As Executive Headteacher of the Aspire Federation I am writing to commit to the GTRSB pledge. The Aspire Federation consists of four rural schools near Maidstone Kent:

• Kingswood Primary
• Leeds and Broomfield C of E Primary School
• Platts Heath Primary School
• Ulcombe C of E Primary School

All four schools have GRT pupils on roll, with Ulcombe having the largest cohort at about around 90% of their roll. The children attending our schools are either Gypsy, Roma, English or Irish Traveller with some being settled and some mobile, who return to our schools regularly. We have built relationships with the families over many years, so that they trust us and communicate with us e.g. when they are needing to travel for work. We include the children’s discussions in topics about homes, encourage them to share their beliefs in RE, involve them in discussions in PSHCE and encourage them to express their views. All staff are aware of the provision for all pupils including GRT, as we are small schools. The federation is committed to staff development and raising awareness of the GRT community.

• From Emma Hickling, Executive Headteacher, Aspire Federation, June 2022 

Read Headteacher Mrs Sarah Oliver Bryant’s commitment statement here:

We are a primary school is situated in Brynmawr in the county of Blaenau Gwent at the top of the South Wales valleys, which is an area of high deprivation.  Our school has approximately 300 pupils of which 13% are Gypsy Travellers.

We work tirelessly to ensure that all of our pupils regardless of culture are fully included into school life, and all have equally opportunities to take part in activities to enrich and broaden their individual learning experience. We ensure that we explore and are mindful of others’ cultures and beliefs and that we have a variety of learning experiences to allow us to discover and learn about our individual needs and the importance of respecting each other.

We are pleased to be joining the GRTSB pledge to show our continuing commitment to ensuring we are fully inclusive and ensure that all pupils at Blaenycwm achieve to the best of their own ability.

Statement from the Principal Mrs Melanie Kane:

Carmel College is committed to welcoming GTRSB students and their families. We provide an inclusive environment which enables all students to thrive academically and personally.

• Carmel College has a named contact point for their GTRSB students and potential students; Our named contact is the Assistant Vice Principal of Learning Support.
• Carmel College tracks and monitors the progress of GTRSB students as a specific group so that it can help them thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.
• Carmel College provides an inclusive and desirable learning environment for all students and engages positively with the GTRSB communities to ensure that students thrive and flourish and want to be in school.
• Carmel College works collaboratively with the Traveller Education Service to provide the best support and possible outcomes for our GTRSB students and families.

We, at Carmel College, commit to delivering best practice and strive to improve outcomes for this ethnic minority group.

At Co-op Academy Leeds, pupils are proud to be part of a diverse community, where all backgrounds are valued and pupils respect each other because leaders ensure that all pupils see themselves represented in the curriculum and activities that are planned.

Therefore, the academy is proud to sign up to the GTRSB Pledge for Schools, to demonstrate our commitment to creating the most welcoming & inclusive environment in which our GTRSB students can thrive academically & personally.

Our school is highly diverse, with students coming from a wide variety of backgrounds, including a growing number of GTRSB students, mainly of Eastern European Roma backgrounds (around 20% of our total students). As the proportion of students of Roma backgrounds has increased over time, we have committed to developing the understanding of our staff & school community of GTRSB cultures & celebrating this, building strong relationships with our Roma families, making them feel welcome and raising the aspirations and achievement of our Roma students. We would like to use the opportunity of signing up to the pledge to develop this further.

Co-op Academy Leeds has a named contact point for GTRSB pupils & potential pupils - the EAL Co-ordinator- working with the Community Support & Family Liaison Workers.

All new staff in the school have training to understand the cultural diversity and backgrounds of our students, including GTRSB students, with regular whole school training on understanding Gypsy Roma culture and meeting the needs of our students. The school has been involved in a number of Erasmus & other projects to further develop our understanding of Roma communities, which included visits to Roma communities & schools with Roma students in Romania & the Czech Republic. Our curriculum is representative of the variety of cultures in our school, including GTRSB culture, across a range of subjects from Roma music to teaching about the Holocaust in history and Roma role models in PE. We also recognise and celebrate Roma culture and history across the school more widely from events & assemblies to mark Holocaust Memorial Day and Gypsy Roma History Month, displays around the school and our annual Roma Festival, as well as Roma music & culture being included in wider school cultural events.

As part of our school data collection, the progress and outcomes of all students is monitored, with Gypsy Roma students identified as a particular group within this. This data is analysed & used to help inform strategies to support our students moving forward. We encourage our students and families to identify as Gypsy Roma as part of the school admissions process and as they move through the school, through supportive conversations, staff training, use of role models and encouraging them to view their culture & identity positively.

