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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

LGBT+ History Month 2024: Medicine – #UnderTheScope

LGBT+ History Month is celebrated every February as an annual commemoration of the history, achievements and contributions of LGBT+ people in the UK, as well as promoting equality and diversity for the benefit of all.

This year the theme is Medicine – #UnderTheScope, and it celebrates LGBT+ peoples’ contribution to the field of medicine and healthcare, and encourages you to ‘look under the scope’ to listen to LGBT+ peoples’ lived experiences.

NAHT recognises LGBT+ History Month as a positive opportunity to support schools in their ongoing work to celebrate the achievements and contributions of LGBT+ people to the UK and around the world, both during the month itself and also throughout the year.

The month can also provide a chance to focus on and/or improve awareness of issues affecting different communities, and an opportunity to explore experiences and histories not currently included within the core educational curriculums and/or resources.

Resources

Note that NAHT does not endorse or review any individual pieces of guidance from the organisations below.

Information presented online is also often a summary of advice and created for a generic audience (and may not be updated frequently) so while it can be a useful resource, we recommend that members check the relevant source material, such as legislation or government guidance, as well as any summary information provided online. We also encourage members to consider any such resources in relation to the needs of their own school(s) or setting(s).

There's a wide range of resources available to help schools celebrate LGBT+ history, both during the month and throughout the school year. Here is a small selection to help support you: 

Join us in celebrating

Tag or mention @NAHTnews on X, so we can celebrate your school's activities with other leaders across the UK, along with the hashtag #LGBTHM24.

NAHT LGBT+ network

"It still feels exciting to be able to meet and talk with other teachers and leaders who happen to be LGBT+, after so many years of feeling we were so few. But today we are not few, we are many."

Started in 2021, NAHT's LGBT+ network offers a safe space for members to come together to discuss the experiences and issues facing LGBT+ school leaders, both within the profession and NAHT itself. Find out more and register to join here.

 

First published 30 January 2024
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