BME (Black and Minority Ethnic)– also often referred to as BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) – describes those from cultural backgrounds other than White British, which in the UK is the majority ethnic group.
National data shows that although many BME children perform as well as and sometimes better than their majority ethnic peers, progress slows from the end of KS2 onwards and there is significant underachievement at KS3 and KS4.
Black heritage pupils are also over represented in school exclusions.
For these reasons schools are required to monitor this group as a ‘vulnerable cohort’.
Resources:
- Posters of BAME women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths here and here
- Race equality books here
CARGO – Key Stage 3 Black History Resources for Teachers
We’re delighted to flag up these NEW, free resources for secondary teachers, to diversify the KS3 History curriculum; the creators welcome feedback! For further info: https://cargomovement.org/classroom/
Britain’s first female Black Headteacher – Yvonne Connolly, RIP
We were very sad to hear of the recent death of Yvonne Connolly, who featured in our Autumn 2020 Better Bilingual e-newsletter – described as a “remarkable trailblazing educator and a wonderfully supportive woman” by former Times Education Supplement editor, Ann Mroz. Read more here:
Tributes flood in for Yvonne Connolly, Britain’s first black headteacher, after her death
Black Lives Matter
As schools do their best to support pupils and families to understand and manage the aftermath of the tragic death of George Floyd in the US, Better Bilingual would like to highlight some new and historic resources to help with the #BLM agenda. Check out this BME page regularly for a variety of recommended Race Equality resources to use with children and families.
Parents’ Guide to Black Lives Matter –
This highly recommended guide includes ‘Resources, Activities and Tips for Families to empower children to work towards racial equality’. It could be equally useful for supporting teachers and school leaders as well as parents and carers.
Black Lives Matter: 500 Words Competition 2020
How did your school or organisation celebrate Black History Month 2020, in this historic year for Black Lives Matter? Stephen and Catherine participated as judges in the annual BBC Radio 2 500 Words Competition which this year asked for contributions inspired by Black Lives Matter. If your school participated, we’d love to hear feedback on how the children engaged with this.
Black History Month – Recommended resources for schools from October 2020
Perhaps you’ve embedded diversity into your school curriculum all year round (the ideal!) or you plan to use some Black History Month resources at other times. A few of the resources we love and recommend from this year are:
- A fascinating 4-minute video about Yvonne Connolly who became Britain’s first female black headteacher in 1969
- A detailed Guardian article about our very own local hero, Paul Stephenson, organiser of the Bristol Bus Boycott
Whether for a teaching focus on history, autobiography or equality – or for a staff training session, perhaps – we recommend both of these excellent resources for encouraging reflection and sparking useful debates.
Click here to read our ideas on how to celebrate Black History month this October
BME Training Opportunities