Black Lives Matter

2As an Academy we do not align ourselves with any political party or political movement. We do not tolerate racism or marginalisation of our communities. We endorse the view expressed by the Harris Federation that supporting young black people to achieve the best possible exam grades is a key way of improving their life chances.

The foundations of our Academy are the Chobham Values; Curiosity, Respect, Excellence, Inclusion, Empathy and Honesty. We will continue to use these values to make our Academy inclusive and one that strives to ensure equity and equality of opportunities, regardless of race, skin colour or gender.

We have created and will continue to create resources that enable a greater and Blm4 deeper understanding to the issues. We will further adapt the curriculum to better reflect the breadth of black and other minority ethnic cultures represented at the Academy and by so doing improve the knowledge and awareness of all members of our community. We believe it is important that all students and staff better understand:

The history and achievements of the communities which make up Chobham Academy
The part played by black and other minority ethnic communities in the development of the modern world
Key reasons why modern Britain and the wider world are organised as they are today
The ways in which young people may make their voices heard to bring about change in peaceful and legitimate ways within our democracy
The ways in which young people may play a more active and constructive role in their local communities
The skills and attitudes young people need to be successful in the twenty first century world
How young people can demonstrate their skills and interests in ways which make them the best candidates for university places and jobs

In combination, we believe that pursuing these objectives will develop the confidence and self-esteem of all students, create space for young black students to express their creativity, share in their imaginations and enable them to be happier and proud of their place in society.

Actions for future change

We will seek to further develop our curriculum provision and the attitudes and understanding of the Academy community in the following ways:

By auditing our current curriculum offer across the school to see what is done well and sufficiently and which areas of desired provision require more work
By reviewing (over time) and amending the curriculum in all academic subject areas to ensure that subject content relating to the heritage and life experiences of our student community is represented. These changes could incorporate the wealth of resources readily available which chart the black British experience and the contribution of non-white peoples to the world more generally. Students should understand the current status of their community in its historical, economic and social contexts. Whilst all subjects have a role to play, emphasis will inevitably be placed on the humanities and the study of literature
To look in greater depth at the BAME UK experience, both historical and current
By reviewing and amending the curriculum for Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) and tutorial time. Tutor time occurs daily and is an excellent opportunity to talk about leadership and responsibility and to discuss current affairs. We will ensure that this time continues to be developed as an opportunity to improve our students’ knowledge, understanding and skills
By developing the content of our half termly innovation days so that they better reflect our objectives. In particular, to develop content related to democracy and participation
By ensuring we put in place a programme of staff training to help staff better understand the issues affecting our students’ lives and future prospects. Additionally, a focus on how staff relate to students to include a focus on language and unconscious bias
By putting in place a programme of activities to improve students’ social and presentational skills. This will develop students’ confidence and self-esteem and help them compete for the best higher education and employment opportunities
By creating more opportunities to celebrate the heritage and cultural diversity of our school community. This will be accomplished in part through our house and assembly systems. More generally, it is important that we strike a balance. Whilst recognising and understanding the negative experiences of BAME people during and since the colonial era, the study of the contribution of BAME groups to society must be celebratory. Our students should understand the remarkable things which BAME people have achieved. Greater community engagement for students through, for example, volunteering to help out at food banks
Through a more diverse range of visitors, speakers and role models for students meet and learn from
By featuring a wider range of books and other curriculum materials in our work
By ensuring we provide high quality, up to date, careers provision
By refining our mentoring provision to focus more on students with whom we can make the most significant impact. A greater focus on evaluating the effects of mentoring
By ensuring that attractive extra-curricular opportunities (e.g. gym, boxing) are open to a wider range of students and not just those perceived to have ‘earned’ the opportunity by poor behaviour
By seeking the views of students on how they see the curriculum and how they would like it to be developed
By discussing with students how they feel they are perceived in and out of school and, where desirable, how they believe these perceptions can be changed.

We want our journey towards becoming a more inclusive and aware community to be exciting and celebratory. We recognise that there are many experiences in the histories and present lives of our BAME communities which must be addressed seriously and sensitively. However, our aim must be to improve our students’ futures through learning about their pasts. We wish to equip our students to be happy, secure and successful adults who understand and take pride in their heritage. In turn, we want this pride, and the accompanying skills we will help them develop, to inspire them to be the best people they can in their local communities and beyond.

The Chobham Magazine - The Black Lives Matter Issue

Explore The Black Lives Matter issue of our academy magazine with content produced by students and staff. Please explore, engage and subscribe!

https://www.thechobhammagazine.com/

Guide to Black History Month 2022

Blm3

https://www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk/

Parents and carers guide to Black Lives Matter

https://yoopies.co.uk/c/press-releases/blacklivesmatter

Chobham Academy BHM playlist: Blm2

The playlist was created by staff and students to celebrate Black History Month 2020. It is an opportunity to break down the myths of what black music is or represents. We hope you enjoy the listening, just as our students did during Friday lunch times in October 2020.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6dQSCp3EzUM20RGMA6aXn5?si=FqeBufWYR9OfXKmDWNDcog

Other Educational Resources:

BLM British Red Cross Presentation (see document list at the bottom of this page)

https://www.redcross.org.uk/get-involved/teaching-resources/black-lives-matter-resources-for-young-people

BBC Teach BHM teaching and learning resources

https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/black-history-month-primary-and-secondary-resources/zjwf8xs

BLM Ed Justice teaching and learning resources

https://neaedjustice.org/black-lives-matter-school-resources/

Useful local external resources:

Show Racism the Red Card - https://www.theredcard.org/

Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust - https://www.stephenlawrencetrust.org/

Stand Against Racism and Inequality (SARI) - https://www.sariweb.org.uk/