BLAM UK CIC

The UK’s Current Policy & Practice on the school exclusion of Black children

By Ife Thompson

The UK’s Current Policy & Practice on the school exclusion of Black children

The State bears a hostile relationship to those it controls, there are some who are controlled in different ways and who feel the force of the State in more acute ways.’- Marquis Bey

The school is a space in which the state’s controlling and anti-Black functions are unleashed unto Black children.

The UK has one of the highest numbers of permanent school exclusion in Europe. In places Like Portugal, Spain and Italy school exclusion does not exist as a legislative option. Staying true to the UK’s ingrained anti-Blackness, the exclusion of Black children continues to remain disproportionality high. A recent Guardian Report found that ‘exclusion rates for Black Caribbean students in English schools are up to six times higher than those of their white peers in some local authorities’.

The UK’s commitment to zero tolerance policies is one way in which the exclusion of Black children remains high; but I would argue that schools institutionalised anti-blackness allows them to make decisions founded on racist stereotypes that allows them to find means to justify the exclusion of Black children in the UK from educational spaces. They mask these exclusions under the themes of punishment, safeguarding and welfare of staff and other students and deterrence. All themes followed and used explicitly show the merging of the Criminal justice System language in the school space.

Zero Tolerance Policies:

The creation of war of drugs policy came about as a carceral response to punish Black communities. UN experts on people of African descent noted that “the war on drugs has operated more effectively as a system of racial control than as a mechanism for combating the use and trafficking of narcotics”. Policies like that of the war on drugs led to the creation of zero – tolerance policies within the criminal punishment system that continue to have devastating effects on the Black community. The usage of zero tolerance policies aids in turning school spaces into sites focused on criminal punishment-based responses toward children. The recent case of ‘Child Q’ demonstrates this as she was subject state-sanctioned racist& sexual assault (strip search by police officers) for smelling like “weed”.

This showcases how the racialised drug policy is being used to justify the harassment and criminalisation of Black children within school settings without regard to the horrifying, misgynoiristic and traumatising effects.

Privatisation of education as a driver for Anti-Black exclusions:

We are seeing an unprecedent moved from the government towards the privatisation and academisation of schools and Pupil Referral Units (PRUs). Academisation has led to the profiting of the school exclusion of children. The Conservative government through the introduction of the Academies Act 2010 was able to enable to force “failing” PRUs ran by the Local Authority to turn into Alternative Provisions academies run often by business owners. One academy brand that enable us to fully understand the issues with this new approach/ educational policy is ‘The Harris Federation was set up by Lord Harris of Peckham, a major Tory donor and one of the richest men in the country. Their CEO Dan Moynihan is the highest paid academies leader, receiving a controversial £420k a year. The Harris Federation currently runs 41 academies in and around London. They have been criticised for their high expulsion rates, high turnover of teaching staff, and unreasonable use of public money’ Academies are publicly funded businesses paid directly by the Government, they have complete autonomy over all that they do apart bar a few statutory duties.

We should be concerned as only 4% of students in Alternative Provision’s leave with GCSE’s. The School Exclusions policy we have in place in the U.K is allowing the educational attainment gap to further widen on class and racial lines, they are also playing a key role in what we term in the UK as the Pru- Prison Pipeline.

The growth of students to use these AP schools have been aided by the Government ‘s recent reform to the School Exclusion Appeals Process. In 2011 the Government changed the way in which schools were held to account for the permanent exclusions they decided to issue. The Independent Review Panel (the only independent part of the school exclusions appeal process) could no longer allow (reinstate) a pupil to return back to the school, if they deem the exclusion to have been wrong. DfE’s data shows that this change has led to a reduction in the number of students being granted reinstatement. Their data also shows only 6.6% of reviewed decisions result in a student returning to their school. This policy change “coincidently” timed well with the rising growth of academies and APs. AP’s are paid per student per year and receive from the government £20,400 per child placement compared to just £985 per year for a child in mainstream secondary school education. Through this state-mandated practice we are actively seeing the commodified of education, we are seeing practices in place that inevitably serve the personal interests of these businesses ahead of our communities at large.

Further research rightfully shows that ‘The IRP format was unpopular with the majority of parents, exclusion officers and a minority of headteachers. These changes were described as politically motivated, unnecessary and confusing for parents, while many felt the IRP’s inability to reinstate students could not provide justice for parents and made exclusions easier.’ The Government’s manipulation of the accountability process against exclusions and the capitalisation of the school exclusion process has allowed for the active entrenchment of the racial disparities in school exclusions.

Carceral State in education policy:

Schools are sites the reproduce the social order and thus there is a mirroring of criminalisation of Blackness and Black culture in educational settings. Schools use uniform policies as a means to codify and penalise Black children, a recent example of this can be see through the caseload of our work at BLAM UK– one Black girl expressed to us she was sent to detention for coming into school with her hair in a natural state and not styled with gel. In some cases, Black children have been excluded for wearing Afro Hair to school – Ruby Williams is one such example. Pimlico Academy’s uniform policy that discriminated against Afro-Texture hair forced young people to go on staged a school-based protest.

