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Equality diversity and inclusion

Our commitment 

NAHT is dedicated to promoting equality for all its members, and this commitment is enshrined in NAHT’s constitution. 

NAHT’s work on equality is overseen by our diversity and inclusion group, a sub-committee of NAHT’s national executive.

NAHT’s role

Our equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) work is centred around three aspects:

  1. Supporting our members as leaders: as school leaders, NAHT members are ideally positioned to create inclusive learning and working environments for all their pupils and staff, one which welcomes diversity and champions equality. NAHT’s role is to empower our members with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to do this effectively. 
     
  2. Supporting our members as individuals: we know members with certain protected characteristics face additional and/or specific challenges in their roles. As a Trade Union, our core purpose is protecting our members; whether proactively, for example campaigning to remove systemic inequities in the system, or reactively, aiding members who are experiencing particular issues in their workplace, through our representation and/or legal teams.
     
  3. As a democratic organisation: NAHT recognises that we are most effective in representing the views and needs of school leaders when we engage with all of our membership. We are therefore committed to ensuring our own democratic structures are inclusive and reflect the diversity of the educational professionals and learners that we serve.

NAHT’s equality networks

NAHT has three informal equality networks for members. These are led by members, for members.

Find out more about our networks, including how to join and planned meetings, by clicking on the links below. 

NAHT's EDI statements

Following a resolution at NAHT Annual Conference, we are developing a series of policy statements outlining NAHT’s views and commitments around equality, diversity and inclusion. These have been developed in conversations with NAHT’s equality networks, our diversity and inclusion group, and our national executive.

Click below to see our EDI statements:

Statements will continue to be reviewed and additional statements may be developed, as led by our membership.

Our statement of action and commitments on EDI in education for 2023/24

In September 2023, NAHT, alongside other key organisations working in the sector, outlined its new actions and commitments to help further equality, diversity and inclusion in education. Find out more and read our statement of action and commitments on EDI in education for 2023/24.

Resources

Advice and support

For more about the advice and guidance available from NAHT, along with resources to support members with EDI in their schools, see our EDI hub page.

TUC equality conferences

Every year, the TUC hosts a series of equality conferences that supplement the general work of TUC Congress. These conferences focus on supporting the advancement of issues that disproportionally impact minority groups. Find out more and how NAHT members can get involved.

Latest news and advice

Policy update: The Equality Act and Relationships Education in primary schools

​Primary school leaders in some areas of the country have been the targets of campaigning, protests and abuse relating to their commitment to equality and diversity.  LGBT+ inclusion has been the focus of these protests.

Protesters have argued that this learning should not happen in primary schools and that parents should be able to withdraw their children from it. But the parental right to withdraw is from sex education only. The learning that has been taking place relating to equality and diversity in affected schools has not been part of a sex education curriculum.

This policy update explains the current position on the following questions related to the Equality Act and Relationships Education in primary schools:

  • What are schools' responsibilities under the Equality Act?
  • How does schools' responsibility to promote SMSC and British Values support this learning?
  • Can parents withdraw their children from this learning?
  • How is Relationships Education different?
  • Can parents withdraw their children from Relationships Education?
  • Will the new Relationships Education be LGBT+ inclusive?
  • So how can primary schools decide what content is age-appropriate?
  • What role do parents play in these decisions about the curriculum content of relationships education?
  • What about sex education in primary schools?

 

NAHT is continuing to work with the Department for Education to provide more support for schools both on the application of the Equality Act in schools and on the implementation of Relationships and Health Education in primary schools.

The government has published the final statutory guidance on relationships education, relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education. For ease of access, separate sections of the full statutory guidance are available outlining the statutory guidance for relationships education (Primary) and for physical health and mental wellbeing (Primary and Secondary)

Policy update: The Equality Act and Relationships Education in primary schools (July 2019)

 

First published 07 June 2019
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