As part of our four-year Mission 44-funded project, Increasing Diversity in ITT, we have developed a certified online course in partnership with Being Luminary and Chiltern Learning Trust.
This online course, aimed at educators, leaders and mentors working in initial teacher training in UK contexts, explores the systemic barriers faced by trainees from global majority backgrounds when applying for and completing training, and provides language, tools and frameworks for embedding equity in teacher training.
You can access all three modules of this course via the links below.
This course takes a holistic, layered approach to transformation. Organised into three modules: recruitment, retention and assessment, it addresses key areas where research shows trainees face systemic barriers and racism.
This research-informed course captures the insights of a range of stakeholders and experts in the field of teacher training and diversity, equity and inclusion practice, fostering a collaborative, community-driven approach to change.
You can complete all three modules or choose the module most relevant to your context. Chartered College of Teaching members can access the course via the buttons below.
In this module, you will explore the systemic barriers that affect the recruitment and retention of global majority heritage candidates, including unconscious bias and linguistic discrimination. Through critical evaluation of real recruitment practices, you will develop inclusive strategies covering outreach, assessment, and selection, and learn to use data and research to inform practical changes that foster equity, representation, and belonging. You will also have the opportunity to audit your own approach, identifying your strengths and areas for growth.
In this module, you will explore the systemic factors that affect the retention of global majority trainee teachers, including policy erasure, underrepresentation, and racism. You will learn how to recognise and effectively respond to both overt and covert racism faced by trainees on school placements, and discover strategies for building a sense of belonging, empowerment, and support. You will also have the opportunity to reflect on and audit your own approach, identifying areas of strength and growth.
In this module, you will explore the issues that impact global majority trainee teachers during assessment processes, including assessment bias. You will be equipped with practical strategies for addressing these barriers across different settings, and as with the other modules, you will have the opportunity to reflect on and audit your own approach, identifying areas of strength and growth.
If you’re not currently a member of the Chartered College of Teaching, you can create a free guest account to access the course via the button below. Or find out more about becoming a member here.
Albert Adeyemi is a secondary school teacher of Physical Education and Maths. In addition to his teaching role, Albert is also Head of Year and currently completing and SLT secondment. He co-founded Black Men Teach alongside Johnoi Jospehs to amplify the voices of Black men and boys in education and create space for them to thrive.
Kausor Amin-Ali is an award-winning educational influencer, whose advocacy for equity and justice has been consistent for nearly two decades. He is the author of 3 books: A-Z of School Leadership, A-Z of Teaching and A-Z of Learning and shares his thought leadership in articles published in TES Magazine and on his data analysis can be found here: kausor.com
Sophie started her career working in the Higher Education and charity sector, after finishing her BSc in Psychology at UCL. She began working in teacher training in 2014 at Mid Essex ITT where she carried out a number of roles including the Director role between 2019-2026. Sophie also led the most recent Ofsted inspection in 2024 when Mid Essex ITT was judged as Outstanding. Sophie has both completed and facilitated the NPQ in Leading Teacher Development in partnership with Teach First and the Saffron Teaching School Hub, and has acted as a Support Partner for the National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers. Sophie has been a Professional Affiliate of Chartered College of Teaching since 2019 and has been a Trustee of London Nightline since 2018. Whilst at Mid Essex ITT, Sophie completed the Increasing Diversity in ITT project with Chartered College.
Ash is a geography teacher. He studied Global Challenges and Social Cohesion, which is all about solving complex world problems in geo-politics using the sustainable development goals. He is passionate about empowering young people to be the next problem solvers of the world. His most recent project was running a climate workshop in partnership with LSE Faith Center for his current school. The students presented their ideas to the UNEP Youth Chair and Co-chair of Anthropy, an exciting opportunity for his students.
Pavandeep is Quality of Education Leader across 11 secondary and 5 primary schools, she develops senior and middle leaders to drive improvements in both Teaching & Learning and Curriculum & Assessments. Pavandeep supports them in implementing research-driven approaches to curriculum, assessment, and pedagogy, ensuring high-quality education for all students. Additionally, Pavandeep leads science across 11 secondary schools, providing a clear vision and direction for excellence. By fostering collaboration, challenge, and professional growth, she equips leaders at all levels to drive sustained improvement and positively impact student outcomes across the trust. Pavandeep is also a trustee for a five-school MAT in Leicester, focusing on education. Previously, Pavandeep was an Assistant Principal in a high-attaining school in London rated Outstanding twice, where she played a key role in leadership and curriculum development.
Shalini Bhorkar is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Education at St Mary’s University, Twickenham. She leads and teaches modules on education research, comparative education, and global perspectives in education at undergraduate, master’s and doctoral levels. Her research, together with that of her doctoral students, focuses on educational policy and justice, with doctoral supervision spanning projects in India, Ghana, Nepal and the UK.
Rob Campbell is Senior Lecturer in Science Education at St Mary’s University, Twickenham. He leads the PGCE Science with QTS course. His research is practice orientated, focussing on how he adapts his practice to support trainee teachers gain expertise in utilising science-specific pedagogies and supporting international teachers in acclimatising to teaching in English schools. He is a co-author of the Institute of Physics guidance entitled Supporting international trainee physics teachers, published in 2025.
