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A diverse and inclusive curriculum at Queen Elizabeth’s School: our vision
At Queen Elizabeth’s School, we are proud to say that ours is a very diverse community, made up of pupils from many different backgrounds. With this QE Update, we are sharing with parents our new vision for a diverse and inclusive curriculum.
While the vision statement itself may be new, our determination to ensure that the QE curriculum is broad, inclusive and diverse is certainly not. We have, naturally, drawn inspiration from movements of recent years, including Black Lives Matter and Everyone’s Invited. Indeed, we invited Soma Sara, founder of Everyone’s Invited, to talk to the boys while Bold Voices have delivered staff training relating to gender inequality, sexual harassment and violence, and developing positive attitudes in pupils. But this a long-term project at QE: ours is very much a considered approach, rather than a hasty reaction to those movements.
At QE, we already celebrate, as we should, Black History Month, International Women's Day and LGBT History Month, yet this initiative goes much further than that. We have conducted an extensive collaborative exercise involving the Academic and Pastoral Strategy Group, our Heads of Subject, and our teaching staff generally, while extensive research was also undertaken.
This work is a key element in our overall School development planning and links to many of the priorities set out in our School plan, Building on Distinction. We envisage managing it over the four years of the plan and, indeed, beyond, as part of our ongoing curriculum work.
With best wishes
Neil Enright
Headmaster
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Deputy Head (Academic) Anne Macdonald, who is leading this work, explains…
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The work has three stages:
1) Articulation of our vision for a diverse and inclusive curriculum (now completed with the publication of this vision statement)
2) Audit of how our curriculum matches up to this vision (including, importantly, consultation with pupils)
3) Enacting change
The examples set out below show work at the beginning of stages 2 and 3 that has already been taking place in some academic departments. They have been making changes, where necessary, and embedding the principles now set out in the vision document to ensure that these are reflected in what is taught and learnt in our classrooms. Next, stages 2 and 3 will be rolled out across the full curriculum and by the School as a whole. Again, this will be thoughtful, research-based work.
In all of this, our intention is to enhance provision at QE and ensure that our curriculum is grounded in preparing and equipping the boys so that they may thrive in our modern world.
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ENGLISH
As a first step, diversifying texts
The texts used in English lessons are now more diverse. Year 7 are using Diverse Shorts – a publication designed to promote critical thinking that features a diverse range of authors. In addition, across Years 7–9, the choice of texts now includes many women among a range of voices that reflect a wider society. At GCSE, the department is seeking opportunities in the non-fiction and fiction unseen reading papers to use textual extracts that are drawn from a range of perspectives.
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THE QUEEN’S LIBRARY
Making its stock more diverse
Recognising that it had insufficient books written by authors featuring characters from diverse communities, the library last year submitted a successful bid for additional funding to address this issue, which, research has shown, is a nationwide problem. Over a 12-month period, it is building a collection which is more ethnically diverse, features LGBTQ+ characters, and covers themes that help pupils explore gender identity and mental health issues. To date, more than 100 high-quality titles have been purchased. |
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LATIN
A new course
A new Latin course using a textbook entitled Suburani is now being progressively introduced at the School, starting with the current Year 7. The book aims to present a more diverse and inclusive presentation of the classical world and takes as its setting the Subura, an area which housed the working-class, ordinary people of Rome, in contrast to the rich household of Caecilius, which was the setting of the previous textbook. |
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GEOGRAPHY
Preparing to audit and make change through staff training
The department underwent training offered by professional organisations to provide a basis for initial discussions and for an audit of the existing Geography curriculum. It established three aims for the future curriculum. It should: 1) use empowering language; 2) employ culturally responsive teaching approaches, and 3) improve representations of people and places by avoiding generalisations which are not critically engaged with and contextually explained. |
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HISTORY
Bringing diversity through new topics
Units studied in Years 7–9 have been modified to introduce more diversity by looking at new topics. At GCSE level, a new option unit, entitled Migration, provides a thematic study that will help pupils gain an understanding of how the identity of the people of Britain has been shaped by their interaction with the wider world. In addition, the department has introduced a project spanning all year groups to help them understand the importance of women throughout history.
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PHILOSOPHY, RELIGION AND SOCIETY
Audit and re-planning of the curriculum
The department conducted an audit and re-planned the PRS curriculum and classroom activities undertaken over recent years. Although by law, 50% of the curriculum should be focused on Christianity, by its nature the subject involves exploring diverse worldviews, cultures and peoples. At QE, boys study Christianity (in a British and global context), Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism and Daoism. Furthermore, the department seeks to cultivate an atmosphere of inclusivity through activities that encourage pupils to reflect and express their worldviews.
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Queen Elizabeth's School, Queen's Road, Barnet, Hertfordshire, EN5
4DQ
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