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Race relations and community cohesion specialist Temporary Chief Inspector Robyn Williams will be using her experience to help inspire teachers.
For the first time from September this year, schools will have to prove how they are promoting community cohesion – and OFSTED will be checking how they do. The duty came into force in September 2007 and will make schools responsible for helping their pupils thrive alongside people from different backgrounds.
Nearly 100 teachers will be attending a reception in Leeds on 13 March, where they will be discussing how to meet this challenge. The reception is being hosted by the General Teaching Council’s Achieve Network which brings professionals together to promote racial equality and diversity in schools.
TCI Williams, an executive committee member of the British Association of Women in Police, was the first black woman to be promoted to Sergeant and then Inspector in the Nottinghamshire Police. She has a wealth of experience with young people and in building bridges with communities.
She is a mentor and founder member of BUILD (a mentoring scheme for young black people which aims to raise self esteem, academic achievement and career aspirations). She also sat on the Home Secretary’s working group overseeing the implementation of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry recommendations (1999-2000).
TCI Williams was also awarded the Queens Police Medal (QPM) for distinguished Police Service in the pursuance of fairness and good police and community race relations. (July 2003)
Shiraz Chakera, Professional Networks Manager, at the General Teaching Council for England, says:
'Our Achieve network was set up to help schools and teachers challenge the inequalities in achievement between different ethnic groups, get more people from black and ethnic minorities into teaching, and develop a more inclusive curriculum.
'With OFSTED due to report on schools’ promotion of community cohesion this year, we hope TCI Williams’s vast experience in this area will give teachers attending the reception some positive ideas to use in their schools.'
