Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) at KWS
Katherine Warington School strives to be a diverse and equitable school in which every member of the KWS community feels like they are seen, heard and belong. As a school, we are committed to the highest ideals in our search for full equality, diversity and inclusion; and this is central to our school’s ethos and values as outlined in our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) statement:
“At KWS we are dedicated to the creation of an equitable and inclusive environment where every member of our community is empowered by the knowledge and their right to be seen and respected as their authentic self despite of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation or disability. This goal will be met and carried forward only if, each one of us, upholds our duty to create a compassionate and supportive environment; an environment that nurtures each individual to feel valued, respected and free from any form of disrespect, intolerance or intimidation. This freedom will be demonstrated in our character, the way we carry ourselves, treat others and oppose inequalities and discriminations as supportive and proactive allies and peers.
We acknowledge and understand that inequality and discrimination is prevalent in society. Therefore, we must, with our students, be clear that we are responsible for our actions and words. We empathise with the understanding that this is a journey, therefore it is imperative that we learn from our mistakes. At Katherine Warington we cherish diversity and actively seek opportunities to learn from experiences and perspectives which are not our own. We appreciate that each member of the KWS community is an individual, that is why we endeavour to distribute resources and opportunities equitably to ensure that every single person thrives and feels a true sense of belonging at Katherine Warington School.”
As we enter a new academic year (2022/23), we recognise that we are still very much at the start of our pursuit of equality, diversity and inclusion. To guide us through this and future years we are in the process of developing an updated EDI action plan which covers all aspects of school life.
What are we doing this year?
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Events and Celebration Calendar
Throughout the academic year, as a school, we will be recognising, learning, actively participating and celebrating important aspects of our school community. We will do these by: form time activities, assemblies, whole school events, family led celebrations, charity events.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion CPD session with Mr Jeff Greenidge
With the support of education expert Mr Jeff Greenidge, all staff members will actively participate in a session in which we:
- Create a safe space for conversations around equity, diversity, and inclusion
- Examine bias and how our life experiences influence our behaviours
- Recognise the power of everyone to effect change
- Increase our self-awareness
- Shift our mindset from unconscious to conscious
- Commitment to personal and collective action
Racial Equity Data Analytics company Flair Impact and KWS are collaborating over the next three years to harness data to drive racial equity. Through discovery and resolution our goal is to beat racial bias and shine a light on the root causes of race inequity through four steps:
- QUESTION – Listening to students and staff through a science back survey we map our school culture
- COMPARE – Using our results, we are able to visualise our strengths, uncover our weaknesses, and benchmark our progress.
- SOLVE – With data driven recommendations and the use of algorithms to make sense of the data turning it into meaningful human insight, we receive actionable insights along with a bespoke racial equity roadmap
- REPEAT – with our progress benchmarked, we repeat the process to track progress, measuring the impact of our work and demonstrating our genuine commitment to racial equity
Collaboration with HfL Education
Just like Us – the LGBT Young People’s Charity
Recognising and Celebrating Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at KWS (this section here will be updated with photos etc of what we have done/ are doing)
Herts Voices 5th October
On the 5th October 16 of our Year 9 and 10 students, joined other Secondary Schools from Hertfordshire at Marriotts School in Stevenage to attend the launch Herts Voices Event. Our students were an audience for Timothy Armoo: founder of Fanbytes and Forbes 2021 30 under 30 and Entrepreneur of the Year 2020 at the Tech Achievement Awards, who provided the event’s inaugural talk on entrepreneurship. Our students were able to listen, discuss and ask Timothy as he discussed:
- His goals/dreams/ambitions
- How he achieved this
- The difficulties and obstacles he may have faced
- The support and guidance he received
- Timothy provided guidance and support for future generations
This was the first of many events happening throughout the year in collaboration with HfL and we can’t wait for the next one!