We are also seeing cultural practices unique to Black communities policed and banned. One school in south London banned Black- British English usage in ‘formal learning settings’. Black Learning Achievement and Mental Health UK CIC (BLAM UK), led a campaign calling for the immediate reversal of this decision. We explained how the policy degrades and harms Black students by reinforcing anti-Black linguistic racism, classism, and an ideology of white supremacy by reinforcing elitist forms of English as the “norm” whilst simultaneously othering and criminalising BBE. We also highlighted that such a policy would only further exacerbate the disproportionate school exclusions Black children face, as communication in this language would be subject punishment, recorded on their school record that can be used to support their exclusion. Schools are able to institutionalise these types of Anti-Blackness under the guise of school and academy policies/ codes as the Government allows school to have complete discretion over the content within their guides, only requiring a self-assessed application of the statutory elements. School and Academies ( the later given more leeway by the state to this ) are at creative liberty to design, create and enforce their uniform and behavioural polices. The government’s position on this remains the same despite the news coverage and backlash of the anti-Black policies many schools chose to enforce. The UK government has a complete disregard to anti-blackness in UK schools and have failed to put anything in place to protect Black students or to ensure schools are upholding their Equality Law duties. It is currently up to parents to organise and expose the truth to the community as a means to hold schools to account this. The government does not provide legal aid for education law matters making the access to an educational lawyer to support Black families wishing to challenge exclusions unattainable due to the high costs. It is of particular note that more than half of UK Black children live in poverty and Black pupils as a group are the most overrepresented (in absolute terms) in the FSM population (this means that a higher proportion of Black pupils were eligible for FSM compared to their proportion of the general pupil population). Black pupils made up 9% of FSM pupils but only 6% of pupils overall.

It is our mission to support Black parents against the alarming levels of anti-Blackness they face that lead to us creating a free advocacy support team to help our community in holding schools to account. Our Work at Blam UK has caused us to demand the following educational polices that will cultivate and nurture Black Futures.

We are calling for:

Black freedom, justice, and abolition practices in the education system.
Abolition of School Exclusions in the UK
Education spaces that cultivate Black Joy.
Educators ask themselves, ‘Do I need to respond in a way that relies on the state or social services?‘
Radical transformative justice to be practised in all UK schools.
Afro hair discrimination and bias to be stamped out.
Mandatory training of teachers on adultification bias, Anti- Blackness, Spirt Murdering of Black Children
Schools to be sites that cultivate, place at the centre, and recognise our cultural artefacts as Black people and use it to build us up and empower us against the harsh white backdrop of white supremacy.

We echo the words of Black Crit Thinkers and believe that UK schools must become sites that act ‘as forging refuge from the gaze of white supremacy—where Black children dream weightless, unracialised, and human. Where language flows freely and existence is nurtured and resistance is breath. Where the Black educational imagination dances wildly into the night—quenching the thirst of yearning and givin birth to becoming.’

Glossary of Terms

Alternative provision (AP): alternative provision is education for pupils who, because of exclusion, illness or other reasons, would not otherwise receive suitable mainstream education. AP education includes education arranged by schools for pupils on a fixed-term exclusion; and pupils being directed by schools to off-site provision to improve their behaviour.
AP academy: PRUs that convert to academy status become AP academies. PRUs can convert on their own, as part of a chain of academies, or with the support of a sponsor.
Pupil Referral Unit (PRU): an establishment run by a local authority which is specifically organised to provide education for children who would not otherwise receive it. This can be, for example, because they are excluded or have a mental or physical health condition that means they cannot attend their normal school.
Zero Tolerance Policies: Originally developed as an approach to drug enforcement (Skiba & Rausch, 2006), the term became widely adopted in schools in the early 1990s as a philosophy or policy that mandates the application of predetermined consequences, most often se- vere and punitive in nature, that are intended to be applied regardless of the gravity of behavior, mitigating circum- stances, or situational context.

BLAM UK BOOK PRESS RELEASE !

BLAM UK ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE ARE RELEASING A 2 VOLUME BOOK!

Global Black Narratives in the Classroom: Africa, The Americas and The Caribbean (VOL1) and Black Britain & Europe (VOL 2).

RELEASE DATE : 30th NOVEMBER 2023

Our books ‘Global Black Narratives in the classroom Vol 1 and 2 are practical lesson plans, interactive worksheets and activities for Primary School Teachers committed to ensuring Black history and narratives are centred and included in their lessons, across a range of subjects all year round!

Our two part book, published by Routledge includes a series of interesting, unique and global Black history and narratives. From Black culture and life in Great Britain to hidden cultural artefacts of Afro-Latinas, Afro- Colombians and unearthing the art and geophysical nature in Africa and the Caribbean to Black Languages and music in the Americas- this book is truly global. Designed by the BLAM UK team, using the UK’s national curriculum to provide teachers with Black narratives that can be included in the classroom across art, literature, languages, Drama, Music, History, Geography and Poetry.

Why did we create this book ?

As an organisation, Blam UK has worked with Primary and Secondary Schools across London for over 5 years, delivering weekly, in-session and after-school lessons on African, African-Caribbean and Black- British culture, history and heritage. We also deliver teacher training on Anti-Racism and creating a Black centred school curriculum. It is through our work that it became clear that although many teachers have the desire to make the curriculum more centred on Black narratives, they had never been given the tools to do this and many were at full capacity to create the new resources to do this. To fill in this gap, BLAM UK created this workbook for educators to aid in ensuring there is a seamless transition in the reworking of the curriculum. We are excited with the changes this book will help bring.

PRE-ORDER our book now to help change the way we do education! Tell a friend to tell a friend or you could tell a teacher to tell a teacher!

