#SRtRCSpotlight: Empowering Young People at Hebburn Comprehensive
Educators from Show Racism the Red Card recently visited Hebburn Comprehensive School to deliver a series of engaging anti-racism workshops with students across Year 7 and Year 9.
The sessions encouraged pupils to explore what racism is, how it can appear in everyday life and why it is important to challenge discrimination. Through interactive activities, open discussion and reflection, students were given the opportunity to examine stereotypes, understand the impact of prejudice and consider how they can contribute to creating more inclusive communities.
From the outset, students showed a strong willingness to engage with the topics being discussed. The workshops created a supportive environment where young people felt comfortable sharing their ideas, asking questions and reflecting on the role they can play in standing up against racism.
A key focus of the sessions was helping pupils recognise the power of their own voices. By exploring what it means to be actively anti-racist, students discussed practical ways they can challenge discriminatory behaviour, support their peers and promote respect both inside and outside the classroom.
Educators were particularly encouraged by the thoughtful contributions made by students throughout the day. Many pupils demonstrated a clear understanding of the importance of standing up against racism and supporting others.
Students at Hebburn Comprehensive take part in the ‘Fact or Fake’ activity
Student reflections on the workshop:
“I’ve learned to never judge anyone by the way they look and if I see racism I know how to report it. I really liked the new neighbour’s task as it showed me different points of view and how other people live their lives.” Year 9 student
“Racism is not all about skin colour and people can suffer racism for other things like culture and religion. The workshop has made be more confident to do something about racism if I see or hear it.” Year 7 student
“You should never judge people by how they look and should always get to know someone first by asking questions. I feel more confident to report racism now.” Year 9 student
“Everyone is different and unique but the same race, the human race. I feel more confident to report racism or tell a trusted adult. I want to do the workshop again!” Year 9 student
The workshop was very informative and inspiring today, it’s important to know more about racism. I think it is important that everyone knows how to stand up to racism.” Student Council Representative
Staff at Hebburn Comprehensive also reflected on the positive impact the workshops had on their students.
Staff Testimonials
“For my class today, I felt there were lots of real-world examples of the massive concepts being discussed as well as recognisable figures and the opportunity for them to talk about things together before sharing opinions. Students really value the opportunity to share their thoughts and were given the space to do that respectfully in the workshop. As the session went on, you could see they were coming up with more ideas and getting deeper into their thinking.
Young people are often unaware of complicit involvement in racism, so I think they left feeling much more informed than prior to the session, some wanted to stay for longer and had lots of questions, which was great to see.”
Mrs Scudder, Teacher of English
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“We invited Show Racism the Red Card into school today as we have worked with them before and know the sessions to be very engaging and successful with our students. SRtRC workshops are great at getting the young people to think about how other people feel and challenge stereotypes. Students always enjoy the workshops which is why we host them year on year.” Mrs Phillips (Aspiration, Personal Development & SEND)
Education remains at the heart of the work carried out by Show Racism the Red Card. By working directly with young people in schools across the UK, the organisation continues to provide opportunities for students to develop understanding, challenge prejudice and build the confidence to become advocates for equality.
Challenging Harmful Narratives Through Education
Alongside anti-racism workshops in schools, educators also continue to deliver sessions that address harmful narratives and misinformation, supporting young people to think critically about the information they encounter in their daily lives.
These sessions explore how harmful narratives about communities can develop and spread, particularly through media and online platforms. Students are encouraged to reflect on how stereotypes and misinformation can influence attitudes and behaviours and why it is important to question and challenge divisive or misleading content.
Through guided discussion and real-world examples, pupils learn how to identify reliable sources of information and consider how media representation can shape public perceptions of different communities. The sessions also highlight the importance of respectful dialogue and critical thinking when engaging with complex topics.
Importantly, this work aims to empower young people to recognise their own role in challenging harmful narratives. By developing their confidence to question misinformation and promote positive conversations, students are better equipped to contribute to more inclusive school environments and communities.
Educator David McArdle delivers anti-racism education at Hebburn Comprehensive
In February, the North East Education Team delivered training to the pastoral team at Hebburn to help them better understander the factors and the online behaviours contributing towards the sharing of harmful narratives by children and young people, and explored short starter activities that could be used a a basis to better understand how young people view their own identities and the identities of others, helping them to build empathy and draw parallels between their own experiences and the experiences of groups that they might regard as being different from them.
Following the training, 100% of the participants said that they were more aware of the damaging impact that engagement with these harmful narratives can have on young people, with 100% also saying that they felt confident to respond to young people referencing harmful narratives and can support them to build resilience/reject such narratives.
Next month, educators will be running Challenging harmful Narratives sessions with up to 120 young people from years eight and ten to explore the conditions that led to the riot activity of Summer 2024, the role of algorithms and echo chambers in hardening narratives and presenting misinformation as fact, and providing them with tools to further develop thier critical thinking skills and fact check the information that they are engaging with.
The visit to Hebburn Comprehensive demonstrated once again how education, open conversation, and youth empowerment can play a powerful role in tackling racism and discrimination. With students actively engaging with these issues and recognising the influence they have within their communities, the next generation is better equipped to challenge prejudice and promote respect for all.
To find out more about how your school or Local Authority can get involved with Show Racism the Red Card in the North East, please complete our enquiry form, with details of the issues that you are looking to tackle.