Leeds equality programme to be launched nationally by the government

A race equality programme established and developed in Leeds schools is to be launched nationally after wowing the government with its successes.

The secretary of state for children, schools and families, Ed Balls MP, will visit Leeds on Friday (22 January) for the national launch of the Stephen Lawrence Education Standard after being impressed at the Stephen Lawrence awards he attended last year.

**********MEDIA OPPORTUNITY**********
Media are invited to the national launch of the Stephen Lawrence Education Standard, by the secretary of state for children, schools and families, Ed Balls MP, at the Royal Armouries between 9.45am and 4pm on Friday 22 January. Ed Balls MP will make a speech at 12.30pm and Doreen Lawrence OBE will make a speech at 2.10pm. Please contact Jon Crampton on 0113 3951577 or email jon.crampton@leeds.gov.uk to confirm attendance.
**********MEDIA OPPORTUNITY**********

He will be joined by Doreen Lawrence OBE, director of the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust and mother of Stephen Lawrence, the teenager killed in London in 1993.

Developed by Education Leeds in 2003, the standard is awarded to schools, early years centres and colleges which demonstrate knowledge, understanding and evidence of promoting inclusion and race equality to help transform education. Around 75 per cent of Leeds’ 264 schools have already achieved the award, with many more working towards it.

The national launch means the Leeds-based programme will be available to schools up and down the country. Over 315 delegates from local authorities and partners from across England will gather at Saviles Hall at the Royal Armouries and have the opportunity to talk to Leeds schools which have achieved the standard. There will also be performances and presentations by children and young people from schools across Leeds including ‘Eva’s Story’ by Rawdon St Peter’s C of E Primary School, which looks at lessons learnt from the Holocaust, and ‘Leadership for Global Citizenship’, by Otley Prince Henry’s Grammar School.

There will be a number of speeches during the day from the chief executive of Education Leeds, Chris Edwards; Rehana Minhas, director of equality and entitlement at Education Leeds; Teresa Clark, who leads the equality mainstreaming team at the DCSF; the Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Judith Elliott; and Louise Crumbie, chair of the Stephen Lawrence Education Standard Partnership.

Councillor Richard Harker, executive board member for learning at Leeds City Council, said:
“It’s a fantastic achievement for the Stephen Lawrence Education Standard to be recognised in this way. It was developed to promote the importance of treating everyone equally and continues the city’s proud tradition of celebrating diversity. The standard encourages children and young people to treat everyone with respect and it’s excellent news that it will benefit other schools across the country.”

Chris Edwards, chief executive of Education Leeds, said:
”The Stephen Lawrence Education Standard has been an amazing success. Through inspiring education, the standard promotes the importance of inclusion and equality to children and young people. Now, as a result of the brilliant work carried out in Leeds, the Stephen Lawrence award will help to enrich learning and embed a culture of equality in schools across the country.”

Ed Balls, the secretary of state for children, schools and families, said:
"Schools have a key role to play in building a fair, integrated and tolerant society for all children growing up in Britain today. I believe a Stephen Lawrence Education Award is a sign of a good school. It means they’re committed to doing all they can to show that racism has no place in their school and that pupils understand different cultures and backgrounds.

“Winning a Stephen Lawrence Education Award is a great achievement and I congratulate all of the schools, teachers and pupils who are leading the way in Leeds.”

The Stephen Lawrence Education Standard was developed in partnership between Education Leeds, Leeds City Council and black and minority community representatives in response to the death of Stephen Lawrence in 1993 and the publication of the MacPherson Inquiry Report six years later.

ENDS

Notes to editors:
The 12 criteria of the Stephen Lawrence Education Standard are:
• A whole school approach.
• School self-evaluation.
• A written race equality policy.
• Written anti-racist and anti-bullying policies, with clear procedures to deal with racial harassment and bullying.
• An effective approach to monitoring and responding to racist incidents.
• An inclusive policy on the procedures for pupil admissions, assessment and transfer.
• A written policy for involving parents, carers and the community in working with and supporting the school.
• An inclusive curriculum which positively reflects a culturally and religiously diverse society, promotes race equality, and prepares pupils to become responsible citizens.
• An effective monitoring process of black and minority ethnic pupils, particularly to academic attainment and exclusions. Target should be set for improvement for all groups of children.
• The effective monitoring of staff recruitment, staff development and governors appointments, with targets for recruitment from ethnic minority groups.
• Mandatory anti-racist training for all staff and governors.
• Race equality and community cohesion action plans.

For media enquiries please contact:
Jon Crampton, Leeds City Council press office, 0113 3951577
Email: jon.crampton@leeds.gov.uk