海角黑料

School of Education EDI Pledge

The EDI Pledge was created for local Initial Teacher Education providers and affirms commitments to equity, diversity, and inclusion across the School of Education’s partnerships. It aligns with SDG4 by:

• promoting inclusive learning environments that value all learners
• encouraging school-university collaboration focused on equitable educational outcomes
• advocating for systemic approaches to support underrepresented groups in education

The pledge serves as a foundation for wider belonging-related initiatives across the region.

Further information on the EDI Pledge and Pledge document 

Celebrating Teachers initiative

Celebrating Teachers is a regional initiative designed to:

• recognise and elevate the professionalism, expertise, and commitment of teachers
• amplify stories of teacher impact, nurturing public appreciation
• strengthen the status of the teaching profession, connecting to SDG4’s focus on high-quality, well-supported teachers

By valuing teachers, the initiative supports SDG4’s target on expanding the supply of qualified teachers and strengthening their status.

In March 2026 in partnership with Notts County we came together to celebrate some amazing teachers from across the local region who help young people feel that they truly belong.

The initiative invited pupils, parents, and school staff to nominate a teacher who makes learners feel valued, included, and supported. The response was overwhelming, with close to 1,000 nominations highlighting the powerful impact teachers have on confidence, wellbeing, and sense of belonging.

Following a two-stage judging process, four winners were selected across primary, secondary, further education, and alternative provision. They were honoured as guests of honour at Notts County’s home match at Meadow Lane, where they were recognised in front of the local community with the awards being given out at half time.

Reflecting on the award, secondary category winner Sian Dimond said: “I am truly honoured to receive this award. My aim has always been to help create an environment where every student feels valued, supported and inspired. This reflects the strength of our whole school community.”

This partnership reflects a shared commitment to community and inclusion, shining a light on the vital role teachers play in shaping lives. It also aims to promote teaching as a meaningful and rewarding career, particularly at a time when the profession faces significant challenges. Above all, the event celebrated the everyday work of teachers who ensure that every young person feels seen, heard, and that they belong.

An added bonus was Notts winning 5:2!

Co-creating Schools of Belonging programme

Roundtable event (July 2025)

This event brought together senior leaders, researchers, young people, and individuals with lived experience to pursue the question: "What does it take to create schools of belonging for all?"

Key themes and contributions included:

• climate refugees and curriculum making (Professor Lizzie Rushton, University of Stirling)
• neurodiversity, SEND, and refugee education (Catherine Gladwell, Refugee Education UK)
• human flourishing for new arrivals (Professor David Murphy, Universty of Nottingham)
• technology, inclusion, and digital belonging (Dr Jen Martin an Dr Jo Lockwood, 海角黑料)

Each presentation explored belonging through the lens of one of the most marginalised groups in education—refugee learners—while extrapolating to inclusive strategies for all pupils.

The event supported Nottingham’s ambition to become a UNICEF Child-Friendly City, emphasising:

• whole-school approaches to child rights
• human rights education
• children’s participation and voice

Pupil-led conference (July 2025)

Pupils from primary and secondary schools presented what helps them feel like they belong. Themes included:

• school environment and physical layout
• teacher attitudes and pedagogies
• assessment practices
• behaviour approaches
• extracurricular access
• opportunities beyond formal lessons

The conference offered a powerful platform for authentic pupil voice—an essential component of SDG4’s emphasis on inclusive and participatory learning.

Below are a selection of photos from the event.

Equity Group work 

The Equity Group focuses on embedding belonging, authenticity, and inclusion across schools. Core aims include:

• creating schools where all pupils, families, and staff feel valued and safe
• prioritising marginalised or underrepresented groups
• amplifying young people’s voices
• encouraging authentic self-expression rather than conformity

Key strategies include:

• creating shared spaces for dialogue and resource-sharing
• facilitating inter-school visits to broaden cultural understanding
• securing senior leadership support for change
• building connections with community organisations and local politicians

Action

We facilitated a training session for young people to build listening skills and amplify their voices—directly supporting SDG4’s aims around active citizenship and empowerment.

In March 2026, around 50 pupils from four partnership schools joined us to discuss their lived experiences in education and to learn how to amplify their voices and the voices of others. The event was supported by , a charity that brings people together across their differences to find common ground and achieve change.

The pupils had the opportunity to participate in a house meeting, a small, structured conversation group where people can share their experiences and concerns. The key question for discussion was, “What does belonging mean to you in your school?” Each person had two minutes to share their response while others listened. Facilitators then fed back key points from their groups to the wider room. Collectively, we were able to identify shared issues and possible opportunities for action.

The meeting provided an excellent opportunity to surface pupils’ lived experiences of education and to consider how this work might be taken forward to organise for change. One key outcome of the event was a shared commitment from pupils and their teachers to continue this work within their own settings, enabling more voices to be heard. Teacher educators in the room also committed to taking this work forward with school leaders and to creating further opportunities for pupil voice.

Community of Education, Inquiry and Practice (CEIP)

The CEIP was launched by the 海角黑料 in March 2026 and aims to:

• foster collaboration between schools, colleges, organisations, and the university
• create a shared space for inquiry, dialogue, and innovation
• develop shared understandings of educational challenges in the region
• generate new collaborative projects to improve practice

CEIP strengthens SDG4 through its commitment to inclusive, lifelong, and community-based professional learning.

Co-creating Schools of Belonging working party

This working party advances regional, cross-trust efforts to embed belonging systemically across schools.

Focus areas include:

• mapping what has already been achieved across the region
• considering what can be enacted within individual schools or Multi-Academy Trusts
• identifying areas requiring national or regional policy alignment
• developing a Schools of Belonging Pledge

Deep dive topic: The Art of Belonging for All

• Exploring opportunities for meaningful encounters across difference
• Considering a child-led manifesto inspired by the film

This work aims to lead to a structured regional pledge—mirroring the —creating a sustainable policy framework aligned with SDG4.