GUIDANCE ON THE POLICY AND PRACTICE OF
RECORDING, REPORTING AND MONITORING RACIST
INCIDENTS IN SCHOOLS
GUIDANCE
1.
1.1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Introduction
2. What is racism and what constitutes a racist
incident?
3. Dealing with Racist Incidents (including actions overview
flow diagram)
4. Roles and Responsibilities for monitoring racist incidents
– school, head teacher, governing body, Hammersmith &
Fulham (H&F) Children’s Services
5. Educational Policy and Legislative Context
5.1 Educational Policy (including National Curriculum, DfES,
OFSTED)
5.2 The Law (including Race Relations Act (1976), Race
Relations (Amendment) Act 2000, The Criminal Justice and
Public Order Act (1994), The Human Rights Act, Education
Act 2005 and school self evaluation, Children Act 2004, Audit
Commission, Codes of Practice, Commission for Racial
Equality’s ‘Code of practice on the duty to promote race
equality’, Home Office’s ‘Code of practice: Reporting and
recording racist incidents’
6. Conclusion
7. Good Practice Guidelines – including support for those at
the receiving end and also in challenging those who are
responsible
Introduction
This policy is relevant for pupils, staff and parents/carers,
all of whom need to be aware that all forms of racism hurt
and must be handled appropriately. Racist bullying and
name-calling are particularly serious and damaging. The
Swan report, “Education for All’ (1985), believed that “the
essential difference between racist name-calling and other
forms of name-calling is that whereas the latter may be related
only to the individual characteristics of a child, the former is a
reference not only to the child but also by extension to their
family and indeed more broadly their ethnic community as a
whole” (Page 35). Those who use racist insults and name-
1.2
calling quite often believe that they are representing
widely held views in our society.
In its thematic report ‘Race Equality in Education’
(November 2005), OFSTED summarised the
statutory position as follows:
‘The legislation, administrative guidance and inspectors’
expectations…signal to schools and local education authorities
the need to put in place systems for handling and recording
race-related incidents. Beyond that, the number and range of
types of incident reported to inspectors in the survey, and the
adverse impact of racist abuse on victims’ attainment and
attitudes, show clearly the need to deal with such incidents
effectively and proportionately’.
1.3
1.4
APPENDIX - Attached Documentation
APPENDIX 1 – Dealing with Specific Forms of Racist Incidents
APPENDIX 2 - Sample letter to Parents – Victim
APPENDIX 3 - Sample letter to Parents – Perpetrator
APPENDIX 4 - Form SRRI 1: School form for Reporting Racist Incidents
APPENDIX 5 – Racist Incident Investigation Form
APPENDIX 6 - Racist Incidents Log Book
NOTE: All forms will be able to be accessed online via HAFED website
1
Responses to racist incidents should be part of a broader
whole institution response to racism. A positive anti-racist
school ethos and anti-racist curriculum is vital.
Responding to racist incidents is crucial, but not sufficient
in itself to deal with racism.
In order to assess the nature and extent of the problem of
racist behaviour in our schools and to monitor the
effectiveness of policy over a period of time, it is important
that all schools log, investigate and report on the number
and type of incidents occurring and how they were dealt
with generally. As far as the Local Authority is concerned,
it is also important to note that it is the policy which is
being monitored, not individual schools.
1.5
1.6
1.7
2.
2.1
2.2
This guidance sets out: What constitutes a racist incident
 What is racism
 Dealing with racist incidents
 Monitoring and reporting
 Roles and responsibilities of schools, governing bodies
and H&F Children’s Services
 Educational Policy and Legislative Context
 Good practice guidelines including how to deal with
specific forms of incidents
All children, young people and adults have the right to
learn and work in an environment where they feel safe
and that is free from all forms of racism.
Incidents of racist behaviour which occur at school level
have to be dealt with immediately, logged, investigated,
recorded and reported for central monitoring. Schools
must report to their governing bodies each term on their
own situation and should involve all staff in this process as
appropriate; they must ensure that they are familiar with
procedures for logging, investigating, recording and
dealing with all racist incidents. Relevant forms are
attached to this guidance for reporting.
2.3
2.4
2.5
What is racism and what constitutes a racist
incident?
The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry Report defined a racist
incident for the purposes of reporting and recording, as
“any incident which is perceived to be racist by the victim
or any other person.”, and racism as:
“conduct or words or practices which advantage or
disadvantage people because of their colour, culture or
ethnic origin. In its more subtle form it is as damaging as
in its overt form.”
The use of this definition ensures that all possible racist
incidents are properly and objectively investigated and
followed through.
2.6
2
The definition is designed to take account of the fact that
the under-reporting of racist incidents is a serious problem
in dealing with racism. There has been an historic
tendency for institutions to ignore or underplay the
importance of racist incidents and racism and its impact
on children’s wellbeing, and enjoyment of achievement at
school.
Racist incidents can appear to be petty or trivial to people
who never (or rarely) experience them. Though some
incidents many not be motivated by clear-cut racist intent,
the intention is often less significant than the effect on the
person at the receiving end. It is important not to downplay
the feelings of victims by emphasising the lack of explicit
intent (e.g. “he/she didn’t mean it”) of the perpetrator.
Perpetrators must be faced with taking responsibility for
the outcomes of their behaviour. They must be made
aware of the hurt they have caused and not be allowed to
feel empowered at some else’s expense.
The school must make it clear that all forms of racism are
unacceptable. Racist name-calling and the use of racist
labels should be recorded and followed through. It is also
important to recognise that racist incidents are not only
always accompanied by overt expression of racial
prejudice or intolerance and that racist behaviour may also
take the forms of ignoring, not allowing to join in, not
sharing and other more covert exclusionary practices.
Racial harassment and abuse can often only be obvious
to the person experiencing it and while victims should
certainly be encouraged to report incidents, staff should
not wait for victims to take the initiative. Young people
often suffer this kind of abuse in silence, not even daring
to tell their families what they are going through, perhaps
because of the misguided notion that it is their own fault.
Some victims may not want to draw attention to
themselves by pursuing the matter because they are
scared, so staff need to be vigilant.
3.



