Launch Of DARPL

Education and Welsh Language Minister Jeremey Miles, with students and staff at LLanwern High School Newport

On the 13th October 2022, Education and Welsh language minister, Jeremy Miles, launched the DARPL project at Llanwern High School in Newport. Llanwern, was the first school to receive a Betty Campbell MBE Award for their progressive work in creating diversity and anti-racist lesson plans and actioning anti-racist practice throughout the whole school.

The DARPL project is the brainchild of Chantelle Haughton, who was taught by Mrs Campbell MBE, whose impressionable, bold and tenacious teaching style, broke barriers by raising awareness around Black and Ethnic minority cultures and contributions. Mrs Campbell was a pioneer of her time, being the first Black head teacher in Wales. Sadly, Mrs Campbell, passed away on the 13th of October 2017, exactly 5 years before the launch of DARPL, which falls on the anniversary of her death. However, Mrs Campbell’s legacy still lives on in spirit through DARPL and her presence can be seen in Central Square, Cardiff city centre, where she is still breaking down barriers by being the first female statue to ever adorn the Welsh capital. At the launch was Mrs Campbell’s granddaughter, Rachel Clarke, who is Deputy Headteacher of Mitchell Brooke Primary School in London. Rachel said, 'my grandmother would have been so proud of DARPL, but also frustrated that we are still having these conversations and not enough has been done'. Rachel, is a chip off the old block, forging a career as an anti-racist educator, offering her consultancy service to schools in Wales, through DARPL and her private company, Promote Equality.

‘For there is always light if only we’re brave enough to see it, 

if only we’re brave enough to be it’

-Amanda Gorman

Chantelle’s heart for education is demonstrated, not only in her illustrious career as an early year’s lecturer at Cardiff Met, but also in following Mrs Campbell’s footsteps in being bold, by pioneering DARPL, which is funded by Welsh Government. DARPL is an acronym for Diversity and Anti-Racism Professional Learning, which is now available to all schools across Wales, via the website www.darpl.org.

DARPL Project Director: Chantelle Haughton

What's on offer?

Statue of Mrs Betty Campbell MBE and Rachel Clark, being interviewed by ITV for the launch of DARPL

Through the DARPL website, schools can find blogs, lesson plans, live workshops, and have access to key stake holders, who are championing this work, by creating content. They are also available as consultants, offering advice for schools to support their journey in Anti-Racist Professional Learning. The feedback, so far, has been that some schools were nervous about approaching these subjects, owing to a lack of cultural competency and, possibly, fearful of ‘getting it wrong’. DARPL, was created to combat these fears to help schools go boldly where very few were willing to go before. Jeremy Miles said, ‘Wales is the first part of the UK to make the teaching and contribution of Black, Asian and minority ethnic curriculum mandatory. He said the most important part of DARPL is to support our education workforce to gain confidence, knowledge, skills and experiences and to be able to do that properly, and to also help us meet our objective of being an Anti-racist nation by 2030’. So, what we are launching today is an exciting set of free high-quality resources'.

'It all comes down to seeing more educators confident in teaching this material and, most importantly, how our young people are impacted by it'. 

-Jeremy Miles

Xcellence asked the minister. Since the Anti-Racism action plan is aimed at eradicated racism in Wales by, 2030. What will happen to the plan if we have a new government elected in 2026 who may not priorities this important work? The Minister replied, 'I think it is unlikely that a new government would not support the plan, but it will be up to them to decide that.

Not all governments, believe in the same thing, but I would be extremely disappointing if we did have a new party in place that did not continue to support the objective of the Anti- Racism action plan'. We also asked, how is the current government going to measure the positive effect this work is going to do to impact our society? Jeremy Miles said, 'it all comes down to seeing more educators confident in teaching this material and, most importantly, how our young people are impacted by it'.

He went on to explain that he had been struck by how young people at the launch were keen to talk about their stories. Stating, 'teachers, at Llanwern, have been on a journey, and open to listening to what the young people are telling them, and then teachers adjusting their practice to fit the pupils and I would like to see the same work being done all over Wales'.

Hosts of the launch were Deputy Headteacher, Sian Smith, and Leon Andrews, Curriculum Engagement Officer and Head of Year 10. They talked about their delight in receiving the Betty Campbell, MBE, Award at the Coal Exchange during the Professional Teaching Awards Cymru back in July.

Left to right: Education and Welsh Language Minister, Jeremy Miles, Leon Andrews Head of Yr10, Sian Smith, Deputy Headteacher, Tracey Jarvis Headteacher, Beth Ford Head of Yr9 and Professor Charlotte Williams - receiving the 1st Betty Campbell Award

The school have been leading the way, by creating a diversity club, where students are able to discuss their experiences of discrimination, they have also put on a food festival day, where students could explore their taste palates, by researching and preparing diverse food from around the World. In the classroom, the focus has been on re-visiting history by learning about inspirational people from the past. Leon Andrews said that it is equally important to learn about people in the present. The students have also explored the global history of mathematics, to illustrate the contributions the global minority has made to the development of the world. Collaboration is key and another thing that LLanwern High have done is to work closely with another school.

At the event were students from Ysgol Glantaf, a Welsh medium school in Cardiff. Deputy Headteacher, Dyfrig Rees, brought along some of the student who have worked alongside students from Llanwern, to share content and ideas. DARPL Project Director, Chantelle, said, 'we advocate that children and all citizens of Wales need to access opportunities to learn about anti-racism. Through policy development, action-for-change, play and learning resources, opportunities, conversation space and stories education practitioners can creatively, support, challenge and debunk myths'.

The students have also explored the global history of mathematics, to illustrate the contributions the global minority has made to the development of the world.