A Journey Towards an Anti-Racist Curriculum
Professor Charlotte Williams in her report to Welsh Government in March 2021, highlighted the need for schools to engage with models of anti-racist practice. This has formed part of the Welsh Government's Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan, to achieve a Wales that is anti-racist by 2030. In line with this plan, Jubilee Park Primary School has pioneered a whole school approach to tackling racism.
The school’s journey to becoming an anti-racist school began with individual members of staff reflecting upon their personal experiences, identifying their unconscious and conscious bias and sharing their insights with colleagues. Reading around the subject helped staff to better understand the processes and theories of prejudice and discrimination.
When developing the curriculum content and delivery, teachers now carefully consider whether they are presenting a stereotypical view of ethnic and national cultural traditions. This helps build an authentic view of people as they really are and avoids reinforcing or creating racial prejudice.
Context
The school community has grown rapidly since opening in September 2017, increasing from 116 pupils and 16 staff to 374 pupils and over 50 staff.
Within the school 78% of pupils are white British. There are 25 ethnic categories represented within the school community. Eighty pupils are not White British, which is the equivalent to nearly three classes. Twenty-eight pupils have English as an additional language. The staff at Jubilee Park Primary are predominantly white British.
Both written and video material have been provided by the school.