VOL 1- https://www.amazon.co.uk/Global-Black-Narratives-Classroom-Worksheets/dp/1032596414/ref=sr_1_1?crid=25Z0PI1KMW9LS&keywords=Global+Black+Narratives+for+the+Classroom&qid=1687527667&s=books&sprefix=global+black+narratives+for+the+classroom%2Cstripbooks%2C143&sr=1-1

VOL 2-https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1032047208?ref_=cm_sw_r_apin_dp_4WG55CTRCX7J349QFV9B

The End of Innocence: The Adultification of Black Girls in the UK

By Serena

The concept of adultification is not new by any means, and yet its importance within social movements is often overlooked. Such is the case in the UK as seen in the case of Child Q, and the continued social and educational inequalities faced by Black girls. The current awareness of adultification provides further context and verbiage to the conversation about racial discrimination in the UK. Rooted in historical racial discrimination, adultification takes form in both the socialisation and social perception of Black children, but more specifically Black girls. In the first instance, children who experience adultification are often forced to mature out of necessity, which is often experienced by children raised in lower-income households and destitute environments. This can take form in children becoming caretakers for family members, potentially having to provide financial support for their families, or even witnessing or experiencing abuse. These scenarios often force children to have to emotionally and intellectually ‘grow up’ as they take on adult responsibilities. Adultification is also a cultural and social stereotype in which adults perceive (particularly) girls to be less innocent due to social or cultural stereotypes typically surrounding their race and gender. This phenomenon was further affirmed by a 2018 study that focused on the use of stereotypes by white adults who work with children. It found that adults were more likely to impose negative, racist, and misogynistic stereotypes on to Black children. This pattern of stereotyping was found to support the finding that Black children are viewed as less innocent. Consequently, Black girls in particular face adultification as many of them lose their childhood freedoms due to the pressures and biases of society. Childhood itself is a construct, but it affords children the ability to make mistakes without the culpability that is given to adults due to a social and legal understanding that children are still developing, growing, and learning. Yet, Black girls are close to two times more likely to be arrested, they are two times more likely to be excluded from school, and they are more likely to be sexually assaulted. All of these events place girls in “adult” situations often without support from institutions or the state, often placing upon Black girls culpability that is not age-appropriate. It is such actions that strip away the ability of a Black girl to experience the innocence and protection associated with childhood.

This perceived lack of innocence in Black girls and their involuntary maturity has caused Black girls to suffer insurmountable harm in social, educational, and legal spaces. Within society, a study based in the US finds evidence that Black girls are typically viewed “as less innocent and more adult-like than white girls of the same age, especially between 5–14 years old”. The removal of innocence from girls as young as five is closely connected to racist and misogynistic historical stereotypes which deem Black women and girls as “aggressive”, “angry”, “unintelligent”, and “hypersexual”. At the age of girlhood many cannot comprehend these adult stereotypes that others place upon them thus leading to encounters with adults and conduct from adults that are developmentally and age-inappropriate. For young Black girls, this often means that from a young age they are hypersexualized because “[a]dultification […]reduce[s] or alter professionals’ sense of their safeguarding responsibilities to Black girls”. This leaves Black girls both more vulnerable to sexual exploitation while also instilling a lack of accountability from responsible adults and even child protection institutions.

Adultification is also prevalent in the media and can be demonstrated historically through colonial texts illustrating the concept of adultifying Black children. These texts would often describe Black children as warranting the same literal and figurative bodily assaults that Black adults experience because Black children had. This was particularly during and after slavery as it was used as justification for white peoples actions towards Black children as they were considered to be no difference between Black adults and Black children and so the abuses perpetrated by white people were not limited to just Black adults. Yet, this notion of blurring the lines between adult and child is far from eradicated in modern media as evidenced in the hyper-sexualization of Black women and girls in many stories and the lack of well-rounded representation of Black women and girls in fictional and news media. As mentioned, modern media does little to stray from caricatures of Black womanhood such as Mammy, Jezebel, and Sapphire. These caricatures of Black womanhood deprive Black women of nuance by relegating them to stereotypes that are reinforced in both the fictional and non-fictional media. The Mammy, often a fat woman, is relegated to sacrifice and nurture the white protagonist. The Magical Negro stereotype serves as an off-shoot of the Mammy in fictional media portrayals. The caricature of Black women as Jezebels who are seductresses whose only purpose is to use their “exotic” and hypersexualized nature to seduce and lead men astray. Finally, the Sapphire is an aggressive, unfeminine and loud persona who is often described as ghetto, threatening and unsocialized. These portrayals of Black women find their roots in Slavery as the depiction of Black women in this manner dehumanised them and generalised Black women to be, “lesser than” which then provided justification for their dehumanisation and assault. This sexualization of Black women in the media and the developmental differences in young Black girls which lead to men to justifying their assaults on young Black girls as their portrayal in media affect their real world perceptions and allows for men to view their bodies as empty vessels. The media then further ingraines this messaging by deeming Black girls as undeserving of media attention when they are raped, assaulted or murdered ~~killed~~. As can be shown in the case of Lauren Smith-Fields who on December 12 2021 died in her apartment during a date due to a drug overdose. At the time of her death police decided that the date at the time who can easily be described as a white middle aged male was “a nice guy” and therefore not a suspect leaving Lauren’s death to be ruled an accidental overdose. Lauren’s story went unheard of for months before it then began to rise through social media. Only then did media outlets begin to cover it. Even though the person who would likely be the main suspect was described as a nice although frantic guy, publications surrounding Lauren’s death seemed to place more importance on her date being older and her bikini photos rather than the suspicious circumstances in which her death took place. Some were accusatory towards Lauren for her potential role in her passing and some even suggested that she was in the wrong for going on a date. This coverage of Lauren’s case plays further into the narrative created by media stereotypes of Black women by sexualizing and demonising her actions even though they could not be considered scandalous in typical scenarios. This portrayal of Black women and girls creates a harmful scenario in which Black women are hypervisible in the media which portrays them in a negative light yet almost invisible when they are the victims of crimes. A Survey of Black girls from 2015 established that of the respondents 64% of Black females representation was negative, 9% as being positive and 27% was neutral. This overwhelmingly negative portrayal of Black women has its effects in reality as the lack of positive or “normal” representation of Black women in the media leads to the generalisation of Black women as the negative stereotypes shown in the media which includes the modern portrayal of Mammy, Jezebel, and Sapphire and demonstrates how modern media event without outright racism is complicit in the perpetuation implicit bias.

