Our workshops are tailored to address the most pressing challenges in schools, guided by historical context, data, and continuous feedback from educators, parents, students, and institutions yourselves.
Racial Inclusion Training for Staff
WHY CHOOSE ACEN AND OUR COLLABORATIVE, FACILITATOR-LED TRAINING?
We know, through feedback, that this work is most impactful when everyone is engaged in the conversation and feels safe to ask questions. Our team is skilled at facilitating these collaborative discussions, in acknowledgment that the space to discuss race is rare, and usually happens in spaces of debate, rather than dialogue.
Each team member brings a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by different educational settings, whether state or independent, junior or senior, helping to guide participants in addressing issues with empathy, knowledge, and confidence.
In addition, they offer diverse perspectives that span all levels of the school community—from Trustees and Governors to Senior Leadership Teams and classroom staff—while always incorporating the crucial insights of the lived experiences of racially minoritised students and parents.
To evidence this, a selection of testimonials for staff training can be found at the bottom of this page.
TRAINING FOR ALL STAFF (INCLUDING BUSINESS & SUPPORT)
The Rationale for Racial Inclusion
Content:
- Black British history and omission
- The history of race, racism & and it’s legacy
- Racial inequality & inequity
- The institutional case for anti-racism and the benefits of racial inclusion for all
Duration: 60 – 75 mins
Format: Presentation and open forum
Let’s Just Talk about Race: Towards Racial Literacy, Confidence, and Competence
Content:
- Racial literacy
- Terminology
- Facilitating informed conversations about race and racism
- Understanding common microaggressions and their impacts
The microaggressions in the workshops can be informed by staff, students, and/or those that ACEN facilitators commonly come across, both inside & outside of the school environment.
We strongly recommend that all workshops include the presentation ‘The Rationale for Racial Inclusion’ to contextualise thinking which aids workshop participation. Timings will be adjusted if procured together and suggested timings will then be 45 minutes for the presentation and 60-75 minutes for the workshop.
Duration: 75 – 90 mins
Format: Group workshops
Cultural Competency and Situational Bias
Content:
- Understanding bias across the education sector
- Understanding where bias can occur within an institution
- Cultural sensitivity & competency
- Understanding where a lack of cultural competency can impact bias and decision-making (Classroom, HR & Admissions)
We strongly recommend that all workshops include the presentation ‘The Rationale for Racial Inclusion’ to contextualise thinking which aids workshop participation. Timings will be adjusted if procured together and suggested timings will then be 45 minutes for the presentation and 60-75 minutes for the workshop.
Duration: 75 – 90 mins
Format: Group workshops
From Bystander to Upstander Intervention
This session consisting of a short presentation and a case study-based interactive workshop will allow staff to work through multiple forms of discrimination examples and the concepts of allyship and upstander intervention.
The scenario-based examples can be informed by staff, students, and/or those that ACEN facilitators commonly come across, both inside and outside of the school environment.
We strongly recommend that all workshops include the presentation ‘The Rationale for Racial Inclusion’ to contextualise thinking which aids workshop participation.
In addition, we recommend that this training occurs after or alongside the ‘Let’s Just Talk about Race: Towards Racial Literacy, Confidence, and Competence’ workshop, so that participants have gained the confidence to recognise and challenge the more subtle forms of discrimination that largely constitute the issues reported in education settings.
Timings will be adjusted if all three are procured together and suggested timings will then be 45 minutes for the presentation and 75-120 minutes for the workshop.
Duration: 75 – 90 mins
Format: Group workshops
TRAINING FOR GOVERNORS & SLT
Understanding & Strategically Planning EDI
Content
- Recognising EDI strands and needs relevant to your setting
- Understanding and communicating the business case and benefits of EDI to different stakeholders within your setting
- Utilising data
- Strategy guidance
- Metric setting and progress measurement
- Facilitated SLT, Department, Student & Parent conversations – On request
Duration: 120 min meeting – After prior background research conducted
STAFF TRAINING TESTIMONIALS
ACEN attended our school for an INSET session to help inform our staff and improve the level of racial literacy within the teaching body. The workshop sessions conducted by ACEN were invaluable in our pursuit to understand the intricacies and impact of microaggressions within racial contexts. The comprehensive content covered various aspects, from identifying and addressing subtle microaggressions to understanding their profound implications on individuals and the broader community.
