Curriculum for Change is being driven by local teachers who want the school curriculum to be  more relevant to children in the borough to include the full story of colonialism and reflect the achievements of black and minority ethnic people.

The groundbreaking project aims to promote diversity, unconscious bias, potential curriculum changes and training is being piloted in a small number of Croydon schools. 

The Board’s remit emerged from the Black Lives Matters agenda and has been extended to look at tackling the issue of school exclusions of black boys.

Chair of the Curriculum for Change Board Josephine Copeland, Head Teacher at All Saints C of E Primary school, will be presenting a briefing paper to the council on the proposals. 

According to council documents  school effectiveness advisers have been involved in acting as critical friend to the group, writing resources and brokering training from Hackney on cultural competence.

Last year Hackney launched its Diverse Curriculum – the Black Contribution with the aim of ensuring Black British history is taught in all schools. The nine-week plan provides pupils aged five to 14 with lessons on subjects including the Windrush generation, activism, British identity, and diversity in the arts and science.

In June last year the former Chair of the Croydon Health and Wellbeing Board Cllr Louisa Woodley, said: “Institutionalised racism was abundant and it was not sufficient to hear of policies changing while real change was not being delivered.

“It was hoped that the coming weeks and months would see real change, including to the school curriculum to include the full story of colonialism, and work to tackle the issue of school exclusions of black boys.”