Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation

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School Leaders

Head Teachers and Senior Leaders in schools will find useful resources on how to deliver staff training and workshops for parents in this section.

As leaders in school we have the opportunity to help guide our young people on their role in society.  It is important that children are given the opportunity to discuss and ask questions about how they fit in and how they can make a difference.

Our resources can help you learn more about Stephen Lawrence Day and deliver activities within your school. You can find staff briefing resources and suggested workshops for parents in our Information for Schools booklet.

Leaders can improve their knowledge and skills in line with the 2019 OFSTED inspection Framework. This section supports schools in the writing of the all important Self Evaluation Form (SEF) and School Development Plans (SDP).

Leaders can learn about how to embed Stephen Lawrence Day as part of their all round curriculum. and celebrate being a diverse school through out the year.

We provide a seasonal calendar that educational settings can adopt in the build up to April 22nd, including how settings can evaluate the impact of the day.

The inspection process looks at transition of how our young people progress into their next phase of life whether this is an educational setting or career.

The activities that schools participated in around Stephen Lawrence Day linked directly to aspects of the 2019 Ofsted Education Inspection Framework in relation to:

A school’s curriculum should be rooted in the solid consensus of the school’s leaders about the knowledge and skills that pupils need in order to take advantage of opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life. In this way, it can powerfully address social disadvantage.

  • School leaders can embrace the vision of SLD, enabling and encouraging staff and pupils to participate in SLD, including planning activities within the wider community.
  • Subject planning by participating schools in core and foundation subjects should take into account the need for pupils to understand their own and diverse British identities.
The resources aim to support your Curriculum and help you reach out to your community, beyond the school gate. The aim is to shape a curriculum to empower young people to address social disadvantage and discrimination they may face in society.

The subject curriculum is designed and delivered in a way that allows pupils to transfer key knowledge to long-term memory. It is sequenced so that new knowledge and skills build on what has been taught before and pupils can work towards clearly defined end points.

  • Schools can discuss issues such as ‘truly British’; the use of symbolism associated with ethnic identity in literature.
  • Tailored lessons can be structured so that pupils could conceive a timeline of settlement in England and UK and the different waves of immigrants and consider concepts of racism located in history linked to slavery.

Black, proud and British! Leaders are encouraged to get educated on issues such as Windrush and Immigration and how the past affects the present and feeds into the future. We encourage leaders to strive for and celebrate being a diverse school in 2020 and beyond.

Are your students ready for their next phase in life? All learning builds towards an end point. How will leaders in Schools, Colleges and Universities ensure that children make a smooth and seamless transition from Early years through to leaving school and finding a career in their chosen fields? This section helps you to evaluate your curriculum and will support you with inspection.

Pupils are inspired to achieve their very best through learning about Stephen’s life and legacy, including changes to the law in Britain. This has been achieved through hard work, determination and the campaigning of Baroness Lawrence.

Pupils focus on celebrating diversity and difference. Activities promote awareness on the impact of discrimination, sometimes linked to events that take place in their own communities. Pupils are provided with ethical dilemmas to enable them to consider attitudes and choices they will face inside and outside the school.

Many schools participated with National Stephen Lawrence Day on April 22nd 2020 and this was during unprecedented times of lockdown and home school learning. In 2021 we are looking to build on this and highlight schools who are carrying out outstanding work in their settings, teaching children about the legacy of Stephen.

There are many ways your school can participate, and here are just a few:

  • Read our Information for Schools Booklet, jam-packed with information and suggestions that schools can tailor to suit them.
  • Run our Stephen Lawrence Day assemblies in your school
  • Read a book from our Annotated Reading lists here, available for both EYFS and Primary titles and Secondary and Post 16 titles
  • Download one of our Live Our Best Life posters and display proudly in your school
  • Use our Stephen Lawrence Day logo and other social media assets to promote your own events
  • Find out more about our careers programme

We’d love to inspire others with what you’re doing. Let us know what you’re up to by tagging us into your social media posts and updating our activities map!

