Racism in UK education remains deeply embedded, not just in individual interactions but within the very frameworks shaping assessment, careers, and institutional culture. The articles and videos all underscore a crucial message that anti-racism is not about surface-level representation but structural transformation.
Before reading Alice Bradbury’s article, I had no idea that a Baseline Assessment existed for children starting school in England. The fact that children, aged four or five, are starting school being assessed based on a ‘snapshot’, probably bias test, and results are being compared to progress later on is worrying and feels incredibly flawed. What struck me is how it completely missed the complexity of a child’s background. For example, Bradbury highlights how bilingual or multilingual children, many of whom are from minority backgrounds, are disadvantaged by this. Aside from and beyond language, other factors related to race that can affect children’s learning before school that it doesn’t consider, could be whether a child has had access to books at home, if their parents have the time or capacity to support learning, preschool attendance, and so on. The assesment doesn’t consider the reality that children don’t start school with the same starting point.
Bradbury uses Critical Race Theory to show how these seemingly ‘neutral’ policies can reinforce racial inequalities, which made me think more deeply about how policies can look fair on the surface but actually embed disadvantage.
Azeem Sadiq’s TEDx talk supported this idea and expolors how Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies are more often another tick-box exercise. It supports other blog post responses in this unit, whereby policies and terms don’t go far enough to make systemic changes, or take in to account other human factors. As Sadiq puts it, going beyond the surface. Sadiq talks about the need to move from performative actions to systemic change, which feels like the only way we’ll start to meaningfully address issues like race, class, gender, and all the other identity factors that shape students’ experiences.
Watching the video from James Orr, which criticises organisations like Advance HE for making universities “woke,” I was struck by how some people view equity as a threat rather than progress. It feels like a real misunderstanding of what anti-racism is about. It’s not about shutting down free speech or imposing ideology—it’s about making sure everyone has a fair chance to belong, contribute, and thrive.
In the video excerpt from The School That Tried to End Racism, a group of 11-year-old students at a UK school take part in an experiment, being asked questions in relation to their racial indentity. Watching this clip, I was struck by how open and thoughtful the children were, arguably more willing to engage in honest dialogue than many adults. It reminded me of something I reflected on in my earlier posts: how early inequalities like those ignored in the Baseline Assessment policy, can shape a child’s entire educational journey.
Overall the learning and reflection that I have taken from this is that racism in UK education is deeply embedded in systems and policies, and often overlook the real challenges faced. To create meaningful change, it must move beyond surface-level actions and tackle the structural inequalities that shape students’ experiences from the very start of their education, not just as a ticking box exercise or making symbolic gestures.
Hi Sophie,
I agree, all of the data we’ve seen and read is very overwhelming- it absolutely points to racism being a deeply embedded racial issue in HEI. It’s made me think about how we as educators can challenge these issues from within. This can be very tough to face when so many of us aren’t on long term contracts and don’t feel we have the voice to challenge what’s happening.
I think the first main step is awareness, but I don’t know what we can meaningfully do from there to overcome this barrier. Maybe we can open our doors more to the gernal public so that we interact with our community at large and not just the privileged that can afford a HEI loan?
Representation is key!
Thank you Sophie! for sharing these important readings and reflections. Bradbury’s work really made me think carefully about how educational inequality can start very early, but I personally have a slightly different experience I wanted to share.
When my bilingual child joined the UK school system, his English was far behind his peers. The Baseline Assessment actually helped his teachers recognise this quickly and provide timely support. I didn’t feel that it labelled or disadvantaged him. Instead, I saw it as a positive step that allowed him to grow with confidence. There were also moments when, because of his cultural background, he responded in ways that seemed unusual in class, but the teachers always checked carefully and followed up with genuine care. This was just a normal state school, but I really felt their attitude made all the difference.
For me, what really matters is not necessarily the system itself, but how teachers and schools choose to apply and interpret it. The people within the system can really shape whether a student feels supported or excluded.
When I think about higher education, I feel that the issue becomes more complicated. Assessment systems still seem to rely heavily on Western academic traditions, and I sometimes feel there isn’t enough space for diverse ways of thinking, expressing, and learning. Even when students are highly capable, they might not always have fair chances to fully show their abilities.
It also made me wonder whether some of the awarding gaps we see in different student groups might not only come from individual learning challenges, but perhaps also from the ways our assessment structures continue to work.
I’m still thinking about this — maybe it’s something that has many layers, and perhaps the answers are not so simple. I also feel that real change might only happen when we start shifting the everyday mindsets of people applying these systems, not just the systems themselves.
I’d love to hear what you think.
Hello Sophie!
This is such a thoughtful reflection. I was reminded of Decolonising the Mind by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o; while not UK-specific, it offers a compelling lens on how early education systems can reinforce dominant cultural narratives and minoritise others. It might deepen the way we think about language, learning, and power in these contexts. You capture the tension between performative policy and lived experience so clearly. I wonder how can we redesign assessment practices in ways that genuinely centre complexity from the start? Industrialised education offers little room to nuance..
Best,
Cecilia
Hi Sophie. Thanks for your post. I’m similarly struck by how some people view equity as a threat. Based on these materials, what are the implications in your context, and for your practice?
Thank you all for your thoughtful comments! I found it challenging to pinpoint how I could contribute to meaningful change within the workshop, but one area that continually comes up in conversations with a colleague is the Eurocentric focus of our embroidery examples, samples, and research materials. Both within our workshop and in textiles/fashion education more broadly.
We’re currently working to diversify the books we have on display, aiming to present a broader and more inclusive range of perspectives. Beyond that, perhaps we could explore the idea of developing additional resources, such as physical displays and curated collections of global artist research and sources, to offer students a richer, more representative set of exemplars.
It’s a small step, but hopefully one that contributes to change!