Joining the DARPL Enhanced Leadership Series (ELS) was one of the most impactful learning experiences I have ever had. Before starting, I thought I understood anti-racism well, but the course and learning community soon showed me that my views were shaped by gaps, assumptions, and being part of leading an education system which often told a limited story about race and history.

Before and After: How my understanding shifted

Before the ELS programme, I mostly saw race and racism as issues of skin colour or obvious racist actions. DARPL challenged this right away. Learning about the Global Majority changed how I thought about the deficit language I had accepted for years. Sessions on the Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan, definitions of racism, and the idea of race as a social construct showed me how limited my understanding was and how to move forward in my own learning and impact others through my leadership.

This professional learning has pushed me to reflect on how my own schooling shaped my Worldview. I was taught a version of British Empire history that portrayed colonisation as a purely civilising and positive process. Family stories I heard from childhood reinforced the old learning. DARPL ELS and the DARPL resources have helped me recognise both the inaccuracy and the impact of that narrative on my own bias in a single story.

Post-course, after being ‘DARPL’d’ anti-racism is no longer something I see as reactive; I know it is permanent work that must be embedded into structures, curriculum and community relationships. I can commit to that as a leader in education. 

How the sessions changed my awareness and confidence

The ELS programme strengthened my confidence in leading anti-racist work across the school. Discussions about resisting “completion culture“ helped me let go of the idea that anti-racism is a checklist that has a specific timeframe. It is an ongoing, permanent commitment which requires curiosity, discomfort and accountability. The DARPL Tube Map model clarified how professional learning can be sequenced for staff, governors and the whole learning community stakeholders.

Hearing from speakers within the DARPL Community of Practice such as Kwame Boateng, Rachel Clarke and Karen Brooke highlighted lived experiences that I was previously not familiar with. Their honest insight helped me feel more equipped to identify bias, challenge single stories and act decisively when racist incidents occur.

Learning from the Culture. Curriculum and Community session

The session exploring curriculum and community with Kwame was a turning point. It helped me understand the difference between diversifying content and genuinely decolonising it. Concepts such as avoiding the single story, understanding worldviews and embedding belonging throughout the curriculum directly influenced my thinking about our school’s direction.

Examples I explored such as Ida B. Wells, Bhikaji Cama and the Caribbean War Memorial mirrored what our SEP calls for: a curriculum that reflects local, national and international diversity. The DARPL ELS has shifted my focus from adding diverse figures occasionally or one-off events to building a concept-driven curriculum where multiple perspectives are constantly the norm.

How I plan to implement this learning

The DARPL Enhanced Leadership Series (ELS) has driven alignment strongly with our Strategic Equality Plan (SEP) and School Development Planning, and learning has already begun shaping priorities. Key actions I will take include:

• Finalising and enacting our Anti-Racism Policy aligned with the Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan.
• Using the DARPL Tube Map and resources to plan progressive staff training
• Reforming our R VE scheme and cross-cutting theme planning so diversity is embedded, not added.
• Strengthening our Visits and Visitors approach, ensuring representation of a wider range of communities.
• Ensuring phonetic name recording, sanctuary-seeking information and inclusive admissions processes.
• Embedding pupil voice and belonging through School of Sanctuary work drawing on DARPL .
• Working with cluster schools on shared anti-racist projects drawing on the DARPL CoP.

The DARPL ELS has moved me from seeing anti-racism as an important responsibility to viewing it as core to leadership, curriculum design and community building. It has made me more aware, more confident, inspired and far more committed to lead and impact the long-term work ahead.

To find out more about joining DAN (follow this link): Advocacy Network – DARPL

To find out more about attending ELS (follow this link): Enhanced Leadership Series – DARPL