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Dear Mr Oliver,

We hope you and your family are well during this time of uncertainty.

We are writing to you in light of recent circumstances following the tragic murder of George Floyd at the hands of the police in Minneapolis on 25 May 2020. We have all witnessed the global uprising and demand for justice against racial inequality which has encouraged us to evaluate what actions we can take in order to tackle this social, economic and political issue here in the United Kingdom. Education is the cornerstone of this global issue of racial inequality and ongoing discrimination against Black individuals in our community. We therefore believe that one of the most effective actions we can take at this moment is appealing to you.

As the Principal of Our Lady's Abingdon ('OLA'), we implore you to rethink the way in which discussions around race are incorporated into life at the school. Whilst there are many avenues which can be explored to make this a reality, we have focused on two approaches: education and investment.

We are aware that in the time since we left OLA there may have been changes implemented within school policy relating to these issues, we apologise in advance if we are advocating for adjustments that have already taken place. We welcome you to update us on how you have previously and are currently addressing these issues.

Education

We all reflect fondly on our time at OLA, but acknowledge that the education we received lacked any exploration of race, white privilege and the realities of systemic racial injustice. If discussions pertaining to these matters did occur, it was as a result of an individual teacher opening up a dialogue, rather than as part of the mandated curriculum.

We believe the three-pronged approach outlined below would benefit the education of OLA students on these important matters:

1. Updating the academic curriculum:
a) Diversifying the reading lists for English Literature.
b) Approaching Social Science subjects and History with a less eurocentric perspective. Subjects that should be explored could include, but not be limited to: The role of Britain in the global slave trade; The impacts and legacy of British Imperialism; The Windrush Scandal.

2. Updating the pastoral curriculum:
a) Incorporating discussions around anti-racism and white privilege into the pastoral curriculum during PSHE lessons and assemblies.
b) Inviting external BAME speakers to the school to present lectures.
c) Implementing implicit bias training for staff.
d) Ensuring that appropriate channels are available for students to feel comfortable reporting racism and/or microaggressions.

3. Embracing different voices and perspectives in the classroom. The student and staff body at OLA has traditionally been overwhelmingly populated by white pupils. Reviewing why these demographics have been so limited, and making subsequent changes to address them, is essential for inclusion and representation to permeate every structure within the school and encourage that this education is sustained.

Whilst we understand the constraints of a stringent syllabus and the need to ensure adequate time for exam preparation, we believe these issues are too important to be overlooked and should be considered vital to the teachings and culture at OLA.

Investment

We appreciate that amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, financial resources may be limited and, as an institution, you will be prioritising how to resume in-person teaching. However, this is a crucial moment in the movement towards a more equal society with regards to racial inequality, and it is paramount that momentum is not lost. One of the most effective steps that can be taken in the immediate future is making purposeful financial commitments. This could include:

- Donating to organisations dedicated to giving opportunities to, and amplifying the voices of, the Black community. We know that OLA has always highlighted the importance of charity and giving back to local communities; we have included a list of charities and fundraisers in the Appendix set out below that the school could support.

- Bursaries supporting the enrolment of BAME students who would not otherwise have the ability to attend OLA where the associated costs may be a barrier.

Going forward

In addition to charities and relevant fundraising pages, we have included a number of organisations in the below Appendix who share a wealth of relevant educational resources from which we believe OLA could benefit.

Please consider and act upon the issues and suggestions we have highlighted above with full transparency.

We hope to see our school community step up and become a voice of support in this crucial movement.

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter.

With best wishes,

The students, alumni, parents and staff of Our Lady's Abingdon


APPENDIX

Organisations (which you can also donate to):

- THE BLACK CURRICULUM (https://www.theblackcurriculum.com)
The Black Curriculum seeks to re-imagine the future of education through Black British history. They deliver Black history programmes, free learning resources and teacher training aiming to:
1. Provide a sense of belonging and identity to young people across the UK.
2. Teach an accessible educational Black British history curriculum that raises attainment for young people.
3. Improve social cohesion between young people in the UK.

