Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) at BMS

At Bedford Modern School we see EDI as about everything we do, not another thing to do. As such Bedford Modern School is committed to building an inclusive culture that will enable us to better live out our core values of kindness, respect, resilience, confidence, ambition, responsibility and integrity. Each member of the Bedford Modern School Community has an innate set of talents, and it is our responsibility to ensure that those talents are nurtured. We are proud of the diversity that exists within our school community and recognise the important role that our rich array of backgrounds and experiences plays in building a fulfilling and forward-looking community. Our aim is that Bedford Modern School is a truly inclusive community in which every participant feels respected, valued, trusted, safe, has a sense of belonging and can be their best self and do their best work. This is being achieved through active management and continuing to work alongside members of our community to progress our inclusion work and embed our core values across all aspects of the BMS Community. As a result, Bedford Modern School stands firmly against discrimination and exclusion in all its forms.

Embedding EDI

We undertake a great deal of work to implement our vision of embedding EDI into all aspects of School life. This involves listening to all members of our community and reflecting on our current practices to ensure we make progress. We are aware this work does not take place overnight and our community has committed to a sustained journey to create a more inclusive culture. At the heart of this sits our EDI Strategic Framework and Plan.

As a means of moving towards our equality, diversity and inclusion aim, we have used surveys and feedback from our community, to identify 7 strategic priority areas on which to focus our development:

1. Leadership
2. Communication
3. Organisation Culture
4. Learning and Development
5. Retention, Development & Recruitment
6. Equality Legislation
7. Monitoring and Evaluation.

EDI Education

As part of our EDI work, we create opportunities for all our community to learn more about the benefits of diversity as well as the importance of tackling the discrimination experienced by marginalised groups. This includes whole school and individual INSET opportunities for staff, an EDI-rich curriculum, Parent Programme Sessions, as well as working with organisations, such as FLAIR and Beyond This.

EDI Societies

We have a number of societies which provide dedicated spaces for students to meet and explore issues important to them. These include African Caribbean Society, LGBTQ+ Society, Future Fawcetts, Cultures Society and Junior School Anti-Bullying Ambassadors.

EDI Forums

As part of our wider approach to Student Voice, we hold a half-termly Senior School Student EDI Alliance Meeting to offer students the chance to provide feedback on our past initiatives and contribute to the school’s future EDI work. We are also in the process of creating a working group to create an Action Plan with regards to EDI specifically for staff.

EDI Awareness and Celebration

We produce a BMS EDI Calendar to highlight key awareness days and months such as International Women’s Day, alongside religious festivals. This provides invaluable opportunities for our community to learn about the experiences, achievements, and challenges that have been experienced by traditionally underrepresented groups. Students and staff engage with these issues through special events, assemblies and activities in lessons.

In addition, BMS celebrates the diversity of our community through an annual Cultures Week, which includes the opportunity to taste a wide range of food produced using recipes provided by both students and staff. The week culminates in our National Dress Day.

Curriculum Review

As part of our ongoing commitment to embed our EDI work in all that we do at Bedford Modern School, we carry out regular Curriculum Reviews across Years 3-13 to identify ways in which we can make our schemes of work more inclusive. We believe that it is vitally important for all our students to see themselves represented in the classroom, whether it be through engaging with a diverse range of role models or topics, so that they all strive to achieve their full potential.

EDI in Recruitment

We look to attract and retain the best staff, regardless of their background, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or indeed any other protected characteristic. Our HR Manager and Head of EDI work together to oversee our strategy to attract a diverse field of candidates to help us achieve this aim.