A SCHOOL which has been urged to make changes to its curriculum in a bid to tackle racism in the UK has issued a response.

Burgate School and Sixth Form is one of three schools which have been sent letters appealing for change from their present and alumni students.

Read more: Salisbury students write to schools following BLM protests

A petition signed by more than 200 students, calls for headteacher David Pover to "reconsider" the school's curriculum in the wake of the death of George Floyd.

The letter says: “Currently, it is not compulsory in the UK for primary or secondary schools to teach colonisation, slavery, or any other atrocities in which Britain played a significant role throughout history⁠ - a role that is severely understated to this day.

“We ask you to reconsider this. The contribution that Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) people played in this country’s history⁠ - from the mass enslavement of African people that fuelled the Industrial Revolution, to the thousands of BAME soldiers who fought for Britain during the two world wars, as well as countless contributions to culture⁠ - cannot go unmentioned any longer.”

In their response, the school said it was "impressed" by the letter and "the strength of feeling within it" and committed to carry out a curriculum review upon its reopening.

Addressing former student Miriam Cakebread, who launched the petition, and all those who signed it, The Burgate Leadership Team said: "As the school community starts to return after partial closure, it is our intention to engage the views of staff and students and to undertake a wider curriculum review."

The letter adds: "Although the following is not an exhaustive list, we expect the review will explore issues such as: how we can further develop education about racism and discrimination in the curriculum, how the contribution that BAME people played in this country’s history is being covered in the curriculum, how to ensure our pastoral and welfare provision for BAME students is appropriate, how we might encourage more applications for employment from the BAME community and how best to provide ongoing training for staff on promoting diversity and the elimination of unconscious bias."

The school also said it will consult with the wider school community "to consider how we might prioritise and ensure the appropriate perspective of our BAME curricula, where this is not already the case".

It hopes to publish its consultation by the end of September.