Adultification also has a legal impact on Black children and has been the reason behind racist stereotypes that have caused the rampant criminalization of Black children. Such biases are entrenched within the criminal “justice” system and reinforce the violent and harmful interactions that Black children have with the police and within the judicial systems. While adultification finds its roots in the historical sexualization and degradation of Black girls, Black boys also find themselves being affected by adultification. In a groundbreaking study done by Georgetown Law School, “[r]esearch has shown that Black boys are also perceived as less innocent and more adult, and as a result, they are more likely to be assigned greater culpability for their actions, which increases their risk of contact with the juvenile justice system”. This perceived lack of innocence towards Black children is one of many factors that explain why Black individuals have higher incarceration rates, and why they often receive more severe punitive discipline (in school) and are more likely to be excluded from mainstream school. A 2014 study states that:

“Black boys are perceived as older and more likely to be guilty […], and that police violence against them is more justified. Even seasoned police officers sampled in the study consistently overestimated the age of Black adolescent felony suspects by approximately 4.5 years. In addition, these officers assigned greater culpability to Black male felony suspects than to white felony suspects—whom they estimated as younger than their actual age”

For Black girls their adultification in court environments has caused further dehumanization and traumatization by removing their inherent innocence, all the while forcing them into maturity. In schools, adultification also causes further disparities as Black girls are constantly subjected to a paradigm in which they are deemed socially mature yet academically dim. A reality in which Black girls are expected to uphold the femininity society deems them incapable of possessing which is reinforced through the enforcement of stereotypes and prejudicial expectations used to police and criminalise black bodies. Often deemed ‘Sapphires’ for having opinions, ‘Jezebels’ for their dances, and ‘Mammys’ for displaying independence, all the while their white counterparts are simply deemed courageous, creative and capable. The effects of adultification have severe real consequences as the adultification of pupils in the education system is a factor in the disproportionate rates of exclusion. Further, Black British students are close to three times more likely to face fixed-term exclusions which put children in truly dangerous positions as when removed from schools children are often more likely to become involved in criminal activities. Therefore systematically creating Black children who could potentially become stereotypical statistics due to the flaws in a system never designed to consider them.

In all, adultification has become a tool to further punish Black children and justify their criminalization all the while stripping them of their inherent innocence. The roots of racial prejudice and discrimination find themselves being enforced through the justice, education and social systems, which provide it the power to incarcerate, over-sexualize and dehumanise Black children. Although it may seem an issue that can be changed through policies and apologies, it truly requires systematic and personal change from all who have the potential to enforce it and all this is possible and can be as simple as ensuring there is accurate broad representation of Black girls in Media, and ensuring that our expectation for children apply to all children and although these changes may be small they have the potential to make the world of difference to children who have for far too long struggled under the weight and consequences of adulthood.

Racialised Cultural capital

What is cultural capital?

Cultural capital is a sociological term coined by Pierre Bourdieu and Jean-Claude Passeron in 1977. They used it to explain the difference in performance and academic achievement in children based on their experiences. It is the social and cultural advantage that some have, and the access to opportunities that that advantage then gives.

The issue is, typically when we speak about cultural capital, it’s usually very specific cultures and experiences that are being heralded. Going to the theatre, opera or ballet; visiting museums and galleries; reading certain literature or listening to certain genres of music (usually classical). The capital is being built on a certain type of culture.

It is important to note that class also has a big part to play in conversations around cultural capital. However, even within the conversations around class, Black people are still often at a bigger disadvantage than their white counterparts. For example, despite being middle-class, Black people can often be excluded and othered in the spaces mentioned above. Ballet is a typically middle-class, white arena and so even if a Black family has the means to send their child to a top ballet school, that child can still face racism (covert or overt), be overlooked for opportunities and eventually want to remove themselves from that experience.

In a school setting, children who have access to certain experiences and opportunities are then perceived as more intelligent, thus being positively labelled by teachers. Although schools are supposed to be safe spaces for all children to have equal opportunities, that is often not the case. Expensive school trips abroad, extracurricular language clubs that only offer certain languages, music lessons (typically violin) – can exclude children from certain backgrounds.

Let’s take ‘fine’ dining for example. The above is a picture of how a table should be set. If you don’t know which fork should be used at which point during a 5-course meal, then you’re likely to be deemed as ‘common’ or unintelligent. However, this is a necessity in certain cultures’ cuisines. There are plenty of cuisines around the world that believe that eating with your hands is the epitome of fine dining. However, in the Western world, that would be heavily looked down upon.

Racialised cultural capital

It is important that we celebrate and acknowledge activities that are specific to the Black experience, things that we do that can serve to promote our cultural capital.

Music;

Music is a big part of life for many communities in Africa, the Caribbean and throughout the diaspora. Whilst some cultures highly regard the violin or the trumpet, we can choose today to celebrate the steel pan. Originating in Trinidad (& Antigua), the steel pan has become synonymous with Caribbean music and culture. Pannists are highly skilled musicians, taking time to learn and perfect their craft

The arts;

We could give a thousand examples of the arts but we’re going to focus on Trinidad’s Moko Jumbie, also known as Stilt Walkers. The history of Moko Jumbie is rich and beautiful.

It is an art form that can take years for a person to master, and there will be many falls throughout those years!