Dealing with Racist Incidents
This flow diagram provides an overview of actions that
need to be taken if anyone feels an incident is racist.

See the following pages for detailed guidance of how the
steps might be worked through with regard to pupil-pupil
incidents. Other types of protagonists can be involved
both as victims and perpetrators so responses need to be
modified to take account of other scenarios:
B.
Record in Racist Incidents Log Book
B.
Record
There must be a record entered in Racist Incidents Log
Book (see Appendix 6):
 If an incident is reported to you and the victim
perceives a racist motive or there is other information
to suggest a racist motive
 If you think that the incident is racist
 By whoever receives the report, even if details are
patchy/ incomplete
 Even if the victim requests no further action (to be
noted on the log book)
 Following each separate incident
 Notify the named management team member
responsible for dealing with racist incidents
C.



Investigate
Senior manager to lead
Listen to all parties
Address underlying issues, e.g. an incident may not be
racial in origin – it might be a dispute over resources in
which racist abuse has been used: in which case the
E.
Complete Racist Incident Investigation form if appropriate
A.




Initial Response
Treat the issue seriously
Respond immediately
Reinforce school’s position and rules on racism
Focus on the perpetrator’s behaviour (rather than the
person)
3
Support and affirm the victim
Connect with pupils’ feelings
Support and affirm the victim, explaining how racism
works through the stereotyping of an individual
Contact parents/carers (Social Services in the case of
“looked after children”) of both the victims as well as the
perpetrators. If the incident is not able to be resolved on
the spot and / or requires further follow-up, parents of both
perpetrator and victim should be kept informed at every
stage of the investigation, if necessary by inviting them to
come into the school to discuss the matter. Conversations
should be confirmed in writing - see examples of letters in
Appendix 2 and 3.
NB: Victims have a right to refer cases to the police if their
parents so wish and all parties have a right to complain to
the Governing Body.




D.





E.


F.

original issue should be sorted out as well as the use of
the unacceptable words that made it a racist incident
Make sure race issues are covered – do not just treat
incidents as, say, a case of simple bullying – be able to
explain why it is a racist incident if you judge it to be such
Reinforce school’s position and rules on racism
If it is not judged to be a racist incident this would need to
be explained to the parties involved, though the incident
might still remain as another kind of infringement of the
school’s behaviour policy which needed a response
If it is judged to be a racist incident, Section E must be
followed





