Equality, diversity and inclusion resources
º£½ÇÉçÇø’s guidance, resources and campaigns on equality, diversity and inclusion cover:
- Creating an inclusive culture:Ìýº£½ÇÉçÇø has partnered with ASCL to develop aÌýprogramme of e-learning modules intended to focus on creating an inclusive culture through practice, and going beyond compliance. In May 2023 we released the final module in the series, titled "Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: measuring impact".Ìý
- Governing board diversity:Ìýcomposition, recruitment and creating an inclusive environment
- The board’s role in encouraging diversity and ensuring equality:Ìýin determining ethos and culture; when recruiting executive and senior leaders; as employers of all staff; and in the direct impact on pupils (for example, oversight of the curriculum, monitoring of behaviour and exclusions, and outcomes)
- Increasing the number of volunteers from underrepresented groups: particularly people from Black, Asian or minority ethnicities and young people aged 40 and under that join governing boards.
Instilling a culture of EDI throughout your setting
The below resources are designed to provide insight, understanding and awareness to assist boards when having and navigating discussions around equality, diversity and inclusion and to empower boards to take action:
Increasing participation in school and trust governanceÌý- This report explores volunteer recruitment and retention through the lens of the experiences and views of governors and trustees from Black, Asian or minority ethnic backgrounds and young volunteers (aged under 40) alongside data from º£½ÇÉçÇø’s annual survey 2021 and a review of research from other sectors.ÌýRead the report on our research page.
Closing the gender pay gap in education (2021)Ìý-Ìýthis analysis exploresÌýthe gender pay gap differences across the educationÌýsector and whether there has been any progress in reducing the gap in recent years. The analysis was conducted by WomenEd, ASCL, NAHT and º£½ÇÉçÇø.ÌýRead the analysis on our research page.
Right people around the tableÌý- this updated guidanceÌýprovides practical advice to help ensure that your board has the right blend of knowledge, skills, perspectives and backgrounds to govern effectively.ÌýRead the guidance.
Skills auditÌý- the 2021 skills audit now providesÌýthose governing with an opportunity to evaluate their experience and understanding of the communities they serve and their capacity to lead an inclusive culture.ÌýFind out more in the Knowledge Centre.
Tools to support equality, diversity and inclusionÌý- º£½ÇÉçÇø hasÌýcollated a variety of tools to help boards evaluate the effectiveness of their strategies for promoting equality, diversity and inclusion.ÌýGo to the Knowledge Centre.
Statement of intent onÌýequality, diversity and inclusion in educationÌý- º£½ÇÉçÇø isÌýa co-signatory to the sector-led statement of action and commitments published in September 2022.ÌýView theÌýStatement of Intent.
Everyone on BoardÌý- º£½ÇÉçÇø'sÌýEveryone on Board campaign aims to address historic underrepresentation of young people and people from ethnic minorities in school governance to improve outcomes for all pupils.Ìý
The Young Governors’ Network (YGN) -Ìýº£½ÇÉçÇø'sÌýYoung Governors’ NetworkÌýsupports and encourages young governors and trustees under 40 to share their experiences, address challenges and opportunities and create relevant and sustainable connections. YGN hosts termly virtual meetings which provide an informal opportunity for young governors and trustees to network and discuss their roles.Ìý
Board diversity and inclusion resources
A governing board needs a balance and diversity of volunteers with different skills, experiences, backgrounds, perspectives and attributes to fulfil its role effectively. It helps more robust discussions to take place and better decisions to be made. When the people around the table come from different places and think different things there is sufficient challenge which ensures better decisions are made in the interests of all pupils.ÌýVisit our Everyone on Board campaign pageÌýto find out more about board diversity statistics and the benefits of a diverse board.
º£½ÇÉçÇø guidance and resources Ìý
- Diversity IndicatorsÌý-ÌýThe º£½ÇÉçÇø diversity indicatorsÌýform can be used by governing boards in all types of school structures to gather diversity data on their membership and use this to inform discussion and action.Ìý
- The Right People Around the TableÌý– a guide to recruiting and retaining school governors and trustees
- Skills auditÌý–Ìýhelps governing boards to identify where they need to develop knowledge, skills and behaviour to deliver their functions effectively.
- Increasing participation in school and trust governanceÌý–ÌýaÌýstate of the nation report on recruiting and retaining volunteers from underrepresented backgrounds.
- Model role descriptionsÌý– role descriptions for chairs, governors, trustees, governance professionals and clerks to help introduce volunteers to the role
- Virtual governance resourcesÌý– find out how virtual governance and the future of a blended approach to board meetings can support recruitment and inclusion
- School and trust governance in 2022Ìý– find out the latest information on board diversity, recruitment challenges, composition and practices of all school governance volunteers.Ìý
- Recruiting and retaining governors and trustees: An increasing challenge for governing boardsÌý– This webinar explores why good governance requires diverse governing boards, and how to achieve this, as well as, the scale and nature of the recruitment challenge using data from the 2022 Annual Governance Survey
Other resources
- Ìý– a series of free webcasts with governors and trustees sharing their experience and tips on a range of topics including board recruitment and board inclusion
- Ìý– sets out the expectations and requirements of boards in relation to equality, diversity and inclusion