Diversity and Inclusion: Our commitment to Justice

The Black Lives Matter movement has galvanised people and institutions around the world to seek meaningful change in the systems, structures and mindsets that have, consciously or not, fostered racism. 

St Clare’s is committed to addressing these issues. Our mission is to advance international understanding and nurture students to be global citizens. Racism or any form of discrimination is anathema to our core values. St Clare’s was founded after the Second World War with the goal of creating champions for peace, understanding and non-discrimination. This foundation supports the work we need to do to confront our world’s crisis of racial and social injustice. Please stand with us in our resolve to take on this challenge and do stay involved in the conversation. Our community and our world depend on it. 

The St Clare’s community comprises students, staff, and alumni from all over the world. We take pride in welcoming student and employment applications irrespective of race, colour, gender, religious belief, national origin, or sexual orientation. But we must answer this challenge to examine ourselves and ask: what else can we do? 

St Clare’s appreciates the exhortation to reflection, dialogue, and review as brought forward by some alumni. Questions include seeking ways to enhance diversity both of the curriculum and of the student and staff population. We recognise, though, that the issues go deeper than that. The college needs to consider how it may broaden or adapt its activities so as to challenge racism more specifically. 

In the autumn of 2020, a diversity and inclusion working group was set up to consider actions needed to tackle all forms of discrimination. The working group comprised the following people: Principal (Chair), Vice Principal Pastoral (Convenor), one Governor, 3 staff members, 3 current students, 3 former students. 5 members of the working group were from ethnically diverse, non-European backgrounds. With additional input from the full Governing body, a declaration of intent was produced and published in January 2021. We are proud to be members of the Schools Inclusion Alliance, a UK-wide network of independent schools which have pledged to take tangible steps to embed inclusion into their school culture. 

St Clare’s commitment to justice and non-discrimination may be viewed by following this link.