Dr Wenqing Chen is a researcher at Durham University with expertise in teacher recruitment and retention, and evidence-informed teaching practice. She is currently working on the ESRC-funded project investigating the recruitment and retention of ethnic minority teachers, and its relationship to school outcomes.
Juliette Claro is a Lecturer in Education at St Mary’s University, Twickenham. Her work focuses on equity, inclusion and the professional experiences of internationally trained teachers in the English state sector. As a native French speaker with over 25 years of experience as a teacher of languages (MFL, EAL and EFL) and school leader, she is co-chair of the University Council for the Education of Teachers Special Interest Group on Supporting International Trainee Teachers. Her research examines how structural, cultural and policy conditions shape teacher retention, mentoring practices and workplace belonging, with a particular interest in intercultural competence and intersectional analysis. Juliette collaborates closely with national bodies, including UCET, the Department for Education, Ofsted, the British Council and the Chartered College of Teaching, to inform policy and strengthen pathways into the profession. She also designs and delivers capacity‑building programmes for mentors across the ITTECF and NPQs. Her work is driven by a commitment to systemic change and the creation of more just, sustainable professional environments for teachers.
Dr Ian Cushing is Reader in Critical Applied Linguistics at Manchester Metropolitan University. His research focuses on documenting and dismantling deficit thinking in schools, especially in relation to language and its intersections with race and class. This work takes place in close collaboration with teachers. His 2022 monograph, Standards, Stigma, Surveillance: Raciolinguistic Ideologies and England’s Schools won the British Association of Applied Linguistics book prize, and he was the recipient of the 2023 Outstanding Contribution to Research award from the National Association for the Teaching of English.
Dr Amber Duivenvoorden is Deputy Head of an ITT programme at Bath Spa University. She has extensive experience teaching English in secondary schools and sixth form settings, and her research focuses on higher education and inclusion in higher education.
Jonny is a graphic designer and videographer with over 10 years’ experience within the education sector, currently working with Putteridge High School. Passionate about creativity and communication, he specialises in producing engaging visual content that supports schools and educators.
Professor Stephen Gorard is Professor of Education and Public Policy at Durham University. He is an internationally recognised expert in educational evaluation, intervention design and secondary data analysis. He is currently leading the ESRC-funded project investigating disproportionality in ethnic minority teachers in England.
Heena is currently a Subject Coordinator for Economics and a Teacher of Business at a Secondary School in Luton. She trained with Chiltern Training Group 3 years ago.
Professor Beng Huat See is Professor of Education Research at the University of Birmingham. She is a leading education methodologist whose research focuses on programme evaluation, evidence-informed practice, school leadership and teacher workforce development.
Johnoi Josephs is an award-winning educator, mentor, and Assistant Principal in South London, co-founder of Black Men Teach, and a specialist in Student Climate and Culture whose work centres on representation, visibility, and creating environments where young people can truly thrive. His commitment to widening participation, recognised through accolades such as the King’s Advocate Award and Potential Unlock, reflects his broader aim of living a life of service, using education as a vehicle for transformation, belonging, and purpose.
Anais is Programme and Events Coordinator at Chiltern Learning Trust and a facilitator for Chiltern Training Group’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) sessions for teacher trainees. Alongside her work, she is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Reproductive and Developmental Biology at Imperial College London.
Dr Laura Kerslake is leading the Next Generation Assessment project at the Chartered College of Teaching. She is a former classroom teacher who has worked in research roles across the academic, policy and private sectors. She has also worked in the delivery of initial teacher training. Laura has carried out many projects in schools where she has worked with a wide range of teachers, and students of all ages. She has a PhD from the University of Cambridge, where she focused on oracy education.
Professor Vini Lander is Emerita Professor of Race and Education and until recently was Director of the Centre for Race, Education and Decoloniality (CRED) in the Carnegie School of Education at Leeds Beckett University.
Vini has worked in the field of race and racism for 40 years. Her research deploys Critical Race Theory to examine ‘race’ (in)equalities in education, specifically in teacher education.
The persistence of educational race inequality from early years to higher education spurred Vini’s research and teaching. She led research on teacher education to better educate teachers to think beyond the racial status quo.
Vini has worked with a range of stakeholders, such as teachers, multi-academy trusts, medical educators, medical practices, exam boards, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, RADA, Yorkshire and Humber postgraduate medical deanery, arts organisations and universities to support the development of anti-racism and decoloniality in the education of children, young people, doctors, teachers and other professionals.
Lj feels strongly about diversity in schools as she grew up in a multicultural area of East London, which allowed her to feel comfortable in her mixed race heritage. Having worked in schools for 10 years and recently having achieved her degree in Education Studies, she has become more aware of how few children see themselves reflected in the staff of their schools.
