Embedding Equality & Diversity in the Curriculum
Practical EDI curriculum training helping educators embed equality, diversity, inclusion, representation and accessibility into curriculum design, teaching and learning.
Practical EDI curriculum training helping educators embed equality, diversity, inclusion, representation and accessibility into curriculum design, teaching and learning.
This practical course supports educators, curriculum leaders and quality professionals to embed Equality, Diversity and Inclusion into curriculum design, teaching, learning and leadership practice. Delegates explore how representation, inclusive teaching approaches, learner voice and the removal of barriers can strengthen learning experiences and help make EDI visible throughout curriculum planning and delivery.
In‑house courses are private sessions delivered exclusively for a group of people from your organisation, on a date that suits you, with the option to tailor the content to your staff and setting.
Open courses are public Equality and Diversity UK training dates that anyone can book onto, ideal when you only need training for one or two people.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion are most effective when they are part of everyday curriculum thinking rather than treated as a separate topic, occasional activity or celebration event.
This course helps delegates examine where EDI is visible within curriculum intent, planning, resources, teaching approaches, assessment and the wider learner experience. Participants consider whose experiences and contributions are represented, which voices may be missing and whether established approaches create unnecessary barriers for some learners.
The course also explores the role of leadership. Sustainable change depends on EDI being understood as a shared responsibility across curriculum teams, quality functions and leadership rather than being left solely to an equality specialist.
Embedding EDI means moving beyond isolated activities. It involves considering equality, representation, accessibility and inclusion when the curriculum is designed, delivered, reviewed and improved.
Consider how EDI can be built into curriculum intent, content, learning outcomes, resources and planning rather than added after decisions have already been made.
Explore whose histories, experiences, contributions and perspectives are visible within teaching materials and where stereotypes, omissions or narrow representation may occur.
Consider teaching approaches, participation, communication and learning activities that recognise different learners and reduce unnecessary barriers to engagement.
Explore belonging, learner voice, accessibility and how curriculum decisions can influence whether learners feel represented, respected and able to participate.
An inclusive curriculum is not simply one that contains diverse images or occasional references to different communities. Delegates are encouraged to examine the curriculum more broadly and consider the choices that shape what learners encounter.
This includes asking practical questions about curriculum content, examples, case studies, reading lists, teaching resources, activities, assessment, classroom participation and the assumptions that may influence curriculum decisions.
Whose achievements, experiences and perspectives are represented within the curriculum, and are people shown in varied and meaningful ways?
Are particular communities, perspectives or contributions absent, marginalised or represented only through stereotypes or narrow narratives?
Do teaching methods, learning environments, resources and assessment approaches create barriers that could be anticipated or reduced?
Learners are not a single homogeneous group. They bring different identities, experiences, strengths, communication preferences and circumstances into education and training.
The course encourages educators to consider how curriculum practice may interact with disability, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, age and other aspects of people's lives and experiences.
It also considers factors that may intersect with protected characteristics, including socioeconomic circumstances, caring responsibilities, language, previous educational experiences and access to technology or other resources.
The purpose is not to make assumptions about what individual learners need because they belong to a particular group. Instead, delegates explore how to create flexible and responsive learning environments, listen to learners and identify barriers that may otherwise go unnoticed.
Representation matters, but simply adding a photograph, case study or historical figure from an under-represented group does not necessarily make a curriculum inclusive.
Delegates consider whether representation is meaningful, varied and relevant to the subject being taught. This includes avoiding stereotypes, recognising diversity within communities and ensuring that people from different backgrounds are represented through achievement, expertise, everyday life and a range of experiences rather than through a single narrative.
The course encourages educators to ask not only “Who have we included?” but also “How have we represented them?”
Learners themselves are an important source of information about how inclusive a curriculum feels in practice. Their experiences can help identify barriers, gaps in representation or teaching approaches that unintentionally limit participation.
Delegates explore ways of listening to learner voice without expecting individual learners to speak on behalf of an entire community. This may include feedback, evaluation, discussion, learner representatives and other opportunities for students to contribute to curriculum development.
The course also considers belonging: whether learners feel respected, represented and able to participate meaningfully within the learning environment.
Practical scenarios help delegates move from EDI principles to curriculum decisions.
A curriculum team reviews its teaching materials and discovers that examples of leadership, innovation and professional success consistently feature people from similar backgrounds.
Consider: What could the team examine beyond simply replacing a few images?
The same learners regularly contribute during fast-paced classroom discussions, while others rarely have an opportunity to participate.
Consider: Could different teaching approaches create more ways for learners to contribute?
A curriculum includes equality-themed activities during particular awareness months, but EDI is largely absent from teaching during the rest of the year.
Consider: What would it look like to embed EDI throughout curriculum planning and delivery?
The existing course has always emphasised that ownership and visibility of equality cannot sit solely with an equality specialist. Embedding EDI requires curriculum leaders, teachers, trainers, quality teams and senior leaders to understand their contribution.
Delegates consider how leadership expectations, curriculum review, professional development, quality processes and teaching practice can work together so that EDI becomes part of normal educational decision-making.
This shared-responsibility approach also helps reduce the risk of EDI becoming dependent on one enthusiastic individual rather than being sustained across the organisation.
Observation and quality processes can provide useful opportunities to consider inclusion, but inclusive practice should not be reduced to a checklist or a search for isolated examples of diversity within a lesson.
The course encourages a broader approach. Delegates consider whether learners can participate, whether teaching responds appropriately to different needs, whether resources and examples are inclusive, and whether classroom interactions support dignity, respect and belonging.
Curriculum review can then consider patterns across programmes rather than relying solely on what is visible during an individual observation.
All delegates receive a copy of our Building Equality into the Curriculum Toolkit.
The toolkit supports participants to continue the learning after the course and provides a practical framework for reviewing curriculum practice.
It can be used to stimulate discussion within curriculum teams, identify areas for development and support action planning as organisations work to make EDI more visible and meaningful across teaching and learning.
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
This course is suitable for people with responsibility for curriculum design, teaching, learning, quality or educational leadership, including:
The course can be tailored to reflect the language, curriculum model and learner population of your organisation.
Curriculum leadership, teaching practice and inclusive learning.
Colleges, sixth forms and diverse vocational curriculum areas.
Curriculum teams, academic practice and inclusive learning experiences.
Apprenticeships, vocational learning and workplace training provision.
All our courses are tailored to ensure the training reflects your organisation's goals, curriculum practices and priorities.
The course can be delivered face-to-face or online via Zoom or Teams.
To support participation, discussion and interaction, we recommend the following group sizes per session:
Need to train a larger workforce? No problem. We regularly work with organisations that need to train larger numbers of employees. Where appropriate, training can be delivered across multiple sessions to ensure everyone receives the same high-quality, interactive learning experience. We can develop a delivery programme to suit your workforce size, locations and timescales.
Please note: the half-day rate is not always available for face-to-face sessions.
Over 25 years' experience delivering equality, diversity and inclusion training, consultancy and professional development.
Keep updated with the latest equality and diversity news, offers and updates.