Helen Bridge
Kineton High School
Banbury Road
Kineton
Warwickshire 
CV35 0JX

RE: Decolonise Kineton High School’s curriculum

Dear Ms. Bridge,

We are writing to you as students, teachers, alumni and parents of Kineton High School in light of the global protests against racism and police brutality following the death of George Floyd.

Appreciating the role of the UK’s education system in teaching histories, shaping current conversations and directing the future, we call upon the school to expand its curriculum to cover a wider range of topics relating to racism, imperialism, migration, global power and the contributions of Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) to history, science and the arts in general. As an academy, we recognise that KHS has the freedom to direct its own curriculum, especially in the critical first years of secondary education.

Dismantling systemic racism within this country begins in the classroom. What we are taught as students to consider as knowledge – both contemporary and historical – structures and justifies social and political institutions. We note that it is currently not compulsory in the UK for primary or secondary schools to teach colonialism, slavery, or any other atrocities in which Britain played a significant role throughout history⁠ – the ramifications of which are still evident and upheld in social and political structures to this day. We also note that the current education system does little to incorporate Black histories and the vast contributions people from Black and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds have made to the UK. We recognise that KHS has, and continues to, address elements of these topics within the current curriculum. Yet as we reflect upon our education with you, we feel we were provided with a predominantly White, Eurocentric perspective that has often left many of us ignorant to the racism and injustices that BIPOC face around the world and in the UK.

We therefore urge you to do all you can within the school to decolonise the curriculum by:

• Including a variety of historical teachings, that touch not only on the UK’s “highlights”, but also the realities of colonialism and slavery and how they relate to global societies, race relations and Britain’s position in the world today.
• Covering geopolitical history and perspectives from other countries, encompassing each continent, and acknowledging global factors in local history.
• Incorporating lessons to appreciate the historic and cultural influence BIPOC individuals have had, and how they have used their fields to amplify their voices – ensuring that it does so without appropriation.
• Ensuring English curriculum readings include texts from balanced White and BIPOC authors, prioritising texts which do more than simply depicting oppression and suffering, and making sure that this balance is reflected in the literature available in the school library.
• Building an understanding of how systemic oppression and underlying prejudice create inequalities in all fields, including STEM subjects.
• Shifting the narrative, in all subjects, from one where BIPOC are seen as victims to one where those who perpetuate oppression are seen as responsible for injustice.

We also petition that the teachers and governors of Kineton High School demand more from the government and educational bodies in terms of equipping and supporting teachers to approach topics concerning race, migration and imperialism sensitively and effectively:

• A survey of teachers carried out by the project ‘Our Migration Story’ (Runnymede Trust, University of Manchester and University of Cambridge) found that 78 per cent of those surveyed wanted training on teaching migration and 71 per cent on teaching empire.
• Initial Teacher Education (ITE) courses do not adequately provide the space or skills to enable teachers to confidently cover sensitive and controversial issues with young people. Studies have found that some teachers avoid topics they deem controversial.

We acknowledge the pressures on teachers and the education system at this time and recognise that many teachers will have many demands alongside providing meaningful, socially-conscious material. For this reason, we invite the school and governors to work with the wide range of alumni across different industries and disciplines to build an inclusive and effective syllabus. We hope that this can be an ongoing conversation to help work towards a better, more rounded education for Kineton High School pupils and the dismantling of systemic racism in the UK. 

We thank you for taking the time to read our letter and thank you in advance for your action and solidarity.

Yours sincerely,