Will le Fleming, Head of The Abbey recently updated alumnae and the school community on the School’s response to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) campaign and the issues of diversity and inclusion more widely.

As many of you will know, a large group of current students and alumnae wrote to the School over the summer with a range of suggestions all aimed at ensuring The Abbey plays its part in the positive change needed in society – in the words of that request, asking that the School ‘actively strives’ towards racial equality and ‘to enact change’.

We are determined to do that and to build that change on humility; on listening; and on a deeper understanding of both direct and indirect barriers to equality. We want our response to be committed, fundamental and long-lasting and to avoid any superficial initiatives that fail to address concerns properly and in-depth.

We have already made some commitments: to a curriculum review; to active listening to current and former members of our community; and to a public list of undertakings. We have clarified these commitments into four linked initiatives as the next stage in our response:

• This term we will introduce a Skills 4 Life curriculum unit (part of our Personal, Social, Health and Economic education) for all Senior School year groups and continue to develop related learning for all students in Nursery and Junior School that is responsive, not instructive; that asks what students think and feel and what their experiences are; and seeks out the widest and clearest range of student voices.
• We will also begin a curriculum review looking at ways in which the curriculum may obscure or avoid key areas that provide varied perspectives across race, gender and other areas of diversity, and seeking new opportunities to address and develop these themes.
• We will create a Diversity and Inclusion team with representatives from the staff and student body to consider the outcomes from the student voice exercise and from the curriculum review and make recommendations to the leadership team. The team will also make recommendations on other vital issues such as diversity in student and staff recruitment; education in areas such as micro-aggression and unconscious bias; and engagement with partner organisations.
• We are engaged in a governance review to ensure this approach is fully reflected in the leadership provided by our governing body and to support specific initiatives in this area.

Our intention is to work with the Diversity and Inclusion team to produce the public list of commitments for the School with a clear sense of timescale to which we may be held accountable.

Not all of the measures we are adopting are immediate, but the resolve underpinning them and determination to introduce lasting change is in effect now among all of you and among students and the whole School community. We are committed to acting on that resolve and to seeing this through both swiftly and durably.

As we take these steps there are a host of ways we can be ensuring the conversation and learning at School respects and reflects diversity and inclusion. One immediate avenue for this is Black History Month across October, to which we look forward as an opportunity to explore, think and discuss issues from recent and more remote history that remain as powerful and relevant as ever today.

The heart of an inclusive community is the respect and support all its members show to one another and the kindness – literally the sense of universal kinship – on which the community is based. As a School we undertake to do all we can to live up to our values of courage, honesty and kindness as we address these vital issues.

With best wishes,

Will le Fleming
Head