The Chartered College of Teaching, with funding from Paul Hamlyn Foundation, has produced a short series of bitesize online courses to support teachers and leaders with decolonising and diversifying the curriculum. From Monday 8 March 2022, Chartered College of Teaching members will have free access to six modules, with content in a variety of formats, covering local and national British histories, selecting literature and resources that foster belonging, addressing the perspectives represented in the curriculum, considering how lenses that decolonise and diversify can be applied to the curriculum, and having confident conversations with pupils about race.

Content has been developed by and with experts, including researchers and practising teachers from across EYFS, Primary, Secondary, Post-16, and ITT settings.

In this event, we speak to just some of these module contributors to discuss the key themes related to the work of decolonising and diversifying the curriculum. You’ll also hear more about these new online modules and how you can access them.

Participants will have the opportunity to hear from our panel of speakers:-

Dr Marlon Moncrieffe, Dr Adam Vasco, Aleishia Lewis, Dr Haira Gandolfi and Terra Glowach

In this webinar, our panel of speakers will answer questions about:

• Why work to decolonise and diversify the curriculum is so important
• What we mean by decolonising and diversifying the curriculum
• Key principles that can support this work to move beyond tokenism
• Developing practice that continually evaluates and repositions the representation of marginalised voices in the curriculum

You will leave with:

• Information on how to access the online learning modules to support you with decolonising and diversifying the curriculum
• Insight from a range of practising researchers and teachers about the practicalities of doing this work

These online modules will build capacity and knowledge within the profession, supporting teachers and leaders to develop a broad, balanced and challenging curriculum that fosters a sense of belonging for all learners, deepens knowledge and develops reflection.

Resources

• Decolonising and diversifying the curriculum –  access the modules  here
• Webinar watch back: Dr Marlon Moncrieffe Non-Eurocentric curriculum
• Webinar watch back: Professor Paul Washington Miller and Naheeda Maharasingam Diversifying and decolonising the curriculum
• Decolonising the curriculum: a case study
• Research review, by Bennie Kara “Decolonisation, power and knowledge in the curriculum”
• Advancing racial equality and tackling racism in education: Selected reading
• Further reading: Decolonising the curriculum 
• Decolonising and diversifying the curriculum series –  Module 1 explores definitions in more detail
• Modules 4 and 5 contain case studies from each of our panellists, though we’d recommend starting with Module 1 – https://my.chartered.college/my-courses
• Terra’s blog – Sequencing a decolonised curriculum: using Picower’s six elements
• Further reading: Studying while black
• Decolonising the MFL Curriculum: Dr. Yebra Lopez
• Recommended reading from Dr Haira Gandolfi – Macedo, D. P. (2019). Decolonizing foreign language education: The misteaching of English and other colonial languages (Series in critical narratives). New York: Routledge.
• Decolonising the university curriculum: Leading article. South African Journal of Higher Education, 30(2), 1–12, Michaela: Le Grange, L. (2016).

Our Presenters

Dr Haira Gandolfi – Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, UK.  Her teaching and research interests involve Decolonial Curricula and Pedagogies; Science Education and Socio-scientific Issues; Science & Technology Studies; School-based curriculum development; and Teachers’ Professional Development.  She has been working with educators, teachers and their students in English schools and in Teacher Education programmes for the past six years around decolonial and anti-racist curriculum-making, especially in the areas of Science and Technology.  Haira is also part of several research networks around (Science) Education and Teachers’ Work in Europe and Brazil, with a focus on socio-scientific issues, decolonial and anti-racist teaching and curricula.

Prior to her time in England, Haira worked as a Chemistry teacher for 8 years in secondary schools and in post-secondary/technical colleges in Brazil.  She also holds a BSc in Chemistry, a BSc in Chemistry Teaching and a MA in Science Education (focus on History, Philosophy and Sociology of Science and Technology), all from the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP)/Brazil, and a PhD in Education (focus on intercultural and decolonial Science Education) from the UCL Institute of Education, UK.

Dr Adam Vasco – Senior Lecturer, Liverpool John Moores University.  Dual heritage academic (British and Nigerian) with over 20 years of experience in education that has spanned all age ranges and Key Stages. This began in the Private, Voluntary, Independent (PVI) Early Years sector as a school leaver, until returning to university qualifying as an Early Years and Primary teacher. The following 15 years saw teaching from Reception to Year 6. Rising through middle to senior leadership eventually led to a non-teaching role as a Deputy Headteacher in an inner-city area of Liverpool. Early Years has never been far away, including a period as co-owner of a successful Pre-School setting. 

