About this event
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Schools should be a place to nurture young people’s mental wellbeing and health—not a place of exclusion, shaming, and psychological distress. By the time young people leave secondary schools, they should be able to enter the adult world with pride, confidence, and self-belief.
This half-day conference is hosted by Onlinevents and the Therapy and Social Change (TaSC) Network, and chaired by Councillor Claudia Turbet-Delof (Hackney Council). The event will explore the growing campaign against rigid behaviour policies, and the wider implementation of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) programs in schools. The event aims to build capacity and campaigning for an emotionally and interpersonally healthy school environment for all.
We will examine how exclusion policies can undermine students’ autonomy, disproportionately impact marginalised groups, and contribute to a punitive culture in education.
Together, we will discuss alternative approaches that prioritize compassion, inclusivity, and the unique needs of every young person.
This event is for professionals and lay people, across all ages, who want to work towards more inclusive and psychological healthy school environments.
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Diane Abbott MP – Schools Exclusions
Diane Abbott will explore the critical issue of school exclusions, reflecting on systemic challenges and their impact on marginalised communities. Drawing from her extensive career in public service and advocacy, she will outline pathways towards a more inclusive education system.
In 1987 Diane Abbott made history by becoming the first black woman ever elected to the British Parliament. She has since built a distinguished career as a parliamentarian, broadcaster and commentator. As of 4th July 2024 Diane Abbott as the longest serving woman MP is now the Mother Of The House.
From the outset of her career, Diane has championed global justice, human rights, peace and security issues at home and abroad.
From 2015 to 2019 Diane Abbott was a prominent member of the Labour Party’s front bench, serving as the Shadow International Development Secretary, then Shadow Secretary of State for Health, and finally Shadow Home Secretary from 2016. In the last general election Diane was re-elected as the Member of Parliament for Hackney North and Stoke Newington with a landslide majority.
Michael Wigelsworth – Social & Emotional Learning
Michael introduces the key evidence for Social & Emotional Learning and discusses its relevance and role within our education system. We look briefly at some of the history, challenges, and opportunities within it’s implementation.
Michael is a a Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Manchester. His work explores the feasibility and impact of early intervention and prevention approaches in child mental health, with a particular focus on Social and Emotional Learning (SEL).
Michael is a Chartered Psychologist and Fellow of the British Psychological Society. He has advised and collaborated with number of stakeholders including the Early Intervention Foundation, Department for Education, Education Endowment Foundation and the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.
Website | https://research.manchester.ac.uk/en/persons/michael.wigelsworth
Safia Jama, MBE – Addressing profound difficulties and challenges in Islamic and Somali communities
Safia Jama, MBE, is the CEO and Founder of the Women’s Inclusive Team (WIT), a grassroots charity in Tower Hamlets. With two decades of experience, she is dedicated to empowering women, particularly Black Muslim Somali women, and tackling racial injustice in her community and schools. Under her leadership, WIT focuses on Education, Health, Advice, and Food, addressing the needs of underserved populations, including women, girls, the elderly, and children.
Safia’s journey began in 2003, when she noticed a lack of support for young mothers during her school runs, prompting her to establish WIT. She champions community cohesion and ensures that women’s issues are integrated across all projects. Her notable initiatives include the Haawa project, which raises awareness of the cultural challenges faced by Black Somali women in accessing support for domestic abuse.
In addition to her work with WIT, Safia serves as an Independent Police Advisor, Commissioner at the Women’s Commission, and Board member at the Carers Centre, among other roles. She holds a degree in Community Development and Public Policy from Birkbeck University and is a qualified Mental Health Trainer. Recognized with numerous awards, including an MBE for her contributions during the Covid-19 pandemic, Safia is a gifted public speaker, addressing critical issues such as crime, health, and community cohesion at high-profile events.
Juliet Coley BCAe – Sharing insights from her experience as a headteacher and what can work in schools
Juliet Coley is an award-winning educator, author and publisher of Black books written by Black children aged 6 to 16 years.
She worked in a secondary school setting for over 20 years, retiring as a Senior Deputy Headteacher and was awarded by Haringey Council for her Outstanding Achievement in Education. Her anti-knife crime campaign Value Life gained the school a ‘Queens Award’ (MBE) and Juliet the role of Chief Trustee for 11 years at The Kiyan Prince Foundation charity.
She is passionate about Legacy and has written 6 books. Two document the lives of Windrush Elders. Keen to address representation in books, Juliet has published over 60 young Black authors in 25 books. She is a Patron of a school in Accra, Ghana, a Director of a Youth Advocacy charity Perm Inc (Permanently Included), who work with schools and parents whose children are at risk of being permanently excluded and is the Chair of Hackney Council’s Improving Outcomes of Black Children and Young People’s Accountability Board. She is an Independent Custody Visitor for the Mayor of London and conducts unannounced visits to Police stations to check on the welfare of detainees in Police Custody.
In 2024, she founded and launched the Children’s Black Book Fair UK and was Managing Editor of Exodus Christian magazine’s 40 th Anniversary Special Edition.
Website | www.younglitstars.com/juliet
Councillor Penny Wrout – Providing a political overview, including progress made and remaining challenges
Councillor Penny Wrout is a local councillor in Hackney, where she has fought to get a child safeguarding review to look at the long-term impact of behavior policies in some local schools. In her professional life she is a writer and media producer who has also worked in educational contexts.
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REGISTERING FOR THE CONFERENCE
ZOOM
This conference will be hosted on the Zoom meeting platform where we will use our cameras and microphones to interact with each other as a group.
SELF-SELECT FEE
REGISTER HERE – The self-select fee is a radical inclusion policy to open learning for all colleagues. The guide price for this event is £20.00, however, we appreciate that income varies greatly in different locations and circumstances. Please contribute what you can to help us maintain inclusive professional training.
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All the colleagues at ONLINEVENTS and the presenters we collaborate with are committed to working in a manner consistent with the BACP Ethical Framework, which can be accessed on the link below. When registering for this event you are agreeing to be present and interact in a manner that is consistent with this Framework.