- SHOW RACISM THE RED CARD (https://www.theredcard.org)
Show Racism the Red Card is the UK's leading anti-racism educational charity. They provide school workshops, teacher and equality training sessions and educational resources designed to educate young people and adults about the causes and the consequences of racism.

- BLACK ASIAN AND MINORITY ETHNIC EDUCATORS (https://www.bameednetwork.com)
The Black Asian and Minority Ethnic Educators network is a movement towards an education sector that is reflective of society through connecting, enabling and showcasing the talent of diverse educators. It provides access to:
- BAME speakers;
- organisations working towards equity; and
- useful resources relating to organising events, books for children and why diversity matters.

- STEPHEN LAWRENCE CHARITABLE TRUST (https://www.stephenlawrence.org.uk/what-we-do-2/)
The work of Stephen Lawrence Consulting includes:
- staff recruitment and development;
- organisational development; and
- equality, diversity and inclusion initiatives.
Any profits arising from the work of this Social Enterprise are donated back to the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, founded on the premise that inequality must be tackled in all its forms.

- INSTITUTE OF RACE RELATIONS (http://www.irr.org.uk/resources)
The Institute of Race Relations has produced a series of publications on aspects of Black history and racism for educational use. They have also published free downloadable briefing papers and reports on race and racism in the UK.

- THE RUNNYMEDE TRUST (https://www.runnymedetrust.org)
Runnymede is the UK's leading independent race equality think tank. They publish a number of reports, resources and blog posts, using factual data and objective research to inform and influence, with the goal of challenging racial inequality in Britain.

- THE BLACK CULTURAL ARCHIVES (https://artsandculture.google.com/project/black-cultural-archives)
The Black Cultural Archives share a wealth of resources exploring the Black British experience through stories, images and videos.

- OUR MIGRATION STORY (https://www.ourmigrationstory.org.uk/information-for-teachers.html)
Our Migration Story explores the often untold history of migration in the British Isles and provides teaching resources such as lesson plans and schemes of work.

- MUSEUM OF BRITISH COLONIALISM (https://www.museumofbritishcolonialism.org/themuseum)
The mission of the Museum of British Colonialism is to restore and make visible suppressed, destroyed or underrepresented histories relating to British Colonialism.

Further reading:

"Creating an inclusive curriculum for BAME students" https://www.ucl.ac.uk/teaching-learning/publications/2020/apr/creating-inclusive-curriculum-bame-students?fbclid=IwAR2siGo2GWEGLj4PdmLRf7CoGh5Pka_3gh31e-ga5Gu6R4h0US8PnUzeQcU


"Independent schools, please stand up for your black students, listen to them and respect them" https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/letters/racism-black-students-schools-george-floyd-death-protests-coronavirus-a9542441.html


Donate:

- UK Black Lives Matter Fund: https://www.gofundme.com/f/ukblm-fund

- Stop Hate UK: https://www.stophateuk.org

- Black Minds Matter UK: https://www.gofundme.com/f/black-minds-matter-uk?utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link-tip

- UK Black Pride: https://www.ukblackpride.org.uk/ukbp-donate

- Black LGBTQIA+ Therapy Fund: https://www.gofundme.com/f/black-lgbtqia-therapy-fund?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1

- Black Protest Legal Support UK: https://www.gofundme.com/f/black-protest-legal-support-uk

- George Floyd Memorial Fund: https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd

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Open letter to Stephen Oliver, Principal of Our Lady’s Abingdon

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Open letter to Stephen Oliver, Principal of Our Lady’s Abingdon

Thank you for taking part! Here's a list of fantastic organisations campaigning for justice right now. Please give what you can to support the movement:

Black Lives Matter UK: https://www.blacklivesmatter.uk/

Black Visions Collective: https://www.blackvisionsmn.org

Emergency Release Fund: https://emergencyreleasefund.com

The Bail Project: https://bailproject.org

If you want to start a campaign calling on your workplace or industry to support the Black Lives Matter movement, you can start a campaign here: https://teamup.organise.org.uk/