Further response
Inform (a standard note can be useful) and involve
tutors/class teachers
Monitor the behaviour of both victim and perpetrator
Address the perpetrator’s racist behaviour and correct
racist misperceptions, e.g. about not belonging in “our”
country
Reinforce the school’s position and rules on racism
Bring both parties together and give them a chance to be
involved in resolving the situation
General Follow through
Follow through with appropriate measures to reinforce the
school’s position with individuals/group/class/school via
assembly, circle time, tutor period and curriculum
Present monitoring returns to staff to ensure regular
discussion & development of good practice
Continue to encourage pupils to report and discuss racist
incidents and how they should respond
Use existing means of involving pupils, such as a pupil
post box or student council
Work with other agencies to promote good race relations
Governing Bodies must be informed termly of incidents
and actions taken to deal with them as a part of the head
teacher’s termly report – schools may wish to nominate a
governor to have oversight of this area
NB: Given that there may be sometimes ongoing
exclusion, disciplinary, grievance and legal proceedings in
connection with incidents, names of individuals should not
be used. All the above should be dealt with in accordance
with Data Protection and confidentiality should be
maintained at all times
Racist Incidents – pupils and adults
Complete Racist Incident Investigation Form (see
Appendix 5) if appropriate
If the incident is serious enough that it is not able to be
immediately resolved, or the same perpetrator has been
involved in more than two previous incidents, or there is a
clear racist motive, a form must be completed and sent to
the Racial Harassment Coordinator in order to enable
appropriate follow-up via the Racial Incidents Panel.
In the case of any queries, the Coordinator can be
contacted on 0208 753 2458.
The focus of this policy is where pupils are involved in racist
incidents within school. However, it is also important to note that
it is equally relevant to be applied to incidents which take place off
the school premises, and / or involving staff or adults on school
premises or attending school activities:
3.1

4
Complaints of racist incidents involving pupils, which
take place off school premises
Pupils may be subject to bullying and harassment on their
journeys to and from school. Pupils should be
encouraged to report such incidents to school staff, and
these should be followed up, recorded and reported as
described in this guidance.

