An ambitious inclusive system: that breaks down the barriers to learning by calling out and addressing inequalities; making sure children and young people feel a strong sense of belonging to school and community so that no one is left behind.
Camden Learning’s mission is simple and bold: equity and excellence for every child. Guided by our education strategy Building Back Stronger, we work with schools, communities and partners to remove structural barriers, widen participation and ensure that every learner flourishes and every adult belongs.
Our approach
We act on inequity at system, school, and classroom level, linking leadership, workforce, curriculum and community.
1. Data, insight & accountability
We use borough‑wide intelligence and lived‑experience feedback to understand disproportionality and track progress. Annual Governor Diversity monitoring informs local action on representation, recruitment and succession.
2. Inclusive leadership & workforce diversity
We strengthen pathways into leadership and governance for Black and Global Majority Heritage (BGMH) educators and under‑represented governors so that leadership reflects the communities we serve.
3. Racial equity in practice
Through our Camden Race Equity Leadership & System Improvement Programme (CRESLIP), headteachers and senior leaders develop racial literacy, diversify curriculum, and lead whole‑school change that tackles inequity and builds belonging.
For schools who have completed the Camden Race Equity Leadership & System Improvement Programme (CRESLIP) a follow on Champions for Change Programme for the whole staff provides a structure for embedding a whole school ethos and approach.
4. Community, voice & belonging
We convene networks that create safe spaces, amplify voices and share solutions, embedding an anti‑racist, pro‑equity culture across Camden schools and settings.
What we do (programmes & offers)
Black and Global Majority Heritage Educators Network (with The Platform)
A borough‑wide community for BGMH staff offering mentoring, development, and spaces that prioritise empowerment and growth. All Camden Learning member schools can access The Platform at no additional cost.
CRESLIP: Race Equity Leadership & System Improvement
A four‑part programme (2 x full days, 2 x half days) for senior leaders. Focus areas include racial literacy, restorative incident response, diversifying and decolonising the curriculum, and leading others.
Champions for Change Programme
A whole-school anti-racism programme offered to schools who have completed the CRESLIP programme. The programme is designed to support schools create inclusive environmentsthrough audits, e-learning, expert-led training, and practical implementation support.
Global Majority Governors’ Network (GMGN)
A joint Camden‑Islington forum—open to all, focused on governors from Black, Asian and other Global Majority backgrounds—meeting termly to connect, hear from speakers and share practice on equity, representation and outcomes.
Young Governors Initiative
A pipeline programme placing diverse young adults as associate members on Camden governing bodies—building representation, skills and voice for the next generation of civic leaders. Insights and priorities are reported annually in our governor diversity work.
Inspiring Inclusion
A targeted mentoring programme for secondary-aged pupils across six Camden secondary schools, designed to improve pupil outcomes, strengthen engagement, and reduce exclusions. Through trusted adult relationships, tailored support, and close partnership with schools, the programme aims to address barriers to participation while contributing to wider systems change. By identifying effective practices and sharing learning across schools, the programme supports more inclusive approaches that help all young people thrive.
Future Leaders Initiative
A year-long leadership programme for 100 Year 12 students from diverse backgrounds. Through workshops, mentoring, enrichment visits, careers guidance, and inspiring guest speakers, participants build the skills, confidence, and ambition to become future leaders in their communities.
Race Equity Hub
New for 2026 – 2027, bringing together schools to co-design a practical, school-led Race Equality Toolkit. Developed through testing, collaboration, and shared learning, the toolkit will help schools build racial literacy, strengthen belonging, and improve representation across the whole school community. Designed to turn ambition into action, the toolkit will provide guidance, resources, and signposting to support schools in embedding anti-racist practice, meeting their equality responsibilities, and creating lasting, measurable change. Covering policy, curriculum, staff development, school culture, and community engagement, it will offer a consistent framework to help schools advance race equality with confidence.
Belonging Project (University of Sussex)
New for 2026 – 2027, the project partners with schools to analyse existing school data, enabling leaders to monitor engagement, identify students at risk of poorer outcomes, evaluate progress among key groups, and prioritise actions that strengthen inclusion, belonging and educational success.
Our impact (headline progress)
- Diversity in governance is moving in the right direction. Over multiple years of surveying, Camden boards show a steady, long‑term increase in governors from Asian and Black backgrounds (alongside a small reduction in the proportion of White governors)—with disability representation remaining stable. (Self‑reported dataset.)
- Women lead in participation. Female governors now account for just over 63% of survey respondents, with male representation around 36%—signalling strong engagement and the continued need to broaden outreach to under‑represented men.
- Belonging & pathways for BGMH staff. The BGMH Educators Network, in partnership with The Platform, is building mentoring pairings and leadership pathways, creating a sustained support offer for BGMH educators across Camden schools.
- Leaders equipped for systemic change. CRESLIP is enabling heads and senior leaders to implement racial‑equity audits, diversify curricula, strengthen incident response protocols and align governance on race equity.
- Stronger, more visible governor communities. The Global Majority Governors’ Network provides intentional space for advocacy and peer learning and draws in wider Camden/Islington colleagues to focus on tackling disproportionality and improving outcomes.
This work advances our commitment to “call out inequalities” and ensure every child experiences a strong sense of belonging to school and community.
How we work (principles you can expect)
- Co‑design with those most affected – elevating pupil, parent/carer, staff and governor voice in shaping solutions.
- Evidence‑informed & impact‑focused – we use data to diagnose, act, and evaluate, then scale what works.
- Place‑based partnership – we convene schools and system partners to tackle root causes collectively, not school‑by‑school.
- Leadership for social justice – we support headteachers and governors to lead anti‑racist, inclusive cultures that improve outcomes.
Get involved
- Join or recommend the BGMH Educators Network / The Platform – email customersupport@camdenlearning.org.uk to be connected.
- Book a space on our CRESLIP programme for your senior team – register your interest via our training pages.
- Become a Camden governor – talk to our Governor Services team about vacancies, induction and our Young Governors route. If you are interested in contributing to a more inclusive and representative governance community in Camden, you can find out more and submit an expression of interest—including through our Young Governors’ Initiative—via our Governor Services recruitment page.
- Talk to us – we can help you audit practice, develop staff, and plan a measurable equity roadmap for your school: customersupport@camdenlearning.org.uk.