Moving Beyond the Posters: What Anti-Racism in Schools Really Takes

There’s a difference between performative allyship and committed, structural change. Between token gestures and transformational work.

The Apex Educate Action Research programme has never been about ticking boxes. It’s about shifting school culture—starting with leadership and moving through every layer of daily practice. Through our ongoing initiative, Bridging Theory and Practice, I’ve been working with schools and groups across the country to explore concrete strategies for combatting racism and fostering inclusivity.

A Case Study: Vale of Glamorgan Cohort

Last year, I was approached to design a professional learning journey for school leaders in the Vale of Glamorgan, as part of their wider commitment to becoming actively anti-racist. From the beginning, it was clear that a single workshop or awareness day wouldn’t suffice. Too often, we confuse visibility with impact—putting up posters without shifting policy. This programme was built to interrupt that pattern.

Over the course of a year, leaders from 16 schools engaged in a seven-part action research process. Each session was designed to ground theory in lived experience and move reflection into action.

Here’s how we broke it down:

• Sessions 1–2: Unpacking how racism shows up in school culture, and what it really means to be anti-racist—not just non-racist

• Sessions 3–4: Exploring the emotional and mental toll of racism, and building the confidence to name and address microaggressions

• Sessions 5–7: Strategising for structural change—in policy, pedagogy, and daily practice—and sharing that learning across schools

Each school sent two representatives to help ensure the learning was collaborative and embedded back in their settings.

What Changed

The results were powerful.

“It’s life-changing. Our schools will be a better and more inclusive environment as a result of this.”

At Victoria Primary, staff engaged in deep, critical reflection. Pupils launched their own inclusion initiatives. Across the cohort, leaders reported renewed confidence and sharper awareness in addressing racism—both interpersonally and institutionally.

• 100% of participants said they now feel equipped to challenge racism personally and professionally

• 100% described the programme materials as “thought-provoking, high-quality, and essential to self-reflection”

• 100% left with a deeper understanding of systemic racism—and how to actively disrupt it

This is what anti-racist development should look like: immersive, rigorous, honest, and rooted in community.

Read the full report here.

What Schools Need to Understand

Anti-racism in education isn’t a module. It’s a cultural shift that requires honesty, courage, and sustained effort.

It asks educators to look inward as much as they look outward. It’s not comfortable work—but it is vital. And it thrives when done collectively.

You can’t audit your way to liberation—but you can start there. We can’t fix what we won’t name. And our students—all of them—deserve more than good intentions. They deserve schools that honour their full humanity.

I’ll soon be releasing a new curriculum resource—designed for educators and anyone working with children—to help introduce anti-racism meaningfully and practically. It includes tools for starting conversations, plus audits to help you identify where more structure or support is needed.

You can read more about it on this page, and join the waitlist!