lack of diversity among senior

positions in the education sector appeared to be a deterrent for existing teachers. This also

acted as a barrier to encouraging more ethnic minorities from joining the profession,

particularly among student groups. Better support for existing teachers is also needed to

help BAME teachers to progress to leadership level.

Whilst diversity initiatives have made progress in promoting the diversity recruitment agenda,

current policies do not appear to have had a significant impact on improving diversity in the

sector. This report calls for greater focus from the government, Department for Education,

local authorities, and educational institutions to develop a comprehensive ‘top-down’

diversity strategy in order to combat the glaring inequalities faced by teaching staff and

students.

38

Methodology

Elevation Networks used mixed primary and secondary research methods to investigate the

diversity shortfall in the teaching profession and the wider education sector. This included

the statistical analysis of teaching staff and pupil ethnicity profiles, an extensive review of the

current literature and a large-scale survey of over 1,300 undergraduate BAME students. We

also conducted a series of in-depth interviews with teaching staff and students from a range

of schools and universities. For the purposes of this research, we have focussed on

employment within local authority maintained primary and secondary schools and colleges,

universities and higher education (HE) institutions within the United Kingdom.

Secondary Research

Statistical Analysis

Using ethnicity datasets published by the Department for Education and the Higher

Education Statistics Agency Elevation Networks compared statistics for staff at every level of

the profession from state-funded primary schools, secondary schools and higher education

(HE) institutions. BAME representation was analysed for qualified teacher grades, head

teachers, lecturers, professors and senior management positions together with estimates of

the national and education level ethnic minority population.

Using a method of proportional representation across each sector and professional level we

calculated current diversity shortfall of ethnic minority teachers and staff compared to the

ethnic makeup of students and wider population on an institutional and regional level.

Background Research

A thorough review of the literature was conducted covering both published academic, policy

and research reports. For the purpose of the report, we have excluded research from non-

UK contexts and research conducted prior to the year 2000. The literature was categorised

according to key broad themes, including:

▪ Attraction, recruitment and retention of BAME staff

▪ BAME experiences in the sector

▪ Inequality and racism

▪ Impact on BAME students

▪ Current diversity initiatives

Primary Research

The Great Debate Tour

Elevation Networks conducted an extensive survey of over 1,300 BAME undergraduate

students from a range of UK universities in order to find out their perceptions of teaching as

a profession of choice. We polled audiences attending The Great Debate Tour, the UK’s

largest debating programme targeted at university students from BAME backgrounds to find

out how many BAME students would consider a career in teaching.

39

Student Focus Group

We conducted a focus group with BAME undergraduate students from the University of

Coventry. Coventry University is a post-92 institution and over 50% of its students are from

ethnic minority groups62.

Qualitative Interviews

Qualitative interviews were conducted with 6 BAME teaching staff. These included:

● A male Computer Sciences teacher from a secondary school;

● A female year 3 primary school teacher;

● A newly qualified female secondary school English teacher;

● A female secondary school English teacher due to qualify in 2016;

● A female inner-city secondary school French teacher with 5-years’ teaching

experience.

● A male inner-city secondary school English teacher, qualified in 2013/14.

Annexes

Annex 1 Academic Attainment at Key Stage 2 Level (by Ethnic Group)

Figure 3 Attainment at Key Stage 2 by Ethnicity (percentage of pupils achieving level 4 or above in reading, writing and mathematics (DfE, 2014c).

62

Coventry University (2014).

40

Annex 2 Academic Attainment at GCSE Level (by Ethnic Group)

Figure 4 Achievements at GCSE and equivalent for pupils1 at the end of key stage 4 by pupil characteristics (DfE, 2014).

Annex 3 Academic Attainment at First Degree Level (by Ethnic Group)

Figure 5 Percentage Of Students Receiving A First Or 2:1 Degree Classification (By Ethnic Group). (Equality Challenge Unit, 2014).

73.2

64.4 63.9

54.2

43.8

57.1

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

White British Indian Chinese Pakistani Other BlackBackground

All BAMEGroups

Percentage Of Students Receiving A First Or 2:1 Degree Classification (By Ethnic Group)