3.2

3.3
4.
4.1
4.1.1
If necessary, schools can report on to the police, for
example to the community safety officer.
Complaints of racist incidents involving staff
Where pupils, staff or parents complain of racial abuse or
harassment by staff members this must be reported to the
headteacher and should be recorded. Incidents should be
investigated by the headteacher, and staff disciplinary
procedures should be followed if appropriate.
Complaints of racist incidents involving adults on
school premises or attending school activities
Complaints must be reported to the headteacher,
recorded, investigated and, where appropriate, referred to
the governing body. Where breaches of policy occur,
these will be dealt with via the appropriate channels, if
necessary involving the police. An incident reporting form
must be completed and sent to the Racial Harassment
Coordinator.
(A leaflet for parents will be produced making it clear that
behaviour of this sort is unacceptable and that incidents
will be recorded at school and if necessary the police will
be informed)
4.1.2
4.1.3
Roles and Responsibilities for monitoring racist
incidents
4.1.4
School responsibilities
Each school must prepare a written statement of its policy
for promoting race equality and have in place
arrangements for fulfilling its duties, including to monitor
its impact on pupils, staff and parents of different racial
groups, and in particular, on attainment levels of such
pupils. Schools should also take steps annually to publish
the results of this monitoring. See Commission for Race
Equality website (www.cre.gov.uk) for guidance on
developing and assessing policies.
5
Schools should have structures and procedures in place
to allow all in the school, teaching staff, non-teaching staff,
other adults in school and pupils, to be able to play a role
in tackling racist incidents. Everyone needs to know, and
to be reminded regularly, about:
the school’s policy
what constitutes a racist incident
what the procedures are
who they report racist incidents to, etc.
This should be covered in the school’s behaviour policy
which should have a section covering racist incidents. The
school’s position and procedures should be publicised to
the whole school community and should be referred to
and explained in assemblies, tutor periods/circle time, etc
and in school prospectus, home-school agreements,
admissions policy, etc. Above all it should be clear to
pupils how they report incidents (confidentially and
anonymously, if needs be, e.g. through a written note).
Members of staff with a role in handling reports of
incidents, such as tutors/class teachers and senior
management, should be identified, trained and known to
all.
All staff, teaching and non-teaching, should see dealing
with racist incidents as an important part of their
professional duties. There should be an appreciation of
the serious implications that racial harassment can have
for the wellbeing of the school and the local community.
Openness about incidents should be encouraged. Though
pupils may take the initiative in reporting cases, in some
cases victims will not, so staff need to be vigilant and proactive. It is important that all members of staff, including
associate and support staff, are kept informed and
provided with appropriate training on monitoring and
dealing with racial situations.
4.1.5
4.1.6
4.1.7
Roles and responsibilities should be clearly defined
throughout the process. Recording should be the initial
responsibility of the member of teaching staff involved
supported by senior management. It is useful to have a
member of the Senior Management Team with designated
responsibility for racist incidents. This person should be
informed of all incidents, be responsible for their
investigation and for the completion of the paperwork and
play the lead role in following through, linking in with the
school’s disciplinary and pastoral structures.
4.2
4.2.1
In schools, a designated member of staff must be
responsible for keeping the log book up to date and
collating and making central returns using the attached
form (Appendix 4). This person also has the opportunity
to establish an overview of any patterns of racist
behaviour that have the potential to develop into much
more sinister situations and to identify persistent victims
and perpetrators, thus enabling schools to be pro-active.
4.2.5
4.2.2
4.2.3
4.2.4
4.2.6
If there are no racist incidents to report for the whole term
please indicate this on the form which should be returned
at the end of each term, even if the school is satisfied that
there are no racist incidents to report on.
NB If there is are no recorded incidents to report, this
might indicate that a school’s monitoring system is
insufficiently robust or ineffective in picking up racist
incidents in the different locations of the school or staff do
not have the appropriate training to identify racist
incidents. It could also indicate that both pupils and staff
lack the awareness of and confidence in identifying and
reporting racist behaviour.
4.1.8
4.3
4.3.1
4.3.2
4.3.3
In order to deal with incidents effectively it is important to
ensure that certain steps are taken (outlined in Dealing
with Racist Incidents flow diagram at section 3.1). These
responses would need to be tailored according to the
particular context and issues involved.
4.3.4
6
Head Teacher responsibilities
