Shottery St Andrew's CE Primary School
Care, Inspire, Achieve.
Shottery St Andrew's CE Primary School
Care, Inspire, Achieve.
Race and Racism
Racism is the unfair treatment of a person because of their race or ethnicity. It can take several forms:
Direct racism: Treating someone less favourably because of their race or ethnicity.
Indirect racism: When a practice, policy or rule applies to everyone in the same way, but disadvantages a particular racial group.
Institutional racism: The failure of an organisation to ensure and promote appropriate processes, attitudes and behaviours, resulting in discrimination against racially minoritised people.
Racism in schools
Children and young people can experience racism in many different forms. This can include:
- racist comments, verbal abuse and name-calling
- ridicule because of cultural differences (such as food, dress, or language)
- distribution of racist material, racist jokes and cyberbullying
- damage to property, physical intimidation or violent attacks.
Research from Mind found that over half of those from Black and Black British backgrounds (55%) and mixed ethnic backgrounds (57%) had experienced racism at school, as had over a third (36%) of young people from Asian or Asian British backgrounds.
As well as facing racism from their peers, some young people may experience racism from adults. They may also have to deal with unfair or discriminatory processes and policies.
It's important to remember just because pupils aren’t reporting racist incidents, it doesn’t mean that they aren’t happening.
All schools have a statutory responsibility under the Equality Act 2010 to ensure that pupils are not discriminated against because of their race.
Racism and mental health
Experiencing racism has significant mental health consequences for young people.
In a survey carried out by the Anna Freud Centre in 2021, when asked about their thoughts on the relationship between racism and mental health, most young people (88%) answered that racism affects mental health ‘a great deal’ or ‘quite a lot’. Only 2% answered ‘not at all.’
Mind’s research found that 70% of young people who had experienced racism at school said it had negatively impacted their mental health.