#BecauseofStephen #SLDay

Please register with us to receive education on line links and resource packs for the 2021 school year.

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IN THIS SECTION
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COMMUNITY

Stephen Lawrence Day is about the part we all play in creating a society in which everyone can flourish.

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CAREERS

We want under represented young people to be able to access, progress and succeed in whatever career they choose.

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GET INVOLVED

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Fundraise for us

Have fun raising funds for us, whilst knowing you're making a difference.


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Become a partner

There are lots of ways you can partner with us to help create a fairer society for all.


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THOMAS AQUILINA

STEPHEN LAWRENCE DAY FELLOW, LONDN SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

The London School of Architecture has appointed Thomas Aquilina as its inaugural Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation Fellow through the generous donation of the Foundation in September 2021 under the instigation of founding LSA Vice-Chair Elsie Owusu OBE and the RIBA, marking another significant step in the LSA’s commitment to widening access and participation in architectural education.

Through this Fellowship, Thomas is committed to researching means of tackling of historic and current underrepresentation of black and other racialised groups in the architecture profession. A tutor in Critical Practice and Design History at the LSA, Thomas is a registered architect and educator dedicated to building communities of radical thought and progressive practice. He is a co-director of the New Architecture Writers programme and a co-founder of the publishing collective Afterparti. Thomas is also investigating local understandings of spatial justice in London as a Design Researcher in Residence at the Design Museum. As a past recipient of the Stephen Lawrence Architecture bursary, Thomas’ trajectory in architecture is one indebted to Stephen’s legacy. Under the fellowship, Thomas looks to:
  • Lead conversations at the LSA around curriculum reform, in particular in relation to decoloniality, decarbonisation and destandardisation.
  • Work on delivering on the strategic priorities contained in the LSA’s ambitious Access and Participation Plan, which seeks to increase the number of Black and Asian students in its cohorts, and students from low-income and low-participation backgrounds.
  • Cultivate and nurture relationships with local schools, devising an ambitious ‘Part 0’ outreach programme.
  • Serve as a visible role model and mentor within to the school to underrepresented racialised groups.

The LSA once again wishes to express its gratitude to the RIBA, Elsie Owusu and the vision of Baroness Lawrence for enabling such pioneering research and action at the LSA and subsequently the wider architectural community.

LSA Stephen Lawrence Foundation Fellow, Thomas Aquilina, said:
“At this exciting time of new directorship for The LSA, I want to support the work of building an architecture school that is attune to the value of equitable and radical perspectives.”

Baroness Doreen Lawrence said:
“I am pleased to see that the LSA has appointed Thomas Aquilina to lead on this ambitious plan in researching decoloniality in architecture. For too long access to the profession of architecture was limited and challenging for those from underrepresented groups, this will be a great asset in widening participation for all.”

London School of Architecture Head of School and CEO, Dr Neal Shasore, said:
“It is fantastic that, thanks to this donation, we have been able to offer this new Fellowship. In an intensely competitive field, Thomas’s vision of what we could achieve was truly inspiring. I am looking forward to working closely with him over the coming year, ensuring the LSA leads the conversation around decoloniality and architectural education.”

JASON MBUKU

Freshfields Stephen Lawrence Scholar

To say I was grateful to be named as a Freshfields Stephen Lawrence Scholar would be an understatement. The application process was tough but enjoyable and I’m very proud of myself for having been successful. I can’t wait to get started and learn the invaluable skills Freshfields have in store for us, [and] meeting some amazing people in the process.

Tyron Denton

FRESHFIELDS STEPHEN LAWRENCE SCHOLAR

Why did you decide to apply for the Freshfields Stephen Lawrence Scholarship?
After receiving an email from Mrs Gillow and shortly after having a meeting with her, I did some more research on Freshfields and more importantly the Stephen Lawrence Scheme. Aside from knowing that it would be a great opportunity regardless of whether I received a scholarship, the aims of addressing the underrepresentation of black male students within City careers in the name of Stephen Lawrence was truly compelling.