Legal duty to take necessary measures to prevent all
forms of bullying and harassment amongst pupils
Ensure that the behaviour policy covers racial harassment
Implement school policy and procedure on racial
harassment and incidents
Regularly review and monitor these policies, logs and
procedures to ensure effectiveness, including follow up
action as appropriate
Using Racist Incidents Reporting Form (see Appendix 4)
report termly the number and types of incidents to the
Governing body, Children’s Services Authority and
Complaints Officer, who circulates copies to the Racial
Harassment Coordinator who is based in the borough
Community Safety Unit
If the incident is serious enough that it is not able to be
immediately resolved, or the same perpetrator has been
involved in more than two previous incidents, or there is a
clear racist motive, it must be reported to the police and to
the Racial Incidents Panel (a multi-agency panel
consisting of representatives from council departments,
the police, probation service, refugee forum, victim
support and housing associations) At this panel racial
incident problems across the community of Hammersmith
and Fulham are reviewed and multi-agency strategies
acted upon
Governing Body responsibilities
Responsible for ensuring that these guidelines are
implemented
Ensuring all staff comply with agreed procedures
Receive termly report from Headteacher on the number
and types of racist incidents
Report annually to parents on the number and types of
incidents
4.4
4.4.1
4.4.2
4.4.3
4.4.4
4.4.5
5.
5.1
5.1.1
5.1.2
H&F Children’s Services responsibilities
Monitor and statistically analyse trends and issues arising
from racial incidents - this lies within scope of Children’s
Services’ Head of Information and External Relations
Bring key areas of concern and development to the
Departmental Management Team on a termly basis,
informing the Department and enabling any action to be
taken
Provide advice, guidance and appropriate training
Support schools in taking appropriate steps to deal with
racial harassment and racist incidents, involving local
partners as appropriate
Report termly to the Racial Harassment Coordinator the
number and types of incidents, concluding with details of
action taken by schools, including exclusions or police
involvement
racism”. This recommendation is now incorporated in Social
Inclusion: Pupil Support (DfES Circular 10/99), which refers to
schools responsibilities for “racial harassment at our outside
school”.
In particular the circular makes the following recommendations
which are all dealt with in the main part of this document:
 “The school should record all incidents”
 “Governing bodies should inform Children’s Services termly*
of the pattern and frequency of racist incidents”
 “All schools’ behaviour policies must make clear that racial
harassment will not be tolerated”
 Behaviour policies should “say how staff and pupils should
deal with racism”
 “Parents should be informed of racist incidents and the
action taken to deal with them”
 “Pupils who have suffered racial harassment, inside or
outside school,may need support”
 “Governors should be informed of racist incidents and the
action taken to deal with them”
* NB It is the policy of Hammersmith & Fulham to annually publish the total
number of incidents for Children’s Services as a whole and not to mention the
names of the schools.
Educational Policy and Legislative Context
Educational Policy
The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry Report made three specific
recommendations to the DfES concerning the prevention of
racism and the role of education:
National Curriculum
Paragraph 67 of the Report stated: “that consideration be given
to amendment of the National Curriculum aimed at valuing
cultural diversity and to prevent racism in order to better reflect
the needs of a diverse society”.
This is reflected clearly in the two aims of the new National
Curriculum (2000) and in the Statutory Statement on Inclusion.
Explicit reference is made in the latter to the need for all
teachers to: “Create effective learning environments in which …
all forms of bullying and harassment, including racial
harassment, are challenged”.
Schools and Racist Incidents
Paragraph 68 concerns the handling of racist incidents by
schools and Children’s Services. This states: “… that Children’s
Services and school governors have the duty to create and
implement strategies in their schools to prevent and address
5.1.3
OFSTED
Paragraph 69 of the Lawrence Inquiry Report addresses the role
of OFSTED, recommending: “that OFSTED inspections include
examination of the implementation of such strategies
recommended in Paragraph 68”.
5.2
5.2.1
The Law
Race Relations Act (1976)
The Race Relations Act 1976 states that: “… it shall be the duty
of every local authority to make appropriate arrangements with a
view to securing that their various functions are carried out with
due regard to the need:
 to eliminate unlawful racial discrimination; and
 to promote equality of opportunity, and good relations
between person of different racial groups”
The Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000, strengthened the
1976 Act following the McPherson Inquiry, imposed a general
statutory duty on all public authorities to have “….due regard to
the need…
 To eliminate unlawful racial discrimination
5.2.2
7


