Outwood Family Statement

We have watched with great sadness the news coverage of the funeral of George Floyd against the backdrop of other news stories related to the outrage this tragic event has caused.

This incident has given a voice and an outlet to a valuable cause and must be a driver for real change.

As a Trust, we have been moved by and inspired by many comments, posts and stories. In our academies we enjoy hearing the many supportive and positive comments made by young people towards others.

However, there are times when those comments are negative, not positive, and simply are not acceptable, inappropriate and often misjudged.

The awareness to the issue of racism brought by the Black Lives Matter movement in recent years and particularly following the death of George Floyd can only be a good thing. Education can and must support this important cause as it provides an opportunity to learn about, discuss and examine the different experiences people have gone through, and to challenge and change attitudes.

As such we support this cause and will be dedicating some of our valuable home learning time to raise this important issue.

We would like to acknowledge and add our support to the work of Black Lives Matter, Stand Up to Racism and Kick It Out (Tackling Racism and Discrimination in Football).

As the Outwood Family, we believe every student matters and we will not tolerate any behaviour which is prejudicial, discriminatory or offensive. We will continue to work hard to change attitudes and educate our students, our staff and the wider communities we serve, so that we can help shape a well-rounded, tolerant society comprising respectful citizens equipped to play their part and make a positive contributions to their community.