Fashion;

Gele is a head tie worn primarily by women in Nigeria and West Africa. It emanated from the Yoruba culture and is usually worn for special occasions such as weddings and big birthdays.

It’s not everyone that can tie Gele well. It is a serious skill and so women will usually hire someone to come and tie Gele for everyone attending the celebration.

We’ve given 3 examples of things that can contribute to a Black person’s cultural capital. It is important that children are exposed to experiences that they can relate to. As great as classical music and traditional theatre can be, they are not always welcoming spaces for Black people. Rather than trying to conform to what the mainstream says is high culture, why not redefine that?

A short guide to school exclusions

By Aqsa

In England, updated statutory guidance on exclusions from schools took effect in September 2022. This guidance complements the “Behavior in schools” guidance, which offers details and recommendations for managing student behaviour. The exclusion guidance provides information and support to a wide range of school and educational professionals, including: headteachers, governing boards, local authorities (LAs), academy trusts, independent review panel (IRP) members, SEND experts, social workers, and Virtual School Heads (VSHs).

What does this new schools exclusion guidance outline?

Reasons for exclusion: This guidance sets out that when it comes to suspensions and permanent school exclusions, the reasons for handing an exclusion to a pupil can only be made for disciplinary matters, such as serious misbehaviour or repeated breaches of the school’s behaviour policy. Headteachers are expected to exercise professional judgement and consider individual circumstances in every case. Also, reasons for exclusion need to be clearly communicated via a formal process. Paragraph 18 of the guidance states that: ‘Each disciplinary suspension and permanent exclusion must be confirmed to the parents in writing with notice of the reasons for the suspension or permanent exclusion.’
Processes for exclusion: When considering an exclusion, schools must follow a fair and transparent procedure that includes holding a formal process for arranging alternative education or care, having a formal process for notifying parents of exclusions, and more. The guidance contains information on how children on suspension or permanent exclusion can be included in the exclusion process, taking into account their age and capacity to understand.
Alternatives to exclusion: Schools must consider alternative measures before proceeding to exclude a pupil, this could include alternative provision. The guidance provides advice and details on particular types of alternatives which limit suspensions and permanent exclusions – managed moves and offsite directions. This guidance sets out how schools can monitor and oversee alternative provisions, and work in partnership with alternative provision providers to ensure continued and smooth support is offered to pupils offline and also through the use of online pathways.
Length of exclusion: The length of a fixed term exclusion cannot exceed 45 days in a single school term. There was discussion prior to this guidance publication, on whether this would be changed, but now it remains unchanged.
Reviewing exclusions: Schools must review exclusions regularly and provide support to pupils and families during the exclusion period, including organising plans to support the learning of an excluded pupil. Schools must operate in compliance with the SEND guidance of 2020 and the Equality Act of 2010.
Right to appeal: Pupils and their parent/guardians have the right to appeal exclusions via the school’s internal appeals process and also through an independent appeal’s panel.
Reintegration: Schools must support the reintegration of permanently excluded pupils, either through alternative provision or by facilitating transfers to another school ( known as managed moves)
Permanent exclusions: New guidance emphasises that while headteachers are supported in safeguarding their school communities, permanent exclusions should be used as a last resort.

What has changed since publication of previous guidance?

Alternatives to exclusion: There has been a greater emphasis on alternatives to exclusion, such as managed moves and off-site directions. There has been consideration of how SEND pupils can be supported.
Permanent exclusion: There has been an increased focus on preventing the number of permanent exclusions and ensuring that they are used as a last resort. Schools must provide clear evidence to support any permanent exclusion and must follow a fair and transparent process of informing relevant staff and parents, offering internal right of review, appeal and
Reintegration: There is a greater emphasis on supporting the reintegration of permanently excluded students into education, either through alternative provision or by facilitating their transfer to another school. Schools must also provide support to families during the exclusion period and support in the plan and monitoring of a reintegration strategy.
Right of appeal: The guidance has been updated to clarify the right of appeal for students and their families, including the process for appealing a permanent exclusion.
Mental health and well-being: The guidance now includes a focus on the mental health and wellbeing of students, including the importance of considering this when making decisions about exclusion and support during the exclusion itself.

These changes to the guidance reflect the importance of ensuring that exclusions are used as a last resort. They also reflect the increasing recognition of the impact that exclusion can have on a student’s mental health and wellbeing.

For more information on school exclusions and the work we do, visit us here

The Importance of Racial Wellness in Schools

By Michelle

Racial trauma can be described as the mental and emotional impacts that a person experiences as a result of exposure to racism. This exposure may be direct, for example by being on the receiving end of racist insults or frequent microaggressions, or more ‘indirect’ such as hearing distressing news about a racist incident or witnessing a video on social media. Racial trauma can be experienced in systems and institutions. In schools and other educational institutions, young people can have experiences that contribute to racial trauma.

School policies about dress and behaviour may target Black students. They can serve as a way for schools to police their hair, the way they talk, the language or actions they use to express themselves, and punish them for it. In addition to school policies, interactions between school staff and peers also contribute to racial trauma. Racist peer-on-peer bullying, microaggressions from school staff and classmates, and hearing racist language all contribute to racial trauma. A study published by the youth charity YMCA revealed that 95% of young Black people had heard racist language at school. In a focus group conducted as part of their study, young Black people revealed they expected to hear racist sentiments and experience racism because they were Black.

In schools alone, the restriction, punishment and policing of Black students that is enforced via policies, alongside microaggressions, bullying, and racist sentiments heard by Black students when they interact with their wider school community greatly contributes to their racial trauma. When it is considered the amount of time young Black people spend in the education system, the need to actively undo the trauma they face becomes extremely urgent.