5.2.3
5.2.4
Promote equality of opportunity, and
Promote good relations between persons of different racial
groups”
The Act provides wider protection against racial discrimination.
Public authorities, including schools, will be expected to
incorporate racial equality considerations into everything they
do.
Specific duties were also identified to help schools meet the
general duty. A school must:
 Prepare a written statement of its policy for promoting race
equality, and have in place arrangements for fulfilling its
duties ( i.e a policy and an action plan which had to be in
place before 31st May 2002)
 Maintain a copy of the statement and fulfil those duties
 Monitor and assess the impact of its policies, including the
race equality policy, on pupils, staff and parents of different
racial groups, including in particular, the impact on
attainment levels of such pupils, and
 Take steps to publish annually the results of its monitoring
under this article
The Criminal Justice and Public Order Act (1994)
Racial harassment is, however, specifically covered by this Act,
which introduced a new criminal offence of intentional
harassment. The offence covers all forms of harassment,
including racial harassment. The act defines harassment as the
use of “threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour; or
disorderly behaviour; or displays of writing, signs or other visible
representation which is threatening, abusive or insulting”. The
act covers: threatening to destroy or damage property:
possession with intent: public order offences; riot; violent
disorder; affray; fear or provocation of violence; harassment
alarm or distress harassment with intent and specific offences
relating to racial hatred. A person who uses threatening,
abusive or insulting words or behaviour, or who displays any
written material which is threatening, abusive or insulting is
guilty of an offence if by doing so he or she intends or is likely to
stir up racial hatred. The same criteria are applied to a person
who publishes or distributes written material, which is
threatening, abusive, or insulting. The same criteria are also
applied to a person who has such material in his or her
possession and who intends it to be displayed, published,
distributed, or used for television or radio.
5.2.5
5.2.6
5.2.7
5.2.8
8
The Human Rights Act
In addition to the above, since October 2000 all schools and
educational establishments are legally obliged to act in a
manner that is compatible with the European Convention on
Human Rights (the Convention), as incorporated within the UK
by the Human Rights Act. The expectation that schools will
take measures to deal appropriately with racist incidents can be
said to lie within the parameters of Article 2 of the First Protocol
of The Convention, the “Right to Education”.
Within this Article it is stated that:
“In the exercise of any functions assumed in relation to
education …, the state shall respect the rights of parents to
ensure such education and teaching are in conformity with their
own religious and philosophical convictions”.
Education Act 2005 and school self evaluation
Schools have to evaluate the extent to which learners feel safe
and adopt safe practices, and as part of this process, are
prompted to consider whether learners feel safe from bullying
and racist incidents (Every Child Matters outcome), and the
extent to which learners feel confident to talk to staff and others
when they feel at risk.
In the new Inspection Framework (2003), Ofsted inspectors
are to seek views from pupils about their experiences, and
assess the extent to which schools promote good relationships,
including racial harmony, and deal effectively with incidents
such as bullying, racism and other forms of harassment
Department for Education and Skills
In ‘Schools’ Race Equality Policies: from issues to
outcomes’ (2004), the DfES states that “all racist incidents
must be monitored and reported to Children’s Services” – there
should be:
 No under-reporting. ‘In reviewing your school’s handling of
racist incidents you will need to consider how many incidents
there have been in any given period and how satisfied
groups most affected are in how they are dealt with’
 The goal, the document says, is a school which ‘recognises
and values diversity’ and in which ‘all have a sense of
belonging’
Children Act 2004
This act introduced Joint Area Reviews (JAR) of children’s
services. Evidence will be sought to support claims that services
implement and monitor policies on combating bullying, and that
5.2.9
7.
services take action to challenge and reduce discrimination by
and of children and young people
Audit Commission
Local authorities must collect figures from schools each year on
the numbers of recorded racist incidents and MUST report to the
Audit Commission the number of racist incidents per 100,000
residents (BVPI 174) and the numbers of incidents in which
follow-up action was taken (BVPI 175)
(drawn from sources including Birmingham City Council; L.B. Hounslow : Race
Equality and Diversity School Self Review; L.B. Tower Hamlets: Stop Bullying
and discrimination – a guide for parents/carers in Tower Hamlets; Ofsted: Race
Equality in Education, Nov 05; DfES: Bullying around racism, religion & culture,
2006; CRE: Learning for All: Standards for Race Equality in schools, 2000)
7.1
5.2.10 Codes of Practice
The Commission for Racial Equality’s ‘Code of practice on
the duty to promote race equality’, under RR(A)A , indicates
that in assessing schools’ policies, “regard should be paid to
steps to prevent racist bullying”
The Home Office’s ‘Code of practice: Reporting and
recording racist incidents’ recommends that schools “should
record all racist incidents”
6.
6.1
6.2
Good Practice Guidelines
Conclusion
Although schools have been anxious about the reporting of
racist incidents, the evidence is that transparency in
identification and recording provides a robust basis for
developing a positive culture and approach (see also 5.1.2 and
5.2.7). Ofsted would want to know that schools are able to
identify the types and trends of racist incidents and are taking
positive action on a whole school basis to tackle and eliminate
racist bullying and discrimination
The impact of effective work on recording, reporting and
monitoring racist incidents in schools are:
 Staff will have a collective understanding about what
represents an incident and types of incidents; they will be
confident about handling and reporting incidents
 Pupils will feel confident about reporting incidents knowing
that incidents will be dealt with swiftly, and that the schools
take racism seriously
 Parents will have increased confidence in the school’s
ability to deal effectively and confidently with racist incidents
General guidelines
Racist insults hurt, and pupils confronted with such slurs defend
themselves in a variety of ways. Extreme care should be
exercised when dealing with such incidents, since otherwise the
victim may be punished for retaliating while the perpetrator of
the original insult is free to repeat the offence.
 Pupils, students or staff who are subjected to name-calling
and other insults because of their colour, their physical
features, ethnicity, culture or religion need the support of
other pupils, colleagues, teachers and adults. To be silent
or neutral in these situations is at best to collude and at
worst to encourage and support racism.
 Act immediately when a racist incident takes place.
 Strongly criticise the racist behaviour and make clear to the
pupils that it is not acceptable. Be hard on the problem!
 Try to determine how much of their behaviour pupils
understand. Younger children may be unwittingly repeating
what they have heard and need to be approached with
different sensitivities and any action taken should take this
into consideration.
 Give pupils the skills and confidence to support each other
and to report any racist incidents.
 Never side-step the issue with responses such as:




