DivergentED

DivergentED: a schools led movement focused on strategy, research, practice and support for schools, leaders and teachers serving underserved and diverse communities, often people that have been historically marginalised, racialized, and excluded in England.

DivergentED recognises in England today, the reality is that access to opportunity is limited - especially for children living in poverty and attending underserved and diverse schools.  Ofsted inspections favour affluent communities and disproportionately assign lower gradings to schools serving underserved communities. National testing is often culturally biased and reflective of stories, experiences and content that advantages certain groups over others.  We will examine and unlearn the carceral approaches to leadership & schooling for underserved and diverse schools and explore critical pedagogy and practice.

We must diverge from what we have always done and put shape to the future - where the divergent becomes the daily.

We believe that there is a glaring gap in national and local education strategy, research, practice and support for schools, leaders and teachers serving underserved and diverse communities, often left trying to fit round pegs into square holes.  While there are transferable knowledge and skills in any school and community, underserved and diverse communities require different knowledge, skills and understandings - different policy and strategy - to best serve their communities.  This experience and expertise needs to be developed, shared and furthered through intentional structures and frameworks in order to effect sustainable change.

Mission

We aim to support the development of practice-based divergent models of education, leadership, policy and practice for those serving underserved and diverse communities, often people that have been historically marginalised, racialized, and excluded. We aim to develop and improve the strategy, research, practice and support for schools, leaders and teachers serving underserved and diverse communities locally and nationally of these same groups.

We aim to provide different domains of service to schools within a network
DivergentTEACH
DivergentLEARN
DivergentGATHER
in order to support the development of critical practice and pedagogy, a global, multi-ethnic and inclusive curriculum, and school leadership that promotes a world class education by developing expertise to meet the ongoing challenges of education in a cosmopolitan community. Diversities include class, race, citizenship status, sexual orientation, religion and language, among others. 

Delivery Domains

DivergentTEACH
DivergentLEADERS / DivergentTEACHERS

We will offer practical tools and information to education leaders from around the country so that they can better support the development of a world class education among youth, especially those who are the most vulnerable and least privileged. This will include examining and unlearning the often carceral approaches to leadership & schooling for underserved and diverse schools supported by certain groups, empowering schools to find emancipating, proven and successful teacher and student-led learning models.  We believe that pedagogy - the interaction of pupils and teachers in the presence of knowledge - is just as important as the knowledge itself.  We will collaborate on the development of a global, multi-ethnic and inclusive curriculum, supporting both historical and contemporary narratives of various peoples, unleashing critical thought and pedagogy.

We believe that context-based learning experiences based on research and practice for teachers and leaders are crucial to facilitate the development of their expertise in meeting the ongoing challenges of education in a diverse community. 

DivergentLEARN
DivergentSCHOOLS

We will be a centre for learning and innovation, using practice-based research to redevelop and design critical practice and pedagogy through the lens of teacher-led learning; we will examine the pupil experience through participatory action research; we will work in collaboration with other professionals, community members, parents and settings to improve our understanding of divergent education.

We believe that the knowledge we have to date is insufficient and that ongoing action and practice based research is needed in schools to further develop the pedagogy and practice, community relationships and network of professionals serving these communities.

DivergentGATHER

We will regularly bring together a network of organizations, practitioners, researchers, and other civic actors across the globe to share practices, policy, and research.

We recognise that disseminating knowledge and practice is pivotal in supporting the growth and development of best-practice across the system. Gathering together the greatest thought and practice based leaders to share what they have learnt - practical solutions to local challenges - is paramount.