Racial wellness is essential as it works to undo the harm that is caused by racial trauma. For children, racial wellness is particularly important as it equips them with the practices, techniques, and confidence needed to work through racial trauma from now, in their childhood, to their later lives. It is extremely important to be aware of racial trauma in young Black people, its effects and how to cope with these effects. Symptoms of racial trauma are extremely similar to symptoms of other mental health difficulties. They can include and are not limited to:

Anxiety
Sadness and depression
Low self-esteem
Trouble concentrating
Feeling as though you need to be constantly alert/on guard

Racial wellness in schools is vital for the wellbeing of all students, but it is crucial for Black students who are affected by racism and who are susceptible to racial trauma. Schools can actively encourage racial wellness and incorporate it into wider school culture by creating (and maintaining) an environment which allows Black students to feel listened to, cared for, taken seriously, and one which allows them to be safe expressing themselves and sharing their experiences. Generally, schools will need to review and amend (or even completely remove) their existing policies that negatively impact or police Black students, as well as giving training to staff, providing specific wellbeing services to students, and ultimately transforming school culture to be one which truly does not condone racism or discrimination on any level.

For training, schools can also partner with organisations like BLAM who can provide school staff with appropriate training programmes and workshops to provide insight into what constitutes racial trauma, for example. We also provide workshops for students to help them to cope with racial trauma, encourage and teach them about racial wellness, and affirm the identities of Black students. Schools are also encouraged to provide services such as counselling with a racial and cultural focus, in order for students experiencing racial trauma to work through it in a safe and supportive environment.

The conversation on the existence of racial wellness in schools is one that is crucial for the safety and wellbeing of Black students. It is important that this conversation does not end at being a conversation, but that it develops into actions and behaviours. Young people spend a significant portion of their lives in schools. Schools, for a lot of them, act as one of their first instances of interacting with a wide range of individuals and also acts as one of their first introductions to a community outside of their family network. Therefore, it is important to ensure that while young people are in the care of schools, they are being looked after, affirmed, taken seriously, and prevented from experiencing harm.

Mythology in Africa and the Diaspora

By Michelle

Africa is home to more than a thousand languages, and cultures. It’s no surprise to learn that a continent full of varied geography, a multitude of languages, and so many vibrant cultures has equally varied and vibrant myths. African mythology is full of interesting folklore, networks of unique gods, and colourful creatures and characters. The same can be said for mythology in the diaspora – everywhere from the Caribbean, to South America and the US, elements and aspects of African mythology play key roles in their own mythology.

The mythology of Africa and the diaspora is sustained by oral tradition and oral history, an important part of many African cultures. Oral tradition can be described as passing down ideas and cultural material through speech. These cultural materials can be anything from ideas, knowledge, history, or folktales and myths. Oral tradition in Africa and the diaspora helps to keep their mythology (and by default their history) alive.

In fact, oral tradition is so crucial to African cultures that an entire profession exists for it. A griot (pronounced gree-oh) is a professional storyteller and historian. Griots originate from West Africa within groups such as Makinde, Hausa, Dagomba, and more. The role of a griot is a highly respected one. They share myths, legends, stories, fables, songs, and history with members of their communities and help keep the histories of their communities alive, since those people will in turn share it with others, particularly their descendants.

Cultures of storytelling are not only a form of entertainment or a way for communities to connect with their history, but the stories being told – myths and fables – are also more than that. They are a means of sharing and explaining cultural practices, and they show us what values and beliefs cultures have. Myths can be described as old traditional tales usually involving gods and other creatures that are used to explain natural phenomena and events, like sunsets or rain. Fables can be described as stories that have animals as main characters that usually are written to promote a value or moral – they are usually aimed at children.

African myths and fables are also an insight into philosophies, and a way to share and promote values like kindness, consideration, and honesty to children. In fact, one of the easiest ways to expose a child to their culture and teach them about their heritage is to share myths, tales and similar stories from their country or countries of origin! A good example of such tales are Anansi Stories. These are fables and myths originating from Akan Ghanaians involving a trickster spider-god, that we will explore further in this blog.

African mythology tends to have recurring themes and elements that make it unique to other myths. One theme which is seen in several African cultures, from Nigerian Yoruba culture, to Ghanaian Akan culture and Fon culture in Benin, is the theme of twins and twinship. Twinship is used to explain natural pairings, such as the moon and sun, or day and night. Some cultures such as Yoruba culture and Akan culture celebrate twins, with Akan culture believing they are sacred and Yoruba culture believing that twins can bring wealth, favour, and good fortune. Twins are believed to be protected by Sango, the god of thunder and an Orisha in Yoruba traditional religion.

Interestingly, Yoruba people are responsible for the highest rate of twin birth in the world!

We also find themes of death, the creation of the world, the existence of gods and mythical creatures who influence humanity and human life. A notable theme we find in African mythology is the presence of a trickster character. This character is usually a god, or in some cases a messenger of the gods. Trickster characters are crafty and are always trying to get out of completing tasks or taking shortcuts. They enjoy causing chaos and often operate to serve their own interests. Arguably, a popular example of a trickster character is Anansi the spider-god, originating from Akan mythology. Anansi is usually depicted as a spider (likely because that is a direct translation of his name in the Ghanaian language of Twi) but he is also the god of stories, sharing stories of the gods, existence, and more with humans on earth.

Anansi, his myth, and lore were brought to the diaspora during the Transatlantic Slave Trade by enslaved Africans from Ghana. Anansi stories are still popular stories that continue to be passed down to generations, teaching children the importance of telling the truth, being considerate, and warning against shortcuts. His myth can be found in Caribbean countries such as Jamaica. Another trickster god that can be found in the diaspora as a result of the Slave Trade is Papa Legba, from Benin. His lore is still present in Haiti, brought over by enslaved Africans from Benin.