9
“words don’t hurt” - the old saying “sticks and stones may
break my bones but names will never hurt me’ is unhelpful
and untrue and should not be used
“we are all the same” - individuals have similarities and
differences and these need to be celebrated and valued. It is
about being treated fairly and equally
“colour doesn’t matter” - It clearly does as it is part of one’s
ethnic and cultural identity; it also affects one’s life chances in
our society. Such statements deny the obvious differences
and may imply that such differences are something to be
ashamed of. Build on ways to promote personal and cultural
identities and positive self-esteem of all pupils.
Discuss racist incidents with parents/guardians and staff so
that ideas can be shared which will enable parents to
reinforce the school’s anti-racist practices in the home.
7.2

Ensure that the school’s race equality policy is available to
parents and appropriate statements are included in the
school’s brochure/prospectus.
 Parents and carers should be made aware that the school
environment will be monitored for any racist incidents
between parents and carers as well as pupils and staff, and
these will be taken seriously and dealt with appropriately.
 Ensure that black and minority ethnic children know that
negative responses to their appearance, language or
culture are due to discrimination and racism, not to their
own qualities.
 Ensure all school staff receive appropriate training by
conducting regular staff audits to establish who has
received training on incidents, and initiate training where
necessary
 Ensure that incidents are recorded properly
 In the case of serious incidents, ensure the views of head
teacher and relevant Children’s Services officer are sought
before determining sanctions
 Ensure the number of incidents handled and recorded is
reported on a termly basis to school Governors, and
annually to parents
 Follow up is very important. Checking with all concerned a
week or fortnight later and again around six weeks later can
be effective in preventing bullying and racism becoming
long term issues.
 Careful regular monitoring of attendance, exclusion and
attainment data may help to identify where racial incidents
might be the underlying barrier to pupils’ learning and
enjoyment of school
Support for those at the receiving end
Clear support should be provided to the victim, whether it is a
pupil or a staff member, who has been insulted or rejected
(verbal, body language etc) in the following ways:
 Accept the victim’s account of the incident and provide
solidarity and support
 Do not make light of the incident or try to minimise its
importance by suggesting there may have been a
misunderstanding.
 Confirm that it was right for the victim to approach you and
inform you
7.3
Ask what action the victim would like to take place eg.
involving the pupil or staff member responsible for the
bullying and / or teacher or headteacher or other pupils or
staff to help solve the situation that has arisen
 Discuss whether they would like their parents to be informed
and involved
 Stress that they are not themselves the cause of the bullying
 Seek to instil pride in their heritage, colour and background
 If there were witnesses to the incident, as is likely, ensure
they know your sympathies are with the pupil(s) or staff
member(s) at the receiving end of the racist bullying
It should be fully acknowledged that the victim may show anger
or exhibit bad behaviour if s/he feels that s/he has not been
given the appropriate support
Challenging those who are responsible
 Be firm, yet non-confrontational, with the pupil who was
insulting, and help pupils settle elements in their argument or
conflict which are unrelated to ethnicity, culture or religion. If
appropriate, use role-play to help the perpetrator understand
how the victim feels.
 Where it is a member of staff, the headteacher should make it
clear that it is a breach of professional conduct to act in a
racist way. The use of disciplinary procedures may be
necessary.
 Where it is an adult – a parent or other visitor to the school, it
will be necessary for the headteacher or a member of the
senior management team to explain the ethos of the school
and the seriousness with which racism is taken both by the
school and the authority. There should be a warning that the
incident will be recorded and if necessary the police informed.
A leaflet is published by H&F Children’s Services to give out
to parents, carers and other adults.
APPENDIX - Attached Documentation