In 2019 came a move into Higher Education and Initial Teacher Education (ITE) as a Senior Lecturer with Liverpool John Moores University. Responsible for teaching across Primary Post and Undergraduate Programmes, with responsibility for leading the 3-7 Post Graduate route in addition to supporting mentors and partnership schools. 

Areas of research have focused on diversifying and decolonisation of curricular and practice. Civic duties include leading an action research programme with local schools with a specific focus on increased access and participation. This work targets Sixth Form students seeking to increase representation of the teacher workforce, starting with ITE, identifying and overcoming potential barriers to the recruitment of diverse candidates.

Aleishia Lewis, Deputy Headteacher – St. Mary’s, Prittlewell, CofE Primary School.  Aleishia is currently a Deputy Headteacher in Essex and also works for the Church of England’s Education Team, designing the new NPQ programmes.  She is Chair of the Diocese of Chelmsford’s Global Majority Education Association and she facilitates Identity & Diversity Network Groups for Southend schools and the Church of England.  Aleishia has worked with schools and school leaders nationally, supporting them as they begin their journey into diversifying their curriculum and working with staff on their understanding of identity and belonging.  Throughout her work, her focus is on increasing the representation of BAME staff in leadership roles, developing the curriculum so it reflects society and recognises the importance of global citizenship and ensures that pupil voice is at the heart of everything that is done.

Terra Glowach – English Teacher, English Curriculum Lead, Senior Lecturer / PGCE Tutor Bristol Cathedral Choir School / University of the West of England (UWE).  Terra is a Canadian teacher of Cree First Nations heritage who has worked as a teacher and teacher educator in Canada, Japan, Ethiopia and India before arriving in the UK. She has an MA in Education Management and has taught in UK state schools for nine years. For the last four years, Terra has been working with her community in Bristol to decolonise the Secondary curriculum. In 2021 she founded the Bristol Decolonising Network after working for two years as Lead Practitioner for Decolonising the Curriculum at Cathedral Schools Trust. Terra has written for Bristol 24/7, and delivered workshops on decolonising the curriculum for Black Atlantic and the NEU. She has recently been appointed Senior Lecturer / PGCE English Tutor at the University of the West of England (UWE).  

Dr Marlon Moncrieffe – Principal Lecturer in Education, School of Education, University of Brighton.  Marlon Lee Moncrieffe is a Doctor of Education and Principal Lecturer, at the School of Education, University of Brighton, UK. Formerly a primary school teacher, his research work and scholarly activity has advanced critical multicultural education for new approaches to teaching and learning about civic national values for race equality. His debut monograph Decolonising the History Curriculum: Eurocentrism in Primary School Education. London: Palgrave Macmillan has Marlon recognised and requested to share his leadership, knowledge, expertise, and evidenced-based research work with many national and international authorities including UK Parliament; The Chartered College of Teaching; The National Education Union; and The British Educational Research Association. His research expertise and leadership on Decolonising Curriculum Knowledge has been disseminated widely and internationally. Marlon was Principal Investigator for the 2019-2020 Arts Humanities Research Council Global Research Challenges Fund commissioned Changing the Story project entitled: ‘Examining Interpretations of Civic National Values Made by Young People in Post Conflict Settings (an intercontinental comparative project between Kenya and Nepal). He was also Principal Investigator for the 2020-2021 Arts Humanities Research Council Global Research Challenges Fund commissioned project entitled: Consolidation, learning and evaluation in Kenya and Rwanda: Critical review of Changing the Story projects in Eastern Africa (Decolonising Curriculum Knowledge). 

Marlon is presently commissioned by Palgrave Macmillan to write and edit an international collection of chapters entitled: Decolonising Curriculum Knowledge: International Perspectives and Interdisciplinary Approaches. This will include unique contributions from scholars, researchers and educators across the world including: the UK, Colombia, Kenya, Rwanda, Nepal, Mauritius, Canada, Norway, The Russian Federation, Thailand, the Republic of Poland, Netherlands, Australia, South Africa, and Namibia. This book will be published by Palgrave MacMillan in Autumn 2022.

Marlon is a council member of the British Educational Research Association and a Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching.