Training & Consultation Services for Educators

OUR EXPERTISE

Our network includes a range of training professionals, teachers, and senior leaders. As such, our work and training are not only research-informed but also utilise the collective expertise, professional insights, and lived experiences of our network and core team.

To date, we have trained, consulted, and worked with schools, universities, and private organisations (over 15,000 students, teachers, and professionals trained with an average feedback score of 9.4 out of 10) in areas such as racial equality, racial literacy, microaggressions, and the business case for racial inclusion specific to each industry or setting.

Our approach is comprehensive, covering admissions, HR, and policy, as well as providing training for students, teachers, senior leadership teams (SLT), and governors. We recognise that there is no one-size-fits-all approach, and our recommendations are tailored to each educational setting, depending on where they are in their racial inclusion journey.

THE ACEN JOURNEY

In response to a series of open letters sent to schools by students and alumni detailing experiences of racism, ACEN members requested that we contact a large number of independent and grammar schools in June 2020. This collective effort aimed to address issues of racial inclusion and offer solutions to create actively anti-racist learning environments for students and staff alike.

The resulting conversations were largely similar, with schools sharing the same challenges, misunderstandings, and, in some cases, fears. Many schools initially rushed to procure unconscious bias training, with many realising that such a narrow focus has limited success and racial inclusion work cannot be effective if delivered in silos, outside part of a wider integration framework.

As a result, and to help schools undertake this work in an achievable, sustainable, and evidence-based manner, we have created a comprehensive anti-racism framework that directly addresses the issues communicated by thousands of students, parents, alumni, and teachers across the country.

Since our inception, we have grown to include a national network of over 8,000 Black parents, students, teachers, and professionals. Our network also consists of engaged schools, universities, companies, and professionals committed to providing racially equitable opportunities for Black members of their communities.

In addition, whilst in the past our focus has been on independent and grammar schools, with racial equity via systems change at the heart of what we do, we have expanded our focus to include all academic institutions.