Excited to let you all know about The Pledge for Schools which will be launching June 16th. It is a commitment schools sign up to, to work towards creating a welcoming environment and conditions in which Gypsy, Traveller, Roma, Showmen and Boater (GTRSB) pupils can stay resilient and thrive academically. It contains actions such as building a supporting and welcoming culture for GTRSB pupils, data monitoring of GTRSB pupils and staff, cultural awareness training for staff, including GTRSB history and culture on the curriculum, having a named contact point for GTRSB pupils and outreach and engagement to local GTRSB communities.Come and hear what The Pledge contains, how it is working in a signed up school, and from practitioners in Traveller education, as well as from community members as to why the Pledge is needed.
Chaired by Dr Carol Rogers, Senior Lecturer in Education, Buckinghamshire University, the speakers are
Introduction, Baroness Janet Whitaker, co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Gypsies, Roma and Travellers, and Chair of the Department of Education’s Gypsy and Traveller Stakeholder Group.
Margaret Greenfields, Anglia Ruskin University, explaining what the Pledge contains.
Colleen Roper, from Future4Fairgrounds.
Jassy Powles and her son Jem Purry, from the Boater community.
Rosa Cisneros, artist-researcher and film maker (Coventry University and RosaSenCis Films).
Martin Gallagher, Irish Traveller and academic at Northumbria University.
Sally Barter, Romany, GRT Schools’ link officer for the London Borough of Hillingdon, one of the pilot areas who have received the recent £1m government funding for Traveller education.
Sadie Barter, Romany Gypsy young person, talking about her experiences at school.
Paula Strachan, Head of St Teresa’s school, Darlington, signatory to the Pledge, talking about good practice at the school. St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School serves a diverse community with 54% of pupils from an ethnic minority group. The school and Paula’s leadership are used by the Catholic Education Service as a role model for schools with a diverse community and those with a high percentage of GRT pupils. Paula is regularly asked to speak about inclusion including recently providing oral evidence to the Education Select Committee regarding GRT barriers to education.
Liffy Bond, the Anti-bullying Alliance, talking about the Alliance’s Gypsy and Traveller Anti-Bullying project and audit tool.
Questions can be asked of the panel in the remaining time.