Barton Peveril Sixth Form College has long been recognised as a centre of academic excellence, but in recent years, the college has also emerged as a leader in inclusivity and equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). Inspired by our previous involvement in the National Diversity Awards, where we witnessed incredible initiatives happening across the UK, we committed ourselves to becoming a community that doesn’t just value diversity but lives it.
This nomination outlines the comprehensive and innovative steps we have taken over the past several years to transform Barton Peveril into an inclusive, anti-discriminatory, student-empowered institution. With an unwavering belief that every student and staff member should feel seen, valued, supported, and empowered to be themselves, we have developed and delivered a multi-layered, strategic, and compassionate EDI agenda that permeates all levels of college life from senior leadership to student societies.
We believe this award would not only be a recognition of the immense work we have already done, but also a celebration of the spirit, resilience, and commitment of every individual in our college community who has chosen to stand up for inclusion, every single day.
Our inclusivity journey begins at the top. Barton Peveril’s senior leadership team has made EDI a cornerstone of our institutional mission. Understanding that meaningful change requires more than good intentions, we have made structural and strategic commitments that guide our college-wide actions.
In partnership with the Black Leadership Group (BLG), we undertook a transformative initiative to examine how systemic racism might be impacting our students. This wasn’t a tick-box exercise, it was a deep, reflective journey into institutional culture, curriculum design, staff development, and student experience. The collaboration led to the development of tailored INSET programs that educated and empowered staff to reflect on unconscious bias, curriculum representation, and allyship.The goal is not just to help students succeed academically, but to help them dream bigger and believe that those dreams are attainable.
At the heart of our inclusivity strategy is our outstanding EDI Committee, a cross-functional team of staff from across departments who champion inclusivity through strategic planning, training delivery, policy review, and community engagement.
The committee plays a critical role in supporting student societies, advising leadership, implementing national initiatives, and ensuring that all areas of college life from recruitment to curriculum are examined through an EDI lens. They act as the pulse and conscience of our inclusivity efforts, and their work has had a tangible impact on staff morale, student experience, and institutional identity.
Ultimately, our success is measured not just by what happens within the college gates, but by what our students take with them into the world. At Barton Peveril, we aim to develop not just well-educated students, but inclusive, informed, and courageous citizens.
We want our students to leave us not only with qualifications but with a deep respect for others, an understanding of social justice, and a readiness to stand up for what is right. Many of our alumni go on to become activists, educators, healthcare professionals, artists, and community leaders taking with them the values they developed here.
We see the ripple effect of our work in how students advocate for peers, create inclusive spaces in their universities, and return to tell us how Barton Peveril changed their lives.
Barton Peveril College stands today as a beacon of inclusive education not because we claim to be perfect, but because we are willing to learn, adapt, and act with integrity, courage, and compassion.
Our journey has been marked by thoughtful reflection, hard conversations, meaningful change, and joyful celebration. From structural reforms to student-led events, from staff training to student mentoring, we have woven inclusivity into the very fabric of our institution.As a result of these efforts, our curriculum has been meaningfully diversified. Teaching staff across departments have been given dedicated time to reassess, decolonise, and enrich their lesson content ensuring that our curriculum doesn’t just reflect a narrow worldview, but presents a rich tapestry of perspectives, histories, and voices. Literature, politics, science, and history lessons now better represent global narratives and contributions from historically marginalised communities. This not only enriches students’ academic experience but also affirms their identities and broadens peer understanding.