Teach Primary Issue 19.5

issue is critical to protecting the lives of Black and Brown children. There is a lot of work being done on developing curriculum, and embedding diversity and inclusion in teaching. This is a good thing, of course, but we need to do more. Some schools are further ahead with this journey than others, but it is deeply heartening to see progress, with the Curriculum and Assessment Review Interim Report (2025) noting that ‘the Review will seek to deliver a curriculum that reflects the issues and diversities of our society, ensuring all children and young people are represented, and also exposed to a wide range of perspectives that serve to broaden their horizons’ . Many teams underwent unconscious bias training following George Floyd, which again, is a good thing, but the real work comes in putting this into everyday practice. Knowing and understanding our own unconscious biases is the first step. Recognising this in practice is a whole other skill, which leaders must prioritise. I f safeguarding is the practice of protecting a person’s health, wellbeing, and human rights, ensuring they live free from harm, abuse, and neglect, then when it comes to racism as a safeguarding issue – our sector needs to do better. The Child Safeguarding Practice Review (2025) explains how there’s still a worrying lack of focus on ethnicity, culture and race in safeguarding practices. This results in a lack of critical analysis and reflection on how racial bias can negatively impact decision-making and the support and services offered to children. It notes a pervasive silence and refusal to admit and address the manifestations of racism; a silence which then hinders the safeguarding of Black and Brown children, and makes them vulnerable to risk of harm. It is the responsibility of educators to ensure that all children receive the same care, vigilance, and access to rights, and naming racism as a safeguarding Racial illiteracy and the adultification of Black and Brown pupils diminishes their rights as children, and hinders their access to equal safeguarding measures. Adultification is when the ‘ notions of innocence and vulnerability are not afforded to certain children ,’ (Davis and Marsh, 2020); it is the process of treating and viewing children as if they are adults, leading to harsher punishments and less leniency than would typically be given to peers. As an example, Black girls are disproportionately likely to be excluded or suspended from school, despite the fact they do not engage in more disruptive behaviour than other pupils (Perrin, 2023). The consequences of this are far-reaching and damaging for life, deeply impacting children’s mental health and self-esteem. Research has shown harsher punishments for Black children kissing their teeth compared to a white peer tutting or rolling their eyes, too. This is rooted in racial bias against Black pupils, and can lead to targeted harassment of Black pupils from educators who are not racially literate. This is also seen when working with the wider community. Describing families as ‘hard to reach’ is wrong; it is not the families who are hard to reach, it is the school. It is educators’ job to make school easier to reach for parents and carers. So, what’s the solution? Great safeguarding and behaviour practice is one where educators do not work in isolation – it requires a multifaceted approach centred around collaboration and strong culture of professional curiosity. However, homogenous teams can also become an echo chamber; the quality of the support for pupils will be capped at their collective knowledge. Quite simply, teams must be diversified, so that the practice is the best it can be. Black and Brown leaders, teachers, learners and communities should have the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the life of the school. Anti-racism should be in every school curriculum vision, every school development plan, and be at the forefront of every team’s priorities. Without it, we cannot as a sector even begin to make a dent in the systematic structures that allow racism to continue to thrive, both directly and indirectly, in our country. TP Sarah Wordlaw is a primary headteacher and leader of teaching and learning. Sarah Wordlaw Let’s be real: racism is a safety issue for children @smwordlaw.bsky.social VO I C E S As educators, it’s our responsibility to speak up for those who are systematically left voiceless... www.teachwire.net | 13