It’s important to note that although these gods feature in mythology, they are actually deities that are still worshipped today in Africa and the diaspora. Papa Legba for example is a revered figure known as an Iwa of Haitian Vodou as well as Creole African American Voodoo culture. He is regarded as the intermediary between humans and the other Iwa. He is also worshipped in Benin, where he originates.

Mythical creatures in Africa and the diaspora that feature in this mythology are numerous. From the elusive and anti-social magical dwarves of West and Central-West Africa, cunning witches, to mysterious mermaids across the diaspora. Mythical creatures are deserving of their own piece to explore their behaviours, lore, and relationships with those who believe they exist. They are not confined to the continent. In the Caribbean, creatures such as jumbies and duppies scare humans and wreak havoc in their lives. In St. Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago, there is Papa Bois (whose name comes from French patois, meaning “Father Wood”) who is the half-goat half-man protector of the plants and animals in the forest.

Mythology in Africa and the diaspora is full of a wide range of colourful characters, careful elements, interesting creatures, and powerful gods who are used to not only explain humanity and our existence, but behaviours, natural phenomena, but also help us to understand philosophies of communities, preserve our cultures, and promote values that are crucial to communities such as consideration, kindness, and honesty.

Self-Care for Black children

By Michelle

Do you remember the last time you did something nice for yourself? If you have had a long week dealing with the bits of life that stress you out, make you anxious and make you tired, how do you try to recover from that?

Lately, self-care and its importance for adults has been encouraged and widely spoken about for its contribution to our wellbeing. It has been shared in its many forms – a mini spa-day, a nice meal, even spending time reading a good book. It is being accepted now that self-care is an important part of maintaining your well-being and helping your mental health. It is now becoming more accepted to set aside time in your routines for yourself.

Self-care refers to things that we do to look after ourselves and our mental health, and things we do to maintain our wellbeing. As important as it is for adults, it’s equally essential for children. Practising self-care is an essential life skill that helps child development. This essential life skill takes on a whole new level of importance when taught to Black children. As important as self-care is for everyone, it is particularly important for Black people, and Black children who are the focus of this blog post.

Self-care for children may provoke questions about why children would need self care, what children would need the rest and downtime for, and what from. When you consider that Black children are likely to experience situations that contribute to racial trauma, such as micro aggressions from classmates and teachers alike, it can be easier to understand that they need healthy outlets to process the moods and feelings that can arise as a result of that. Feelings of hurt, sadness, insecurity, and anxiety to name a few can be seen in Black children who experience racism.

Self-care for Black children is essential, because it helps to equip them to navigate distressing situations and care for themselves in spite of those circumstances. When self-care becomes an established part of their routine, and they recognise that they have a toolkit of activities that can help them while they are facing some difficulties, they will be better equipped to face these incidents. Adults are a crucial part of introducing self-care to the Black children in their lives. They ultimately influence their reactions, exposure, and attitude to self-care, so it is important that this is done with care, empathy, and patience.

Self-care activities for younger Black children (primary-aged)

Cooking a traditional food with an adult.

This activity serves as a way for Black children to develop their abilities in one of the most crucial life skills, a way for them to connect with their heritage, and as a bonding activity between child and adult. Teaching children to cook helps them to care for themselves and this is a skill they will carry into adulthood.

When cooking these traditional foods from their culture with children, adults should be sure to give them age-appropriate tasks and encouragement. Adults should also give instructions backed up with explanations, so children will be more likely to remember steps! Cooking sometimes is associated with stress and speed, so adults are encouraged to be patient and go at a pace that children will be comfortable with.

Doing a group physical activity with others.

Physical activity is another useful way of dealing with a wide range of emotions that children experience – from restlessness, anxiety, sadness, and even excitement. Physical activity also helps to improve sleep quality, lift moods, and acts as a healthy outlet for emotions such as anger and sadness that children may be uncomfortable dealing with. It also greatly contributes to their self-confidence, self-esteem, and how they perceive themselves. Examples of physical activities that can be done with others include football, yoga, dance, and basketball.

Watching cartoons with Black characters

This self-care activity can be enjoyed by everyone, children and adults alike! Watching cartoons with Black characters who are shown in a positive and uplifting light will help to affirm the identities of young Black children, since they will see positive representations of people who look like them. Positive representation in media that children consume contributes to their development and self-esteem. This, paired with the fact that cartoons are a great way for children to have some downtime, makes this an easy and effective self-care activity.

Self-care activities for older Black children (secondary-aged)

Journalling

Journaling is a great tool which can help us to process our emotions, as well as provide an outlet for our thoughts and feelings. For Black children, journalling can be a great way to express themselves in an honest manner and share their feelings. This can help them to process situations that may have been unpleasant or distressing, such as exposure to microaggressions, and celebrate joy and gratitude. Journaling can also go a long way in improving their writing and communication skills, as well as their ability to express themselves. A short paragraph is a good starting point.

Journal prompts that focus on reflection and expression can be useful. Examples of journal prompts are: “What is your favourite memory, and why is this special to you?” “What is one thing you really like about yourself?”

We also have a resource that you can access, drop us an email at youthracialwellness@blamuk.org

2) Doing a group physical activity with others.

