Home / Diversity and Inclusion

Different therefore Equal

Nottingham Girls’ High School prides itself on its diverse community and is committed to ensuring that each and every pupil is treated equally and with respect regardless of the many differences between them. Staff training, PSHE lessons, extra curricular clubs and assemblies are just some of the ways we continue to educate ourselves and our pupils about embracing difference and respecting all cultures and lifestyles. Celebrating Black History Month and LGBTQ+ History Month, teaching about different religions and faiths, all of these practices go some way towards keeping diversity and inclusion on the agenda. Our school policies state our commitment to deal with prejudice and discrimination firmly. We want our school to be a safe and happy place for everybody.

Working towards the the GDST Undivided Charter for Action also means that the whole family of GDST schools has the same ethos and goals – to ensure that the wellbeing of every young person comes first, and where every girl – no matter her background – can learn without limits. Our Director of Marketing, Claire Bale, sits on the Undivided Steering Group which meets regularly to ensure that all GDST schools are supported on an ongoing basis.

 

 

 

“We’re proud to be on our journey of Diversity and Inclusion at NGHS. Every one of us is listening, learning and making a difference for our community.”

Diversity and Inclusion

Whilst we are an all-girls’ school, of course not all girls are the same. The NGHS community is made up of people from all backgrounds, of all ethnicities and religions, of different genders and sexualities and from all cultures. Every single member of the community deserves equal respect. We’re all here for the same reason – to provide an outstanding education without limits and open doors to bright and successful futures in which our pupils can achieve anything they aspire to.

Feeling happy, comfortable, accepted and respected at school is a huge part of doing well and succeeding both academically and emotionally while still retaining that uniqueness that makes you, you! We want our pupils to be part of the wonderful NGHS community but also to be themselves, that’s why diversity and inclusion are so important to us.

 

Anti-Racism

Our school population is a rich and diverse mix of ethnic backgrounds and every pupil is made to feel cared for and included.  Events during the summer of 2020 in the USA particularly highlighted just how far society as a whole still has to go when it comes to racial awareness and equality. The horror of the George Floyd incident stirred emotions in all of us and led to more visibility of the need for racial equality across the world and inspired our girls to write their own thoughts down in a series of blog articles which you can read on our News and Views pages.

The election of Joe Biden as President of the USA and Kamala Harris as Vice President has given us renewed hope that things are changing. Our pupils  were inspired by this too, and by the stunning performance of the Presidential Inauguration Poem read out by Amanda Gorman. So much so that Year 10 pupil, Aminah, took pen to paper herself to write this blog post which includes her own brilliant poem.

 

 

We are excited to announce that Nottingham Girls’ High School has adopted The Halo Code, the UK’s first Black hair code. No Black staff or students should have to change their natural or protective hairstyle in order to thrive at our school. We hope that the Halo Code will move us one step closer to a world free from discrimination, where all Black members of our community have their identities fully recognised and celebrated. it has opened up many conversations about different hair types and visual identities. We believe that discussion is central to progress and are delighted to participate in many discussions with staff, pupils, alumnae and parents on a regular basis.

The Code

“Our school champions the right of staff and students to embrace all Afro-hairstyles. We acknowledge that Afro-textured hair is an important part of our Black staff and students’ racial, ethnic, cultural, and religious identities, and requires specific styling for hair health and maintenance. We welcome Afro-textured hair worn in all styles including, but not limited to, afros, locs, twists, braids, cornrows, fades, hair straightened through the application of heat or chemicals, weaves, wigs, headscarves, and wraps. At this school, we recognise and celebrate our staff and students’ identities. We are a community built on an ethos of equality and respect where hair texture and style have no bearing on anyone’s ability to succeed.”

 

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It’s incredibly important to us that every pupil and every member of staff feels recognised, represented and supported
Claire Bale, Diversity and Inclusion Lead

Proud of Who We Are

It’s important to us that our school community is welcoming to all, pupils and staff alike, including those from the LGBTQ+ community. We understand that school years are often definitive in self discovery and awareness, and that this can be confusing and difficult for some. Our pastoral team here at NGHS are the most friendly and welcoming people and will always listen without prejudice. We continually educate our pupils and ourselves about the significant contributions made in society through history by members of the LGBTQ+ community. Celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month in February and Pride in the summer brings our community together. There are always educational displays around the school and fun activities in the Atrium. But above all, we encourage our community to be proud of who they are, comfortable in their own skin and accepting of others.

You’re Welcome

As a place of study and a place of work, NGHS prides itself on its welcoming environment. The diverse community has room for anybody and respect for everybody. We have shared values of equality and inclusion and are always learning more about how best to cater for everyone’s needs so that their time here is happy and positive.

We have mentioned race, ethnicity, gender and sexuality, and there is so much more about our community that makes it so diverse. There are people of different faiths and different abilities, and we do our very best to cater for them all. This is an ongoing goal and we commit to always developing and improving in this space.  We make sure to include as much diversity as possible across all subjects throughout the curriculum and in our extracurricular provision and educational school trips. Our differences enrich life at school and teach us so much more about each other and the world around us. Let’s celebrate them!