The academy provides additional support to our GTRSB students, families & local communities in a number of ways. This includes the employment of 2 Romanian speaking Community Support & Family Liaison Workers to support students & their families, other staff speaking languages of our Roma students & family, staff mentoring of Roma students, coffee mornings & other events aimed at our Roma families & communities, support in admissions meetings & with the admissions process and additional activities with pupils & parents to support the primary transition process. We recognise that many of our Roma students come from backgrounds where they may not have had the opportunity of a full education before joining our school & may be starting at our school with little or no or a very disrupted prior education & in some cases little or no literacy in any language, as well as little or no English. We have therefore put in a comprehensive programme to support these students, with an induction programme on joining the school, specially developed classes & curriculum for students new to formal education with a focus on developing basic literacy, numeracy & skills for learning and ongoing EAL support & staff training. We have high expectations of all our GTRSB students & work with them to develop their aspirations & achieve their potential.

I am writing to commit to the GTRSB Pledge. We are a culturally diverse school community that warmly welcomes families from a variety of backgrounds, cultures and different religious beliefs.

As headteacher of a large school in Burnley, only 3% of our children are from GTRSB families. Nevertheless, it is so important that we engage this community to ensure that they thrive and flourish and want to be in school. As part of this drive, we work closely with the Burnley GRT team with the goal of increasing attendance and promoting the transition to high school. Weekly sessions help to address gaps in learning but also to continue to build fundamental relationships and commitment with the world of education.

We work tirelessly to ensure that all of our pupils regardless of culture are fully included into school life, and all have equal opportunities to take part in activities to enrich and broaden their individual learning experience. We ensure that we explore and are mindful of others’ cultures and beliefs and that we have a variety of learning experiences to allow us to discover and learn about our individual needs and the importance of respecting each other. Where there is discrimination, whether in language or behaviour, it will be challenged. To develop this further, we have embarked on the Equality Mark programme, to again reinforce our ethos to Enjoy, Respect and Succeed.

We know the power of education and how it can boost and enable this group. I have also witnessed how vulnerable they are, and therefore commit to the GTRSB Pledge for Schools to deliver best practice and improve outcomes for GTRSB children and their families.

• C. Moretta (Headteacher)

Debenham High School is proud to pledge a firm commitment to developing an inclusive and friendly environment, in which all GTRSB students can flourish academically and personally. Our GTRSB community is currently small. Nevertheless, all within the community should feel valued and inspired; they should experience their culture, traditions and heritage being recognised and celebrated.

We pledge to support our GTRSB students to provide them and their families with support and guidance from Cheryl Schmidt, Assistant Headteacher. We will track and monitor the progress of our GTRSB students as a specific group so that it can help them thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.

We will also provide a positive learning environment for all students and engage positively with the GTRSB communities to ensure that students thrive and flourish and to enable access to Further and Higher Education. Where there is discrimination, whether in language or behaviour, it will be challenged.

We will educate to dispel prejudicial ideas and myths. We recognise that Continuous Professional Development for staff and inclusion of a diverse range of curriculum opportunities all contribute to challenging prejudice and celebrating diversity.

I sign this pledge on behalf of all members of our school community.

• Simon Martin, Headteacher, Debenham High School

We are a slightly larger than average primary school situated in the centre of Darlington, which is an area of high deprivation.  Our school has approximately 312 pupils of which we currently have 1 Gypsy Traveller.

We work tirelessly to ensure that all of our pupils regardless of culture are fully included into school life, and all have equal opportunities to take part in activities to enrich and broaden their individual learning experience. We ensure that we explore and are mindful of others’ cultures and beliefs and that we have a variety of learning experiences to allow us to discover and learn about our individual needs and the importance of respecting each other.

We are pleased to be joining the GRTSB pledge to show our continuing commitment to ensuring we are fully inclusive and ensure that all pupils at Firthmoor achieve to the best of their own ability.

• From Headeacher Ann Dixon, Fithmoor Primary School, January 2024

Read Executive Headteacher Tracey Dunn’s commitment to the Pledge below: 

I ‘take the pledge’ today in support of our young people and families who live on boats.  We have a growing number of children who live on boats attending my canal side school, Fitzmaurice and my village school, Westwood with Iford.  We have worked extensively with our families to ensure that they are fully included; being quite creative during the pandemic to ensure that families could access the technology they needed for learning. We began celebrating GTRBS History month a couple of years ago, we work with other agencies such as the Canal and Rivers Trust to supporting families as needed. 