Paul Miller, PhD, LLM, MBA, is a Jamaican-born British academic and entrepreneur. He is founding CEO and Principal of Institute for Equity, University Centre and Professor of Educational Leadership and Social Justice. He has worked at six UK universities in senior academic and administrative roles. Paul is well known globally for his research, and his work has contributed to policy development both in the UK and in Jamaica. He is past president of the Institute for Educational Administration and Leadership – Jamaica (IEAL-J), and the Commonwealth Council for Educational Administration and Management (CCEAM). He is editor of Power and Education and founding editor of Equity in Education and Society, Visiting Professor in Educational Leadership and Social Justice, University of Huddersfield, Visiting Professor of Educational Policy, University of Warwick, and a member of Council of the British Educational Research Association (BERA). He has over 150 peer reviewed publications in the areas of anti-racism and leadership, gender-based violence, teacher migration and tackling gender based violence through the curriculum. In September 2025, University of Roehampton awarded him an honorary doctorate in recognition of his research and work in Anti-racism/EDI.
James is an educational leader working in Initial Teacher Training for the Chiltern Learning Trust, working with secondary schools across Bedfordshire and North Hertfordshire. He plays an integral role in overseeing the trust’s initial teacher training (ITT) through the Chiltern Training Group. He has over 20 years experience in the teaching profession and is passionate about training the next generation of educators.
Ann Palmer has over 35 years of experience working in education, with schools and universities. She has partnered with schools across the UK and internationally and is the founder of the RACE Charter Mark which is an award recognising effective race equality strategies. She has supported other sectors outside of education with setting up similar accreditations. Ann has been a facilitator on a number of professional programmes, is a public speaker and is highly acclaimed in the field of DEI and leadership. She is a qualified Executive Coach and Team Coach, coaching CEOs and other senior personnel and teams. She is described as “a leader who leads with flair and vision” and is described as “inspirational”.
As an entrepreneur, Ann currently holds roles across a number of businesses, including Race Excellence which is a consulting business offering high quality and personalised diversity training and accreditation for corporations and businesses. She is a member of the Chartered College of Teaching’s Ethics Committee, a School Governor, a Charity Trustee and Business Advisor. Ann is a published author, a podcaster and was awarded the Freedom of the City of London in 2010 and given royal recognition in 2022.
Dr. Penny Rabiger was a teacher for ten years in primary and secondary schools. Penny works with a range of grassroots, third sector, public sector and educational organisations on their racial literacy as part of her independent researcher and consultant portfolio. As an Associate at The Centre for Race, Education and Decoloniality at Leeds Beckett University, Penny designs and delivers racial literacy training and is Lead Coach for the Anti-Racist School Award programme. Penny completed her PhD in 2025 with an ethnographic study, which sheds new light on how schools in England experience a process of unlearning structural racism.
Natasha Raheem has been teaching English in inner city schools for over 18 years. As a senior leader, she has experience leading on coaching and mentoring, literacy, teaching and learning, teacher training, and professional development focusing on areas such as ED&I and leadership. She is currently an Assistant Vice Principal for Dixons Academies Trust and the author of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Schools: A Practical Guide for Creating a Culture Of Belonging.
As an entrepreneur, Ann currently holds roles across a number of businesses, including Race Excellence which is a consulting business offering high quality and personalised diversity training and accreditation for corporations and businesses. She is a member of the Chartered College of Teaching’s Ethics Committee, a School Governor, a Charity Trustee and Business Advisor. Ann is a published author, a podcaster and was awarded the Freedom of the City of London in 2010 and given royal recognition in 2022.
Harroop is a Leadership Coach and EDI Consultant with over 20 years of experience in education. She is passionate about helping leaders enhance their EDI efforts without shame or blame, empowering them to take meaningful action and create the lasting legacies they envision. As a working parent of three, she understands how our relationships with various identities evolve over time, shaping the world way we lead and engage with others.
Heather Smith is Professor of Race and Language Equality in Education at Newcastle University. She is a critical race theory scholar, and her research includes critical analyses of education policy, anti-racism in initial teacher education, and translanguaging pedagogy. Heather co-developed England’s national anti-racism framework for Initial Teacher Education and led the award-nominated ROMtels project, enhancing learning for Roma pupils across Europe. Her work is grounded in a deep commitment to social justice and educational transformation.
Christian Turton is the EdTech Lead at Chiltern Learning Trust and has been a teacher for almost 25 years. He recently led on the development of AI training and guidance for the Department for Education where he is still engaged to develop further materials particularly around the opportunities and risks for learners with SEND. He is passionate about the opportunities technology brings to education, particularly in improving equity and learning outcomes for pupils, as well as ensuring that learners are prepared for a technology-rich world. Early in his career, he secured funding for a computer suite to engage students through music technology and media projects. Since then, he has led major EdTech initiatives, including developing a course for the Queen Rania Teacher Academy in Jordan, taken by over 18,000 teachers across the Middle East, and an introduction to AI course for the Teaching School Hubs network. Christian has also contributed to Education Endowment Foundation trials focused on technology in education.
Jack is an expert researcher and commentator on the education workforce, Jack’s research aims to understand changes in the recruitment, retention, development and diversity of staff in the UK. A specialist with analysing large datasets including the School Workforce Census and Labour Force Survey, Jack uses statistical analysis to gain insights for policy and practice. Jack’s research is regularly cited in parliament and by media outlets, recently including the BBC, TES, Schools Week and more.
