The school’s work to promote equality and diversity.
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- Information about the school/provider
- Context and background to the effective or innovative practice
- Description of the nature of the strategy or activity
- What impact has this work had on provision and outcomes for learners and/or their families?
- How have you shared your good practice in the school, the sector and beyond?
Information about the school/provider
Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf is a Welsh-medium secondary school which serves communities across the city of Cardiff. The school has 1,498 pupils between 11 and 18 years old on roll, of which 313 are sixth-form pupils. Around 7.2% of the school’s pupils are eligible for free school meals and 49.1% of pupils come from Welsh-speaking homes.
Context and background to the effective or innovative practice
Ysgol Glantaf has seen a significant demographic shift over the past decade, with the number of pupils from global majority backgrounds increasing significantly. This change has led to a period of reflection and evaluating the school’s inclusion policies, along with its curricular provision, to ensure that the experiences, identities and voices of all pupils are acknowledged and represented appropriately. This was most evident in the context of pupils’ experiences during lessons, the way in which they were not included or reflected in provision but also, when they were included, the references were negative or referred to difficulties in terms of racism, prejudice or shame. At times, set books, or the themes themselves, were used clumsily and inappropriately, highlighting discrimination or stereotyping by the teachers themselves. Pupils were empowered to speak up, not through direct discussions with the school initially, but rather in forums with pupils from similar backgrounds from local English-medium schools. By providing staff with direct and honest feedback, this led to scrutiny and planning of new provision and themes that were more contemporary and inclusive in nature. This was particularly true in terms of celebrating a more integrated and holistic Welsh identity, which is a more fitting reflection of the school community.
Within this context, the school also developed a clear vision to ensure that girls feel confident and empowered, by giving them opportunities to succeed, lead and see themselves and future leaders and influencers. The school was keen to create a culture where gender equality is promoted actively and where the ambitions and aspirations of girls are nurtured and celebrated. At the same time, the school identified a concerning trend among a minority of learners in terms of misogynistic and sexist views, which often stemmed from online content and social media influences. As a result, a clear and effective approach was developed to challenge misogyny and sexism in all their forms, ensuring a consistent and educational response that aligned with the school’s inclusive values.
Description of the nature of the strategy or activity
1. Develop an inclusive and representative curriculum
The school focused on ensuring an inclusive curriculum in which all learners are able to recognise themselves and their own experiences in what it taught. This involved reviewing the content of the curriculum to avoid a flawed model when discussing race, ethnicity or religion and, instead, promoting an approach that celebrates diversity and values the contributions of all communities. Particular attention was given to ensuring that the contribution of individuals from global majority backgrounds to the history and culture of Wales are reflected appropriately and meaningfully across the areas of learning.
2. Develop the confidence and ability of staff
The school worked in partnership with DARPL to develop staff’s understanding, confidence and expertise. Through a series of professional learning sessions and reflective discussions, staff were supported to discuss sensitive and challenging issues with learners in an informed and sensitive manner, while also strengthening their ability to adopt an anti-racist stance across all aspects of the school’s life and work. This means challenging institutional prejudice and staff challenging themselves to check their own understanding and stereotypes. This ensures greater consistency in the way in which staff responded to issues relating to racism, prejudice and inclusion.
3. A project to empower girls and develop leadership
The school developed a specific project to empower girls within the school improvement plan, with the aim of nurturing confidence, ambition and leadership skills. This included a series of workshops which focused on developing the self-confidence, voice and resilience of girls. Additionally, 28 pupils were provided with a unique international experience through a visit to Malaysia, where they were given opportunities to meet and work with other learners and leaders. The impact of this project continues through its legacy in terms of leadership opportunities, sharing experiences and strengthening the aspirations of girls across the school community.
4. An unflinching focus on challenging prejudice through education, in addition to sanctions
The school adopted a more consistent method of recording and responding to racist incidents. This involved recording incidents accurately and setting a graduated response to incidents which included teaching and individual reflection, alongside imposing a sanction, where appropriate. This involved conducting restorative and reflective meetings with pupils (and their parents) to teach empathy and intelligent responses to incidents involving hate crime.
What impact has this work had on provision and outcomes for learners and/or their families?
- The review of the curriculum has led to more inclusive and representative provision, where learners see their identities, experiences and communities reflected more clearly in their learning. This has contributed to a stronger sense of belonging and pride among learners from diverse backgrounds, while also broadening each learner’s understanding of the history, culture and contributions of diverse communities to Wales and the world.
- Professional learning has strengthened staff’s ability to respond confidently and consistently to issues relating to racism, prejudice and discrimination. As a result, the school has developed a more open culture where discussions about equality, identity and social justice are a natural part of school life, and learners are more willing to discuss and challenge harmful views.
- Work to empower girls has had a particularly positive effect on learners’ confidence and aspirations. Through workshops, leadership opportunities and international experiences, girls have developed more confidence in their own ability and have broadened their understanding of their potential as future leaders.
- A graduated approach to responding to racist incidents ensures consistency for victims, in addition to the understanding that such issues are investigated fully and taken seriously. The step of teaching and reflection is key to ensuring that attitudes are challenged, that the rationale behind punishments and sanctions is understood and valued, and that similar behaviour is not repeated.
How have you shared your good practice in the school, the sector and beyond?
The changes to the curriculum and the wider work on inclusion have been shared with the CYDAG forum, including a presentation to the CYDAG Deputy Headteacher network on the strategies developed and the effect that was seen. Work on empowering girls has also been shared with other schools through ‘Gyda’n Gilydd’ workshops, highlighting the approaches used to develop girls’ confidence, leadership and aspirations.