Racism is becoming harder to ignore
Schools are facing new and increasingly visible forms of racism, from far-right narratives taking root in communities, to global conflicts spilling into the classroom, leaving senior leaders on the front line of protecting inclusive, trusted school environments.
What the survey found
An ASCL survey reveals that nearly 6 in 10 school leaders say pupils or staff have experienced racial harassment in their school in the past year.
That means that almost 60% of the school community has experienced racial harassment at school – a place where they are supposed to feel safe.
Policy isn’t the same as practice
For senior leaders, DSLs and pastoral teams, the challenge is not simply having an anti-racism policy in place. It is knowing how to respond when racism appears in behaviour, language, curriculum, staff experiences, pupil relationships or tensions within the wider community. So how confident are you that your school is equipped to respond.
A conference built for practical change
Beyond Words: Embedding Anti-Racism in School Culture conference on 7th October 2026 will help you move beyond statements and policies to develop practical, sustainable approaches that create meaningful cultural change.
On the agenda
You will explore:
- How far-right narratives and symbols can emerge in schools, and how to respond confidently
- The impact of global conflicts on racism, identity and belonging within school communities
- Practical ways to challenge everyday racism through curriculum, culture and school practice
- How to support staff affected by racism or community tensions
- How to engage parents and communities when anti-racism work is challenged
- How to strengthen leadership accountability and embed anti-racist practice across your school or trust
- How to build resilience against extremism, division and discrimination
- How to move from anti-racist policy to lived practice
This is about more than knowing what your school should do. It is about having the confidence, strategies and leadership approach to know how to do it when the situation is complex.
What delegates from past events have said
Feedback from our previous conference include:
“I will be sharing the information presented today with the rest of of the senior leadership team and use this, along with further reading from the resources shared, to review policies and deliver training to all staff as our first step to shifting the culture in our school.”
“Very interesting and useful information on a range of aspects. I took away some key ideas which will help me and my setting to move forward.”
“Excellent, knowledgeable and passionate speakers. They all had so much experience and have done all the things we are hoping to achieve! Inspired.”
“Insightful and lots of things to reflect and take back to our setting.”
“Really helpful to give specific guidance and tools to tackle discrimination.”
Book your place
If anti-racism is a priority for your school, this is an opportunity to take a serious look at where you are now and what needs to happen next.
Book now to join us on 7th October to explore how your school can turn anti-racism from policy into meaningful, everyday practice.
Group Rates & In-House Training: We are pleased to discuss special rates for group bookings if you would like training for a number of staff or to book places across all our conferences and courses.
Contact [email protected] and we will do our best to work to your budget and meet your CPD training requirements.
News shared by Kam from Education Conferences UK. Ed
