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A Decade of Campaigning

10 Years of London Schools and the Black Child

• A decade ago Diane Abbott began a campaign to raise the educational achievement levels of Black kids in London. She titled it London Schools and the Black Child.
  
•  She gained the support of the Mayor of London and chaired the London Developement Agency's Education Commission. She produced a definative report Educational Experiences and Achievements of Black Boys in London Schools 2000-03  
•  With the support of the Mayor she organised and chaired nine London-wide conferences entitled "London Schools and the Black Child" They have been attended by thousands of parents, educators and activists.
• She organised borough level events in Hackney, Ealing and Croydon. 
• She also organised a special event in Hackney entitled "Hackney Schools and the Turkish Child"
• Supported by the financial institution UBS, she has organised and hosted a gala "Black Achievment Awards"at the House of Commons. It is in its fourth year
• The "London Schools and the Black Child" initiative has the support of celebrities like Sir Trevor McDonald, Olympic gold medallists Christine Ohuruogu, actor Lenny Henry and playwright Kwame Kwei Armah.

London Schools and the Black Child Academic Achievement Awards

 

This year's London Schools and the Black Child  Academic Achievment Awards took place at a gala ceremony on the 2nd October 2009 at the House of Commons. Special guests included: Mayor of London Boris Johnson;, Hollywood star  Naomie Harris; Sky newsreader Gillian Joseph; Olympic Gold medallist Christine Ohuruogu and Education Minister Iain Wright MP. As in previous years it was supported by global financial services firm UBS. Click the link below to learn about this year's prizewinners.

Please click on one of the links below

• Our Prizewinners

In Celebration

An Education Achiever
Sir William Atkinson

 

Congratulations go to Sir William Atkinson, one of Britain's most distinguished educationalists and a longtime supporter of the London Schools and the Black Child initiative. He is head of the Phoenix High School in Shepherd’s Bush London It has come top of Government league table for the school with the most value added. Once it was known (before Sir William took it over) as one of the worst schools in the country. Ofsted now describes it as “remarkable”. Sir William, who has over 30 years of teaching experience and was knighted in 2008, says :"To work with these youngsters, you have to be not only competent and with a good knowledge base but be prepared to go that extra mile – and that's not just now and then but routinely, every day." A message for us all. For more go to www.phoenix.ibhf.sch.uk

Other Educational Events

Here are other events that I have organised as part of the London Schools and the Black Child initiative. For further information please click on the links below.

• Croydon Schools and the Black Child
• Ealing Schools and the Black Child
• Hackney Schools and the Black Child
• Hackney Schools and the Turkish, Kurdish and Turkish-Cypriot Child

Educational Publications

Here are some educational publications which relate to issues around education and ethnicity. For the full list of publications please click on the publications tab at the top of the page.

• Beyond the School Gate - How schools and families can work better together
• Black Teachers in London - GLA report
• (Re)Thinking Gangs - Runnymede report
• LSBC 2009 Conference Report
• LSBC 2006 Conference Report
• LSBC 2004 Conference Report
• LSBC 2003 Conference Report
• LSBC 2002 Conference Report

A Young Hackney Poet

Stephanie Thomas 24 reads her brilliant poem about Hackney. It was written as part of a project at the Fairbridge centre. www.fairbridge.org.uk.