As a school who has positive and inclusive engagement with Gypsy, Traveller, Roma, Showmen and /or Boater children and their families I would like to sign up to the Gypsy, Traveller, Roma, Showmen and Boater (GTRSB) Pledge for Schools.  

I am aware the Pledge is designed to support best practice in ensuring monitoring of data, inclusive practice, and the development of widening participation practice to support GTRSB pupils, potential pupils, their families, and staff.  

Although we only currently have one family, we feel it is important to be fully inclusive and show awareness and understanding of the culture and background of all our children.

I attend the LCC GRT service meetings and liaise with Sam Hoban to ensure we are giving the best available support for our family and any other families who may choose to attend our school.

• Mrs S Cornwall

Headteacher Rani Sandhu writes on behalf of all the staff at Hardwick Primary School, to express our commitment to the ‘Take the Pledge’ and creating a tailored, inclusive, and nurturing whole school environment where GTRSB pupils thrive and achieve positive outcomes. Hardwick Primary School is a culturally diverse inner-city school in one of the most disadvantaged wards in the country. Our vision is for “everyone who is part of this school and its community to care about each other and help us to be better than our previous best, so that we can all achieve our potential.

We want it to be a place where everyone is respected and included and where we all share a love of learning, full of exciting experiences.” Currently 27% of our pupils are identified as being from the GTRSB community. Our curriculum approach is aimed at increasing all the children’s life experiences and cultural capital. The school’s inclusive ethos and curriculum supports children’s personal development, mental health and wellbeing and deepens their understanding of the world around them. In addition, Hardwick Primary School offers extended provision running our own free of charge breakfast club provision and provides a variety of extra-curricular activities and after school clubs.

Hardwick Primary School’s achievements include the Silver Mental Health and Wellbeing Award (2020), the Religious Education Quality Mark Gold Award (2020), Balanced System Scheme for Schools Accreditation (2019), IQM Inclusive Schools Award (2020), and IQM Centre of Excellence Award (2020). We are excited about the opportunity to ‘Take the Pledge’ and are committed to developing a whole school programme of support to engage the families of current and future GTRSB pupils.

The programme of support will broaden awareness of the GTRSB and the challenges they face, and will promote our approach to the inclusion, respect and celebration and commemoration of the GTRSB cultures and communities. The programme will be underpinned by a broad range of curricular and extra-curricular activities that improve socio-emotional and academic outcomes for GTRSB pupils.

Hurworth School is a Secondary School based in Darlington, an area with a long and rich Gypsy and Traveller community history. We have currently one student on roll who is a declared traveller. We work closely with The Rydal Academy who is part of our Trust. This school manages the Darlington Traveller Education and Achievement Service (TEAS) on behalf of the Local Authority offering the GRT community support with accessing and remaining in education, providing training and advice to all education establishments in the Borough of Darlington and networking and sharing best practice nationwide.

• Miss Sara Lindsay Burn, Assistant Headteacher

Longfield Academy is a secondary school based in Darlington. Darlington is historically a base for the Gypsy and Traveller community. We have two children who have declared their status but we are aware of many families who have links to this community. We are an inclusive school that welcomes families and children from any background, and we strive to understand the nuances of all our varied communities to enable everyone to feel safe, respected and accepted as part of our Longfield community.

We are in the same Trust as Rydal Academy who leads on the TEAS service on behalf of the local authority and we draw on their support to enhance our commitment to achieving the best outcomes for our GTRSB children and young people.

Read Headteacher Johnathon Greens commitment to the Pledge:

As Headteacher of a small school on the outskirts of York where 40% of our children are from GTRSB families it is so important that we engage this community to ensure that they thrive and flourish and want to be in school. I have seen first-hand the power of education and how it can boost and enable this group. I have also witnessed how vulnerable they are, and therefore commit to the GTRSB Pledge for Schools to deliver best practice and improve outcomes for GTRSB children and their families.

Northwood Primary School would like to sign the GTRSB School’s Pledge to continue to support the GTRSB families and young people in our school community. As with all children and families, we will continue to ensure our GRT families feel a sense of belonging and support them to achieve their academic potential. Northwood Primary School has named a point of contact for GTRSB families who is also the Deputy Head Teacher. As we already have GRT families attending Northwood, we already work closely with Darlington’s Traveller Education Service. 

As part of the data monitoring of our whole school community, we monitor the progress of all groups of children, including our GRT children. We work with TEAS to monitor attendance of our GRT children. We are currently inviting parents to attendance planning meetings to support families to remove barriers to education. We host a GRT homework club, which is delivered by TEAS. The club is well attended with up to 14 children attending the weekly club.