The training sessions exceeded our expectations. The facilitators skillfully navigated through complex concepts, creating an engaging and safe space for discussions. As a result, our team gained a deeper understanding of how seemingly innocuous behaviours or comments can have lasting effects, fostering a more inclusive environment. The expertise and depth of knowledge demonstrated by the trainers was remarkable. Their ability to connect with our teachers, encouraging open dialogue while ensuring sensitivity to diverse perspectives was truly commendable. Their approachability and adeptness in handling nuanced discussions were pivotal in making the sessions impactful. In summary, the training provided by ACEN was incredibly powerful. It equipped us with the knowledge and tools necessary to recognise and address microaggressions effectively. I wholeheartedly recommend their services to any organisation seeking to create a more inclusive and understanding environment.
Headteacher
The children and staff really valued the sessions and that you gave them all a safe space to talk, discuss, and think. It has made the children and staff more aware and more thoughtful about racial inclusion, and this is part of our school development plan as we are aware one training and one session for the children is not enough.
We would really like to continue to work with you and I would be happy to even look at working with younger children.
Both you (Shola) and Aisha were approachable, thoughtful, honest and kind which really makes the difference when conversations can feel tricky. I would like to say a big thank you for that. I feel that everyone wished we could have had longer.
Headteacher
ACEN’s whole-staff session exploring the rationale for anti-racism in a school setting was illuminating and thought-provoking. Through her clear explanations and engaging delivery that combined lived experience with historical oversight, Aisha engaged a diverse audience of teaching and operational staff. Afterward, I received so many comments about it being one of the most valuable INSET sessions staff had ever been to and lots of questions about when the follow-up workshops would be. Thank you ACEN and Aisha for such an inspiring session.
Head of Upper School & EDI
Any school serious about focusing on matters of racial equity and justice could do no better than the scholarly, articulate and authentic voice of ACEN. The presenters wowed our staff with their approachability, the workshops and main presentations allowing a space for dialogue and reflection. ACEN’s guidance and training has allowed new impetus and energy in our engagement not only with Black History Month but, just as importantly, with a reappraisal of our whole curriculum. Their help has been paradigm shifting.
I know from staff’s response after the sessions that they feel more empowered to have difficult conversations, to be more articulate and informed about issues relating to race. Dr Shola Apena Rogers’ keynote speech was spectacular. Her highly impactful slide on changing Eurocentric displays to embrace greater diversity hit home for a lot of my colleagues. For us, the initial training showed us the journey we need to continue to travel with our students and staff. We couldn’t have better guides than ACEN.
Head of EDI
The INSET session was focussed upon reviewing how we have got to where we are now in society combined with practical strategies to support our commitment to being an anti-racist school. The guidance ranged from how in we can ensure every day practice is anti-racist in our terms of language and culture and moreover ensuring the structural systems within our school such as assessment, curriculum, enrichment and pastoral support are all fully inclusive.
Through the training session the team have been able to reflect on their practice with a more confident anti-racist stance. Shola was able to give clarity to our history and give guidance for our future. Shola created a safe space where difficult topics where explored and therefore built confidence within the team to have greater racial literacy, encouraging us to have the skills and knowledge to talk thoughtfully about race and racism.
Headteacher – Prep School
The workshops were brilliant and have provided us with a great deal to think about and follow up on. All of the facilitators communicated the messages with such clarity, with reflections on personal experience as well as the broader historical and societal picture, and encouraged staff to contribute, ask questions and be fully involved with and challenged by the material presented. A number of colleagues have fed back to me on how useful they found the session and the effective departmental conversations it stimulated. The workshops brought lived experience – and therefore a powerful pupil/colleague-centred approach – to their centre as a powerful frame for the anti-racism work we are continuing to build and develop.
EDI Lead
A huge thank you for the incredible training this morning – Aisha and Justice were just brilliant and the open and honest conversations that they facilitated with our staff were amazing to observe. Every member of staff commented on how much they enjoyed the session today.
Headteacher
Open, authentic and knowledgeable. Quick responses to questions from delegates and great to have the background on topics – showed credibility and gave context and understanding to how and why there are deep rooted issues we are trying to tackle….Those ECTs who have attended have been overwhelmingly positive about the training and impact.
Director of Training