Our ambition is for BCoT to be an anti-racist college and a catalyst for change.
Over the past year, we've tried to look at every aspect of the BCoT community through a lens of equity, diversity, and inclusion to make improvements to our actions and values to drive positive change.
As a leading educator and employer in North Hampshire, we are making five commitments to advance anti-racism:
- We will strive to release the potential of an ethnically diverse society
- We will be a model of best practice in our community(s)
- We will ensure our workplace is free from racial bias
- We will apply a zero-tolerance approach to racist behaviour
- We will ensure our students understand how advancing anti-racism will improve their own lives and of those around them
The values that will guide us are:
- We will inclusively explore the issues and concerns existing today at BCoT
- We will avoid criticism, resentment and defensiveness in our approach to equality
- We will be open and honest in our conversations and communications
- We will seek expert guidance and work collaboratively.
As part of our commitment to become an anti-racism college, BCoT has confirmed its commitment to implement the 10-point action plan advocated by the Black Further Education Leadership Group; a 'toolkit' to use internally for bringing about real and sustainable change across the College.
To further help us address systemic racism in further education, we have signed the Business In The Community (BITC) Race At Work Charter to improve equality of opportunity in the workplace. This means we are committed to five calls of action to ensure that ethnic minority employees are represented at all levels in an organisation.
- Appoint an Executive Sponsor for race
- Capture ethnicity data and publicise progress
- Commit at board level to zero tolerance of harassment and bullying
- Make clear that supporting equality in the workplace is the responsibility of all leaders and managers
- Take action that supports ethnic minority careers progression
Read more on BCoT's ethnicity data here.