Dealing with and reporting racist incidents in school - Lincolnshire ...

The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry Report defines racism as: ‘Conduct or words which
advantage or disadvantage people because of their colour, culture or ethnic origin.
In its more subtle form it is as damaging as in its more overt form’. The House of Lords
has defined the term ‘ethnic group’ as people who have a:
• long shared history;
• cultural tradition of their own;
• common geographical origin or descent from a small number of common
ancestors;
• common language;
• common religion.
The definition of racism contained in The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry Report makes it
clear that every single person can be a victim of racism. This applies equally to
members of certain groups (for example, Black people, White people, Irish people,
German people, Asian people, Travellers, Muslims, Jews or people of mixed heritage).
It is recognised that some groups (such as Travellers and refugees or asylum seekers)
may be more likely to experience racism than other groups across a number of different
societies.
It is important to note at the outset that this guidance is not concerned solely with
pupils but with all members of the school community. Teachers, non-teaching members
of staff, governors, parents and carers may all suffer the effects of, or regrettably be the
cause of, racist behaviour. Having said that, teachers need to be especially aware of the
implications of such incidents for the pupils they teach, and the effects on their social
development and academic achievement. Many racist incidents do not simply represent
an attack on an individual but on their family and cultural heritage as well.
It is therefore essential that schools take seriously the experiences of their pupils and
deal with racism firmly and consistently.
For this to be achieved, headteachers, teachers, governors and others in the school must
have a clear and sympathetic understanding of the issues. This guidance is intended to
enable members of the school community to come to a shared understanding of the
issues involved in racist incidents and of their responsibilities in relation to such
incidents. It is also a highly practical document in that it provides schools with clear
procedures for dealing with, reporting and recording racist incidents.
This document supports the information provided in the School Administration
Handbook 3
. It is based on Dealing with and reporting racist incidents in schools from
Essex County Council who during the production of the document took full account of
legislation and the Home Office code of practice as well as consulting with a wide range
of relevant agencies and seeking legal advice throughout the process.
As part of the adaptation of the original document, consultation took place with
agencies including the Ethnic Minority Achievement Service, the Traveller Education
Service, the Racial Equality Council, the County Council Diversity Steering Group,
the Police and Community Supporters.
3 (School Administration Handbook) Lincolnshire County Council Education & Cultural Services Directorate, 2005
Dealing with and reporting racist incidents in school