41

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Pilkington, A. (2012) The Interacting Dynamics of Institutional Racism in Higher Education, Race, Ethnicity and Education, Vol. 16, no.2, pp. 225-245. Pilkington, A. (2015) The declining salience of race equality in higher education. In: Alexander, C. and Arday, J. (eds.) Aiming Higher: Race, Inequality and Diversity in the Academy, London, Runnymede Trust, pp. 8-9. Race for Opportunity (2012) Race for Opportunity Regional Fact Sheets-Ethnic Minorities in England and Wales- A Business Case for Inclusion, London, Business in the Community, Available from: http://raceforopportunity.bitc.org.uk/research-insight/ethnic_minority_fact_sheets#sthash [Accessed 13th August 2015]. Race for Opportunity (2015) Is Britain Biased? The Results of Unconscious Racial Bias Test Data from the UK, USA and Europe, London, Business in the Community, Available from: http://raceforopportunity.bitc.org.uk/sites/default/files/raw_infographic.jpg [Accessed 18th August 2015]. Riddell, S., Ducklin, A., Winterton, M., Burns, C., Ferrie, J. (2006) The Gender Balance of the Teaching Workforce in Scotland: What’s the Problem? Scottish Educational Review, Vol. 38, no. 5, pp. 73-91. Ross, A. (2001) Towards a Representative Profession: Teachers from the Ethnic Minorities, seminar on The Future of the Teaching Profession. Vol. 11. 2001. ScotStat (2015) Supplementary Data for the Teacher Census, 2014, Edinburgh, The Scottish Government, Available from: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/School-Education/teachcenssuppdata/teachcensus2014 [Accessed 18th August 2015]. Smithers, A., and Robinson, P. (2003) Teacher Turnover, Wastage and Destinations, London, Department for Education and Skills, Available from: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130401151715/http://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/RR553.pdf [Accessed 8th September 2015]. Sunak, R., and Rajeswaran, S. (2014) A Portrait of Modern Britain, London, Policy Exchange, Available from: http://www.policyexchange.org.uk/images/publications/a%20portrait%20of%20modern%20britain.pdf [Accessed 13th August 2013]. Teach First (2015) Cohort Profile, Birmingham, Teach First, Available from: http://graduates.teachfirst.org.uk/sites/graduates.teachfirst.org.uk/files/2015cohort.pdf [Accessed 30th October 2015]. The Equality Act 2010. (c.15) London: The Stationery Office. University of Exeter (2010) Minority Ethnic Recruitment and Retention Project, Exeter, University of Exeter, Available from: https://education.exeter.ac.uk/download.php?id=47 [Accessed 20th August 2015]. Wilkins, C. (2013) Inspecting the Inspectors: Race Equality and Quality in Initial Teacher Education, Race Ethnicity and Education, Vol. 17, no.3, pp. 445-470. Wilkins, C. and Lall, R. (2011) ‘You’ve Got to Be Tough and I’m Trying’: Black and Minority Ethnic Student Teachers’ Experiences of Initial Teacher Education, Race, Ethnicity and Education, Vol. 14, no.3, pp. 365-386.

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Wynne-Jones, J. (2015) Baroness Amos: I Was Taken Aback When I Found out I Was the First Black Female Head of a University, [online], London, The Guardian, Available from: http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/jul/18/valerie-amos-black-university-professors [Accessed 21st August 2015].

Acknowledgements

Elevation Networks would like to thank the students, staff and panellists who attended the

Great Debate Tour for their contributions to this report. In particular, we wish to thank

members of the Coventry African Caribbean Society for their support and contribution to the

focus group discussion. Finally, grateful thanks to the teachers who gave their valuable time

and insights.

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/jul/18/valerie-amos-black-university-professors

46

Elevation Networks

Elevation Networks (EN) is an award winning youth employment charity that seeks to

develop the leadership potential of young people to increase their employability.

EN works with young people aged 11-25 specifically focusing on groups that are traditionally

underrepresented within the labour market and in certain industries. The groups are ethnic

minorities, women, young people from low socio-economic backgrounds, students from non-

Russell group universities and young people Not in Education, Employment or Training

(NEET).

Elevation Networks Trust Plouviez House 19-20 Hatton Place London, EC1N 8RU Telephone: +44 (0)207 404 3927 Email: [email protected]

www.elevationnetworks.org

©Elevation Networks Trust, 2015. Registered Charity 1128228

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.elevationnetworks.org/

47

The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust (SLCT) was founded in 1998 to provide support and

bursaries to young people from disadvantaged backgrounds who wanted to become

architects, because Stephen's ambition was to become an architect. The Trust has a

successful track record of supporting young people from disadvantaged backgrounds into

architecture and built environment careers, as well as inspiring school children about

architecture and the built environment.

Today, the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust continues to be a fitting legacy to Stephen's

memory. We continue to make a real impact by:

• Supporting young people to transform their lives, overcoming disadvantage and

discrimination and moving into ambitious careers as professionals;

• Ensuring business can benefit from, and is more inclusive of, diverse talent

throughout its management structures;

• Continuing to campaign for fairness and justice, ensuring the lessons from

Stephen's murder are acted on.

Our history illustrates how we have had a significant impact on criminal justice and social policy frameworks. We have equally had a lasting impact on the lives and life chances of the individual young people we have worked with.

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