• From Miss Sarah Kelly (Deputy Head Teacher)

At Rosegrove Infant School we are proud to welcome children and families from Gypsy, Traveller, Roma, Showmen and Boaters backgrounds. We have worked hard to create a warm and welcoming environment in which GTRSB pupils can stay resilient and thrive academically and personally.

We do this through building strong relationships with both the children and their families. Mrs Brammer, our School Business Manager has established open and honest relationships with our families. 

As the first port of call and often the first familiar face our families see this has been a vital link for both the families and us as a school, enabling us to get to know the families, the children and their wishes and hopes for their children for their future at school.

Dame Maura Regan CEO of Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education Trust introduces St Teresa's School Darlington led by Headteacher Paula Strachen, as the inaugural signatory for the GTRSB Pledge for Schools. See here our video explaining our commitment to the Pledge.

See below Headteacher Marie Best’s commitment to the Pledge:

At St. Gregory's Catholic Academy, we pride ourselves in being an inclusive school where every individual is valued for their uniqueness. We are guided by our Trust Virtues and Gospel Values and support our children, their families and the local community with these at the forefront. In our school, we promote respect for the rights and dignity of every human person, and especially the marginalised. We will continue to welcome any individual who wishes to join our special community.

Lisa Thompson headteacher from Charles Roman Catholic Primary School takes the pledge to support the Gypsy, Roma, Traveller, Showman, and Boater community.

At the present moment we do not have any GTRSB pupils but if we were to welcome and pupils in the future, we would support them through relevant monitoring of progress and provide the correct advice and tools to enable them to access higher education. This will be done in a safe and caring environment for both pupils and their families.

We would be very proud to support you in all you do for the GTRSB community.

Read Headteacher Joanne Sand’s commitment to the Pledge below: 

As Head teacher of  St Wilfrid's where over 10% of our pupils are from GTRSB families I'm happy to add our school to those already supporting 'The Pledge'.

At St Wilfrid's we are proud of the positive relationships we have developed with our local GRT community and value the trust they have put in us over several generations choosing our school for their children. We are committed to providing an inclusive environment where all our pupils can celebrate their culture and beliefs while receiving a quality education. 

St Anne's Church Academy, which is a dual campus 420 place primary school, are pleased to be joining the GRTSB pledge to show our continuing commitment to our inclusive practice ensuring all children have quality learning experiences.

One of our campuses is situated very close to a large Traveller site and we have a long history of children from the site attending the school. Currently, about 10% of our Hewish pupils are from GRT families but this fluctuates throughout the year. We are more than happy to add our school to those already supporting 'The Pledge'.

At St Anne’s we are very proud of the positive relationships we have developed with our local GRT community. We are committed to providing a very inclusive environment where all our pupils can celebrate their culture and beliefs while receiving a quality education allowing them to flourish and achieve. 

I ‘Take the Pledge’ today on behalf of the staff at St. Joseph’s Primary school. We are a culturally diverse school community that warmly welcomes families from a variety of backgrounds, cultures and different religious beliefs. As a school staff we work constantly to provide a caring, Christian environment, where both adults and children show a genuine respect for one another in a calm and positive learning atmosphere.

We are committed to providing that all of our pupils, regardless of culture, are fully included into school life, and all have equally opportunities to take part in activities to enrich and broaden their individual learning experience.

We are pleased to be joining the GRTSB pledge to show our continuing commitment to ensuring we are fully inclusive and ensure all our children achieve their full potential.

• Debra Hargreaves, Headteacher

Watch this video which explains our commitment to the Pledge.

At St Mary’s R.C. school we are totally committed to our GRT pupils and parents. We strive to provide a happy and safe learning environment being mindful of GRT cultural differences. We work alongside families to provide a welcoming and inclusive environment We endeavour to embrace and promote cultural diversity throughout all aspects of school life.

Headteacher: Mrs. F. Martin

St. Andrews Primary School is a one form entry school situated in Congresbury near Bristol. Our school has 198 children of whom 8% are GTRSB children. The children predominantly live on two local Traveller sites, one in Hewish and one in Weston – Super – Mare.

At St. Andrews we work extremely hard to foster strong relationships with the local GTRSB community. We are proud of the positive relationships we have forged and we value the trust that they have placed with us.

