EQUITY , DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
My first impression of Sevenoaks was that the school has a great deal to be proud of in terms of its approach to Equity , Diversity and Inclusion . Nothing I have seen since has disabused me of that belief . The student body is incredibly diverse and , just as importantly , very inclusive . Kindness is at the heart of interactions here and the concept of justice is deeply entrenched in the school .
We are living in a key moment of transition when it comes to these fundamental concepts , as can be seen by recent movements such as Black Lives Matter , Me Too and Everyone ’ s Invited . When historians look back to assess the age , one of the broad themes they will surely note is the adjustment from a focus on equality towards equity . This shift acknowledges the fact that even when equal rights are afforded , some groups and individuals may still be left behind and thus reasonable adjustments must be made to allow everyone to reach their fullest potential .
Having published an Equity , Diversity and Inclusion Policy on our website which heralds our aims in this area , we next turned our attention to gauging the current school context . To coincide with Black History Month , we commissioned Flair , who promote the use of data to advance racial equity , to conduct a survey on race at Sevenoaks School . The findings have allowed us to concentrate on key areas which will ensure that every student feels fully supported . For example , we have committed to broadening the racial diversity of our staff as well as ensuring that both staff and students are trained in how to recognise and counter micro-aggressions .
Surveys are a useful tool in understanding the student experience , but we have also introduced more direct mechanisms . A number of EDI action groups have been formed to consider issues around race and nationality , LGBTQ +, sex , faith , and disability and neurodiversity . These are designed to ensure that staff and students can raise issues and suggest solutions to deal with them . Each meet twice termly and raise action points to be considered at the termly EDI Steering Group ( also made up of staff and students ) which holds the overview . Minutes from all meetings are available for all staff and students to read . It has been wonderful to see the passion and commitment that students and staff on these groups have demonstrated .
Dr Clare Ives
122 WELLBEING