3) Reflecting

Reflecting can be done in journaling, but can also be done with trusted adults in conversation. Adults should actively create an environment where the Black children in their lives feel comfortable sharing their feelings, thoughts, and questions with them. This can be done by encouraging them to talk about their feelings, when they are happy or when they are upset. In addition to this, asking them questions about how they feel, encouraging them to give details, and even going a step further brainstorming healthy ways to make them feel better is a good way to allow Black children to get comfortable sharing their feelings and processing their emotions.

Which self care activities will you encourage the Black children in your life to try?

How schools can celebrate the UN Decade for people of African descent

The UN Decade for People of African Descent is a decade which encourages the international community to recognise that people of African descent represent a distinct group who have human rights that must be promoted, protected, and preserved. It is scheduled to span the period of 2015 – 2024. People of African descent is a broad group, with around 200 million people in the Americas alone self-identifying as being of African descent.

The key themes for the decade are:

Recognition. People of African descent have the right to equality and non-discrimination, therefore all obstacles that prevent their equal enjoyment of all human rights – economic, social, cultural, civil and political – should be removed.

Justice. People of African descent deserve the adoption and establishment of tailored policies that contribute to their opportunity, access, representation or any other means to reducing disparities they otherwise experience.

Development. Recognition that measures are needed that target the improvement of education, employment, health, and housing of people of African descent. Recognition of poverty being both a cause and consequence, and the introduction or strengthening of national programmes to reduce social inequalities.

The decade also has main objectives, which are the promotion of respect, protection and fulfilment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by people of African descent; promotion of a greater knowledge of and respect for the diverse heritage, culture and contribution of people of African descent to the development of societies; adoption and strengthening of frameworks with regional, national, and international scopes.

Schools can celebrate the decade for people of African descent in a variety of ways which will promote curiosity and understanding, and educate pupils on the importance of the recognition of people of African descent as a group which must have its human rights upheld. Suggestions are outlined below, ranging from the celebration of cultures of people of African descent.

Celebrations of heritage.

This will serve as an inclusive event celebration whereby students (and staff) can wear their traditional clothes or ‘costumes’ of their heritage to school. Schools are not confined to ‘national costumes’, as these may prove difficult to source. Students can be encouraged to bring something which represents their heritage (such as a figurine, a photo, etc.) and should prepare to explain what it is to their peers. Schools can decide the programme of the day, but BLAM suggests the celebration occurs on a day in which it would be possible for classes/year groups to engage with each other about their heritage, an assembly can be arranged which focuses on people of African descent, and similar programmes. This can occur at any point of the year, but schools may decide to celebrate this on 24th October, which is recognised as United Nations Day, and will be in UK Black History month. BLAM suggests this celebration should occur outside of Black History Month, and that schools committed to the inclusion of people of African descent should consider making this an annual celebration.

The integration of Black history into curriculums.

Schools incorporating diverse Black history into learning and education outside of Black History Month will help to increase the knowledge of Black history and reverse negative narratives. Working with community organisations to ensure that Black histories and positive narratives are celebrated all year round, and are not confined to one month in the year. The recognition that Black history is rich and diverse is necessary for people of African descent’s own recognition.

Re-examining and abolishing policies which disproportionately affect people of African descent.

Schools should examine existing policies ranging from behaviour to dress code, which negatively and disproportionately affect people of African descent. Policing the hairstyles, behaviour, language, and dress of Black pupils must be examined as it links directly with the key theme of Justice and Recognition in this dedicated decade. The removal of policies which ban the use of Black languages such as Pidgin, Patois, or Black British English (sometimes called Multicultural London English) directly limit the expression of young people of African descent, and must be removed in line with this.

The above are suggestions that schools can implement to celebrate the UN Decade for People of African Descent. This is not an exhaustive list of suggestions, but they may serve as a starting point for schools which wish to uphold the human rights of the pupils of African descent, and ensure their involvement, representation, and recognition.

The Children’s Commissioner’s review on strip search in the UK does not go far enough

Despite the review discovering and highlighting that strip search powers are being used in an unlawful, racially discriminatory and harmful way :

More than half (52%) of strip searches were conducted without an Appropriate Adult present
14 strip searches were conducted in police vehicles or schools. While the location of strip searches was not recorded in 45% of cases, additional potentially inappropriate locations for searches included private businesses, takeaway outlets, and amusement parks;
1% of strip searches were conducted within public view;6% of strip searches were conducted with at least one officer of a different gender than
Black children are 11 times more likely to be strip-searched in England and Wales than white peers

The review fails to call for the complete overhaul and removal of the strip searching of children. The review also failed to consider the effects of racial trauma from these police encounters. It also fails to look at how the UK’s cannabis policy via the war of drugs policy that operates as a war against our communities is a factor in this.

The report confirms all that BLAM UK and other community abolitionist groups have been saying. Policing has no place in our society and most importantly no place in our schools or around our children and young people. We as community groups and community workers have called for the complete end of the use of strip searches on children.

One thing we can be sure of is that strip search as a practice still remains in place and thus we as the community must find alternative ways to reduce and challenge the harm our young people face under the racially weaponised, state sexual assault tool known as strip search. Lawyers at Black Protest Legal Support have created this useful radical community-forced guide on the Police Power of Strip Search in the UK. Please find the published tool here.

We must also call out the educational space as a site of insitutionalised Anti-Blackness, as we had in our caseload a young Black girl that was subject to a strip search for allegedly concealing a vape. No vape was found on this young person and we successfully challenged the school. Robyn Maynard in Policing Black Lives reminds us “Black students are not only treated as if they are inferior, but they are also frequently treated as if they are a threat inside of education settings. The presence of Black children and youth remains unwelcome and undesirable in many public schools, and their movements are closely monitored and subject to correction.” Teachers must also be held to account for their complicity with police and in allowing strip searches to take place on school premises.