Staff at St. Andrews regularly receive cultural awareness training and our curriculum is designed to be inclusive, broad and sympathetic to the needs of our local community. In the future we are looking forward to embedding more GTRSB links into curriculum. We celebrate diversity and we are ensure that all of our pupils, including children from the GTRSB communities are supported academically, socially and emotionally. We monitor GTRSB attainment and attendance in liaison with our Traveller Advisory Teacher.

As a school we celebrate Traveller culture, for example we have held whole school events for GTRSB History month. All children at St. Andrews including our GTRSB children thrive and are given the best possible chance to reach their full potential. We are fully committed to taking the GTRSB pledge and working to fulfil its criteria.

Read Headteacher John Armitage’s commitment to the pledge here:

The Rydal Academy is a large Primary school based in Darlington, an area with a long and rich Gypsy and Traveller community history. Since the school was opened in 2013 between 10% and 15% of the school roll has been made up of Gypsy and Traveller pupils. Our school roll includes a number of dual registered pupils, both as main school and subsidiary school, static families and families who regularly travel out of area.

All staff within the school receive regular cultural development training and our curriculum was built through consultation to be inclusive and sympathetic to our local community. We are proud to say relationships with our families and the GRT community are a strength of the school.

The school manages the Darlington Traveller Education and Achievement Service (TEAS) on behalf of the Local Authority offering the GRT community support with accessing and remaining in education, providing training and advice to all education establishments in the Borough of Darlington and networking and sharing best practice nationwide.

Read Uckfield College Principal Hugh Hennebry’s commitment to the Pledge here:

Our college community is committed to our welcoming and inclusive environment which enables Gypsy, Traveller, Roma, Showmen and Boater (GTRSB) students to thrive academically and personally. To do this:

• Uckfield College has a named contact point for GTRSB students and potential students; that person is the Assistant Headteacher and Inclusion Leader.
• The college monitors the progress of GTRSB students as a specific group so that it can do all it can to help them thrive.
• Uckfield College works to build a supportive and welcoming culture for all GTRSB students and engages positively with GTRSB communities. The college commits to ensuring that staff professional development exists, raising awareness of the barriers GTRSB students face accessing education, and broadly in society.

Read Head of School Jane Driver’s commitment to the Pledge here:

Queen Katharine Academy proudly pledges a firm commitment to creating an inclusive and welcoming environment, in which all GTRSB students can thrive academically and personally. As a school community, we are dedicated to raising the profile of GTRSB cultures and celebrating the heritages and traditions of our GTRSB students. We pledge to support our GTRSB students, through our partnership with Compas charity, to provide our students and families with support and guidance from positive role models, as well as to monitor and challenge inequalities experienced by our GTRSB communities. Through our ROGA (Roma of Great Ability) and ‘Roma Leaders’ student leadership programmes, we are committed to raising the aspirations of our GTRSB students and, as an inclusive centre of excellence, to creating opportunities for them to make outstanding academic progress and gain access to Further and Higher Education.

At Queen Katharine Academy, we acknowledge the inequalities and discrimination experienced by many of our GTRSB communities, and we stand firm in our commitment to challenging and tackling any discriminatory language and behaviours. We also recognise the importance of cultural awareness training for all staff and remain dedicated to sharing our expertise by delivering ongoing Continuous Professional Development for our staff body, as well as staff from schools across the East of England. We pledge to continue to celebrate and commemorate key dates for our GTRSB communities, including International Roma Day, GRT History Month and Holocaust Memorial Day and engage our families in coming together to mark these occasions.

Queen Katharine Academy promotes equal opportunities and has a strong moral ethos, underpinned by the school RESPECT charter. We are proud to be a diverse and inclusive centre with high expectations for all students, regardless of race, nationality, gender, or religion. We therefore stand united in continuing our work to raise the profile of our GTRSB communities and supporting them to positively shape their own future and make valued contributions to society.

Watch this video whereby we explain our commitment to the GTRSB Pledge.

Milton Park Primary School is a large two form entry primary school on the outskirts of Weston-S-Mare. Our school has 378 pupils of whom 2% are GTRSB children. The children who attend our school live locally on a traveler site in Weston-super-Mare.

As part of our school commitment to foster and grow strong relationships with the local GTRSB community, all staff have received cultural awareness training and whole school events are being planned within the curriculum to raise awareness within our school community.

Our school is a diverse community and we ensure that all our pupils are supported academically, socially and emotionally.

We work closely with our Traveller Advisory Teacher and monitor attainment and attendance. As part of this we are fully committed to taking the GTRSB pledge. We are looking forward to embedding more GTRSB links into our curriculum.

• Headteacher:  Mrs K Jordan