Education Equity Meet

On Wednesday, 15th January, students from eight of the nine schools within The Mercian Trust participated in their Educational Equity Meet at the University of Birmingham. This significant event marked the first in-person gathering for students who had previously collaborated through online meetings, fostering a sense of unity and shared purpose across the Trust’s schools.

Exploring Educational Equity

Helen Evans, a doctoral researcher specialising in student engagement and equity, facilitated the next session. Using the metaphor of a sailboat, students reflected on the factors propelling their schools’ successes (“the wind”) and identified elements hindering progress (“the anchor”).

In the morning session, discussions centred on what enables students to thrive in their educational journey. During the afternoon, mixed-school groups delved into the challenges holding them back. Topics of discussion included:

• Access to essential facilities, such as toilets and fresh air.
• Relationships between students and teachers.
• The reliance on supply teachers and its impact.
• Distance and travel-related barriers to school attendance.
• Timeliness and punctuality.
• Quality of marking and feedback.
• Access to nutritious food.
• Peer pressure and its influence.
• Limitations within the curriculum.