Equality, diversity and inclusion campaign

NGA is committed to improving diversity on governing boards and supporting boards to foster diverse, inclusive and equitable schools and trusts. We continue to advocate for diverse, equitable, and inclusive school and trust governance, which we believe is critical for fostering excellence in education and to ensure boards better mirror the communities their schools and trusts serve.

Campaign

17/10/2024

As part of NGA’s commitment to EDI, NGA is a co-signatory to the sector-led statement of action which outlines how organisations across the sector will play a part in improving EDI within education. The statement of action outlines the collective and individual commitments to help improve equity and diversity in education.

For details on NGA’s current EDI commitments and ongoing work refer to the statement of action.

Progress

Some of the key achievements, research and projects arising from NGA’s EDI efforts include:

Collaborating with Browne Jacobson to address the diversity gap in school governance, with a particular focus on age, ethnicity, and professional backgrounds. This involves facilitating discussions with governors, prospective governors, and school governance leaders about their experiences and the significance of diversifying school governance.
NGA conducted research on the experience of governors and trustees from Black, Asian or minority ethnicities and those aged under 40, and on the views and perceptions of people from these groups that do not currently volunteer. As a result, NGA published the Increasing participation in school and trust governance report.

1. NGA has, and continues, to improve our information, guidance and e-learning for governing boards on equalities and diversity, ensuring that it is threaded throughout our suite of information and guidance. As part of this commitment, NGA has:
  - Produced a three-unit eLearning module on ‘Equality and diversity – a practical guide for governors and trustees’. 99% of users who have completed the module would recommend it to others and 94% of users say it will help them to improve their governance practice.
  - NGA partnered with ASCL to develop a programme of e-learning modules intended to focus on creating an inclusive culture through practice, and going beyond compliance by giving users the knowledge, understanding and tools to do so.
  - Published guidance on ‘Equality and diversity: responsibilities, culture and impact’ which outlines governing board legal duties, what this means in practice and the importance of a culture that embeds equality and inclusion.
  - Published a governing board diversity indicators form to help boards gather data on their membership and use this as a basis for discussion and action.
  - Released a toolkit and eLearning module on executive leader recruitment to emphasise the importance of a fair and inclusive recruitment process and of attracting candidates from underrepresented groups.

1. In collaboration with BAMEed, NGA and BAMEed created a steering group on governance and race with the BAMEed network. The group focussed on promoting ways in which governing boards can improve race diversity on governing boards in practice.

1. NGA’s Everyone on Board campaign seeks to increase diversity in school governance by raising awareness, providing resources and support and encouraging the participation of Black, Asian, or minority ethnic individuals and young volunteers (aged under 40). The campaign highlights the benefits of diverse perspectives in improving decision making, school and trust culture, community engagement and pupil outcomes.

1. NGA has produced several podcasts on the importance of diversity in governance. We've featured interviews with experienced governors, young governors, and governors from underrepresented groups. These podcasts discuss the benefits of diversity, strategies for increasing board representation, and the experiences of governors from various backgrounds.

1. NGA collaborates with other national representative organisations to advance EDI efforts across the sector. In particular, we have met with representatives of ASCL’s BAME, women and LGBT networksand of NAHT’s Leaders for Race Equality network to hear directly from senior leaders about their experiences, what support they would like for their boards and to develop solutions for these needs.
  
  NGA is also a co-signatory to the sector-led statement of action and commitments, which are updated annually.

To support governing boards in their EDI efforts, NGA has compiled a comprehensive resource library featuring a range of race charters, frameworks and audit tools that have been created for schools and trusts. You can find the round-up in the Knowledge Centre.