The appalling death of George Floyd in Minnesota has rightly led to worldwide examination and condemnation of racism and racial inequality. At Benenden we will not tolerate racism in any for m and to this end we are reflecting again on how we can better support our Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community and counter all forms of discrimination.
Benenden prides itself on being culturally diverse. We are grateful to have recently received feedback from the wider school community, and we are sorry to anyone who felt that on occasions the behaviour of others towards them was in any way discriminatory or biased – and we have held very meaningful subsequent conversations as a result of this. We recognise that there is more to do to ensure that our BAME pupils are fully understood within our school community and we will be acting on this.
We would like to emphasise our ongoing commitment to ensuring that everyone who passes through our school community has equal opportunity, attention and support. We are always listening, and we will continue to take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that Benenden is a truly inclusive environment in which all girls feel comfortable and thrive.
The School leadership, in collaboration with the School’s Equality and Diversity Committee, which comprises staff and pupils and was established more than a decade ago, is reviewing our policies and procedures in order to strengthen our school community where every pupil is valued equally.