Whole School Approach to Racism and Racist Incidents - equality impact assessment

Equality Impact Assessment for A Whole School Approach to Addressing Racism and Racist Incidents

Title of policy:

Whole School Approach to Racism and Racist Incidents

Summary of aims and desired outcomes of Policy:

This guidance has been designed to assist schools and local authorities to implement a consistent and robust approach to addressing and responding to racism and racist incidents in schools. Robust policies and practices in this area play an important role in upholding children’s rights and in supporting the health and wellbeing of all members of a school community. A whole school approach to racism and racist incidents will support schools to:

• Positively influence school culture by fostering a shared, consistent approach to addressing racism and racist incidents
• Develop a shared understanding of what racism is and how everyone in a school community has a role to play in challenging racism
• Consider how all areas of school life can contribute to and support the school’s anti-racist approach.
• Challenge traditional structures that can perpetuate racism and uphold disadvantage to some communities over others. For example, systems or policies around equalities, relationships and behaviour, or school uniform can unequally impact adversely realised children and young people or allow racism to go unchallenged. This can be an unintended outcome of existing policies or structures. The guidance sets out examples of how this might happen, as well as how schools can consider their existing structures and policies to ensure that all school systems and policies support a whole school approach to antiracism.

The guidance is part of the Relationships and behaviour in schools national action plan. It incorporates the Addressing racism and racist incidents guidance, which was published in June 2025 to provide support for schools in responding to racist incidents between pupils. The Whole School Approach incorporates this previous guidance, and additionally provides guidance on:

• Creating a whole school antiracist environment and ethos, including: school culture and ethos; curriculum, teaching and learning; professional learning and development; and policies and systems.
• Racist incidents experienced by school staff
• Racist incidents experienced by parents, carers, and families in a school setting

Directorate: Learning Directorate

Division: Improvement, Attainment and Wellbeing

Team: Health and wellbeing