Background
Colston’s Girls’ School has been located on Cheltenham Road since it welcomed its first cohort of 300 pupils in 1891. Although Edward Colston died in 1721, the school was built with money he had endowed to support education and it was therefore named after him.
Much has changed since the school opened 129 years ago. We have greatly expanded and now educate 940 students; in 2008 we became an academy, joining Venturers Trust in 2017; we are now completely non-selective; and most importantly, we are incredibly proud that our school is a microcosm of the city we serve, where inclusion and diversity are celebrated. Over 53% of our students are BAME; and English is just one of 30 different first languages spoken.
Over the years, the name of our school has been a regular topic of debate amongst students, staff, leaders and the wider school community. Edward Colston was a member of the Royal African Company and he benefitted financially from his involvement in the slave trade. It is right that we should question whether Colston should be memorialised in the name of a diverse, multi-cultural, forward thinking school. Whether or not our school bears Colston’s name, we will continue to be innovative with our curriculum to ensure that we provide an accurate, honest and transparent account of the school’s origins and Bristol’s role in the transatlantic slave trade that devastated so many lives.
The Black Lives Matter movement, which was already dominating the news in early June, amplified the call for change with the removal of Colston’s statue from the centre of Bristol on 7th June. Like many other organisations and institutions across the world we asked ourselves whether we were doing enough and if not, how could we do better?
We are committed to accelerating the work we are doing to challenge and overcome racism and inequality in Bristol and beyond. As part of a much wider programme of activities, debate and discussion, on 12th June 2020, CGS announced its decision to move into consultation over the school’s name. This coincided with the removal of a portrait and a veiled statue of Edward Colston that was located in the school’s reception area.
The mission of CGS is to be a school for the city, developing ethical and compelling individuals with the aspiration and qualities to shape a better future for all. We teach our students that their own voice is a powerful tool that can be used to influence change and we encourage them to stand up for issues that matter to them.
With the full support of our sponsors, the Society of Merchant Venturers and the University of Bristol, the Board of Venturers Trust and the leadership team of Colston’s Girls’ School, a team of students and teachers began to develop a framework for the consultation. They followed a process that included consulting with respected members of the community to identify a format that would allow all voices to be heard, gathering research and resources that we hope will demonstrate to future generations of CGS students how young people can influence change to build a sustainable and inclusive future for a global community.