APPENDIX 1 – Dealing with Specific Forms of Racist Incidents

APPENDIX 2 - Sample letter to Parents – Victim

APPENDIX 3 - Sample letter to Parents – Perpetrator

APPENDIX 4 - Form SRRI 1: School form for Reporting Racist Incidents

APPENDIX 5 – Racist Incident Investigation Form

APPENDIX 6 - Racist Incidents Log Book
10
APPENDIX 1:
DEALING WITH SPECIFIC FORMS OF RACIST INCIDENT
Categories
Racist Jokes/ Name
calling
Physical assault
APPENDIX 2:
SAMPLE LETTER TO THE PARENTS/CARERS OF THE
VICTIM OF A RACIST INCIDENT
Suggested Action
 Indicate to perpetrator that such
behaviour will not be tolerated
 Persistent perpetrators to be dealt
with and parents/carers informed
NOTE: It is likely that you, the headteacher, have already spoken
to the parent(s) about the incident. The form of words in the letter
should be modified to take account of the seriousness of the
event, age of the child etc.
NAME AND ADDRESS
 Involve class tutor/head of year or
head teacher as appropriate
 Inform parents/ carers
 Take appropriate action
 Inform outside agency e.g. Police
Dear ________________
I regret to inform you that (name of pupil) was the victim of a
racist incident on (date)
Racist graffiti
 Report to appropriate staff for early
removal
Bringing racist
materials/ leaflets onto
school premises
 Such material to be confiscated
 Offenders to be reported to senior
staff
 Inform Police if appropriate
In line with the school’s and Local Authority guidelines we have
taken the following action in dealing with the incident:
Attempts to recruit for
a racist organisation
 Report to head teacher
 Inform Police
 Inform Parents/ carers
____________________________________________________
Refusal to co-operate
with to other people
because of their
religion/ language/
ethnic background
 Make it clear to all concerned that
every pupil has the right to be
included in all school activities, and no
one should be excluded on racial
grounds
Ridiculing people
because of cultural/
religious differences
 Everyone has a right to their culture/
religious views; whilst such views may
not be shared by others, they need to
be respected
I can reassure you that the school takes such incidents very
seriously.
In the meantime please discuss the incident with (name of pupil).
It is important that he/she feels supported at home and school
over this matter.
Please let him/her know that I will be available to discuss this
Incident with him/her at any time at school.
Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any
concerns regarding the incident or the action we have taken.
Yours sincerely
Head teacher
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APPENDIX 3:
SAMPLE LETTER TO THE PARENTS/CARERS OF THE
PERPETRATOR OF A RACIST INCIDENT
APPENDIX 4:
SCHOOLS: REPORTING RACIST INCIDENTS (SRRI 1)
NOTE: To be completed termly and submitted as part of
Headteacher’s report to Governors and to Children’s Services
Authority
NOTE: It is likely that you, the headteacher, have already spoken
to the parent(s) about the incident. The form of words in the letter
should be modified to take account of the seriousness of the
event, age of the child etc.
School ____________________________________________
NAME AND ADDRESS
I confirm that there were __________ racist incidents
reported during __________Term 200___.
Dear ________________
The number and nature/ types of incidents recorded were:
I regret to inform you that (name of pupil) was involved in a racist
incident on (date)
.
Unfortunately (details of the incidents)
__________ Verbal abuse (including name-calling)
__________ Physical abuse
__________ Threats
____________________________________________________
__________ Graffiti
__________ Refusal to co-operate with others based on
religion/ethnicity/ Language
The school has a very clear race equality policy and, in line with
the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000, we do not tolerate
any type of racist behaviour. As a result we have taken the
following action:
__________ Incidents which required external investigation /
referral to other agencies
____________________________________________________
Any additional Comments:
I would be grateful if you could spend some time talking to (name
of pupil) about the reasons why the incident occurred, and to
explain the seriousness of his/her actions/comments, which have
caused hurt and are therefore totally unacceptable.
Please do not hesitate to contact me should you wish to discuss
this further.
Thank you in anticipation for your support for our school policy on
race equality.
Yours sincerely
Head teacher
Signed_________________________________Date_________
Chair of Governors
Signed_________________________________Date_________
Headteacher/Deputy Headteacher
Please send the completed sheet at the end of each term to:
Carole Bell
Assistant Director, Children's Services
Cambridge House
Cambridge Grove
W6 OLE
Fax: 0208 753 3705
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APPENDIX 5:
RACIST INCIDENT INVESTIGATION FORM
Date of Incident
Date form completed
ACTION TAKEN BY SCHOOL:
VICTIM
Location
of incident
Name
of Victim
Year/Male/
Class
Ethnic
Origin
PERPETRATOR
Female
Faith
(if applicable)
Alleged
Perpetrator
Year/Male/
Class
Ethnic
Origin
PARENT/CARER
Female
Faith
(if applicable)
INCIDENT DETAILS
Nature of incident:
AGENCIES REFERRED TO:
Name/s of Witnesses/s:
Reported by:
SCHOOL:
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APPENDIX 6:
RACIST INCIDENTS LOG – suggested headings
Reported
by
Date &
time of
incident
Location
of incident
Victim
(name/year
/ethnicity/
gender)
Perpetrator
(name/
year/ethnicity/
gender)
Type of
incident
14
Racist
motive
proven /
unproven
Action taken
Outcome
Other
agencies
involved
LONDON BOROUGH OF HAMMERSMITH & FULHAM
CHILDREN’S SERVICES
GUIDANCE ON THE POLICY AND PRACTICE OF
RECORDING, REPORTING AND MONITORING
RACIST INCIDENTS IN SCHOOLS
2007.
15