How did you feel when you heard you were selected for the scholarship?
I was extremely grateful. As a man of faith I couldn’t stop giving thanks to God as it would not have been possible without his favour. I was also extremely grateful to be part of an empowering scheme that will undoubtedly leave a legacy to inspire black men in the future.

What does the scholarship offer and what do you feel you have gained from the opportunity?
The scholarship has a lot to offer, far more than just monetary contribution towards studies. It’s a 15-month development programme tailored to each scholar including career advice, work experience, an alternative route to an interview for a training contract at Freshfields mentoring amongst much more. I am still in the very early stages of this journey, however from the insight day and assessment centres alone I have gained an incredible amount. I have been able to meet and converse with accomplished professionals who work within the City, and fellow students, all of which has given me a better perspective to careers and life in general.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of applying?
If you are thinking of applying, I would highly recommend speaking with the university contact for the Scheme. I’d say enter the process with an open mind and willingness to learn more about yourself, others, and careers. It sounds very cliché, but be yourself. Freshfields genuinely want to get to know you as a person, from the application to the assessment centres, so showcase the best version of yourself. In doing so you’ll also find that you gain a lot more from the experience, whether that be mentors, friends, or gaining a better understanding of your strengths and weaknesses.

Robert Gomez

STEPHEN LAWRENCE BURSARY STUDENT

Different people have different backgrounds and people’s financial situations are not the same. I needed the financial help of a bursary or it would have been a case of me not going to university.

“The bursary has completely changed my time at DMU. It means I can spend more of the day focussing on the course rather than having to worry about other stuff.

“If this bursary was not in place it would have been incredibly difficult to manage university life.

“I am enjoying the course. When you are given a brief in the first year of study you can go wild with it. You are allowed to go crazy. You can create a building and then turn it on its head. You have the freedom of creativity. I think it’s a different story from the second year onwards!
“Architecture was the dream for me since secondary school. The bursary has solidified that dream and is turning it into reality.

“Hopefully in a few years’ time I will be running my own practice. It is a long journey but it’s got to be done when it comes to having ambitions in your life.”

Grace Carter

STEPHEN LAWRENCE BURSARY STUDENT

‘Growing up with a single parent as a mixed raced girl, I have seen how hard life can be. My mum brought me up to work hard and to believe in myself so I applied for an internship in London, knowing I would struggle to find and pay for accommodation. It seemed like an impossible task to afford to live in London and pursue my career however thanks to the Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation I have been able to flourish in London. I have been able to access my current workplace without any hassle due to the support the Foundation has given me. I’m eternally grateful for this generosity and still can’t believe I’m able to stay in such nice accommodation that is so close to my workplace without worrying about finances.

Stephen Appiah Kubi

As a Scholar, one of the ways I take advantage of the power of learning is that I am encouraged to develop a commercially aware outlook that follows current socioeconomic, political, legal, and technological issues. In analyzing how these issues affect businesses, we develop a more entrepreneurial mindset.

The power of learning extends far beyond tackling business challenges. It equips us with the knowledge and understanding needed to address inequality and drive positive change for a more inclusive society. Embracing an attitude of learning forces us to let go of lazy assumptions and ignorant generalisations, ones that divide our society.”

DAN HORNER

STEPHEN LAWRENCE BURSARY STUDENT

‘The accommodation bursary granted to me was the biggest anxiety relief, moving down to London and pursuing a placement opportunity was daunting enough without the added pressure of finding accommodation. The bursary has allowed me to enjoy what London has to offer as well as learning new skills on my placement that can enhance my career prospects in the industry I love.

The accommodation is perfect for my needs, safe and well located with transport links, I am forever indebted to the Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation for allowing me to have this opportunity with minimum worry.

Thank you again for all the support.’