Stephen Lawrence Education Standard

The Stephen Lawrence Education Standard (SLES) is a powerful framework for schools and learning institutions to ensure race equality is embedded across the whole school and that duties from legislation are fulfilled.

The Standard is awarded to schools and learning institutions which demonstrate their knowledge, understanding and evidence of promoting inclusion and race equality to help transform education.

The Stephen Lawrence Education Standard was developed in partnership between former Education Leeds, the Leeds City Council and Black and Minority community representatives, in response to the tragic murder of Stephen Lawrence in 1993 and the publication of the Macpherson Inquiry Report into Stephen’s death in 1999.

The award was the first of its kind in the country and the Standard was launched in 2003, evolving from a competitive award established in 2000.

The Stephen Lawrence Education Standard is the first of its kind nationally, and has been designed to:

• develop effective leadership and a whole school approach which embeds race equality into the life of the school.

• make sure the duties of the Equality Act 2010 are fulfilled

• examine policies and their outcomes, and to guard against causing disadvantage for any section of our communities.

• acknowledge and celebrate existing good practice in promoting race equality and ethnic minority achievement in schools.

• empower children and young people to become responsible citizens of the world.

• improve outcomes for children, young people and adults in school.

There are many benefits for schools and learning institutions to participate in the standard, whether they have a diverse population or are mainly all-white, including:

• improved achievement for children and young people;

• opportunities for partnerships, transformation and innovation;

• empowering your people to become responsible global citizens; and

• a clear structure for promotion and championing race equality.

The SLES welcomes applicants from schools and other learning institutions, such as early years settings and further education colleges.