‘Mrs Brown says that in London everyone is different, and that means everyone can fit in.’ That’s the famous quote from celebrated London resident, Paddington Bear. Paddington goes on to say that he thinks Mrs Brown is right – because even though he doesn’t look like anyone else, he really does feel at home.
We have that poster in a frame here at our language school in central London. For me it says a lot about what we do – we bring people from around the world into our community of learners, teachers and supporters, and help them settle in, get along and achieve their goals.
That big diverse community is made up of, on a typical week, students from 32 countries – being supported and taught by staff from 14 countries, with six continents represented. It also includes a fairly decent mix of ethnicities, genders, ages, neurodiversities and sexual orientations. A big old melting pot that we love and cherish, somewhere, we hope, everyone can find their place.
Having a whole-school team that is so diverse is incredibly important to me as School Principal – and not just so I can tick a good old DEI box, that’s not what it’s about for me. I truly believe that a student’s stay at our school, that their overseas study experience and their language-learning journey is enhanced by having a school team that is incredibly diverse. And I don’t just mean their teachers – I mean the whole school team.
In fact, being clear that I’m talking about the diversity of the ‘whole school team’ is an important point to make.
In ELT, when we have conversations about diversity in our teams, it is often around the L1 / L2 teacher debate. While this is without question an important subject, the student experience goes beyond the classroom, and we need to recognise the need for diversity across the full, complete, whole, total school team. After all, we serve students from a wide range of linguistic, cultural and social backgrounds, so it makes sense to have an equally diverse team – allowing us to deliver a dynamic, inclusive and effective environment for them to learn, grow and flourish.
The global city experience, day one
London is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world, and we attract students from all around the globe to improve their English in our corner of Bloomsbury.
On day one, our students are greeted, registered, tested and allocated classes by a team that comes from eastern Europe, southern Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia, Oceania and the UK. The team’s ages span four decades, and we are all shades of the LGBTQIA+ rainbow. This can come as a surprise to many of our new students, but this team is perfect for delivering the best day-one experience.
This team of academics and support staff, thanks to their many and varied backgrounds and experiences, is a team that is more naturally in tune with the nuances of cultural and social differences. This helps us to better understand and respect students’ questions, worries and perspectives from the moment they arrive at school. In fact, before then, from the moment a student starts to consider us as their learning destination, our diverse team handles pre-arrival questions with sensitivity and empathy, setting students up for a great arrival day.
The same cultural and social sensitivity means that first day nerves, worries and wobbles are most often resolved at induction, well before they become major issues.
For instance, some students’ cultural norms, neurodiversities or life experiences might influence who they see as ‘authority figures’, coming, for example, from backgrounds where teachers are less approachable or from countries where a person asking to see your passport is a person to be feared. We meet students who come from places where they have had to hide their true selves due to a fear of not being accepted.
All of these experiences can lead to them being shy, withdrawn, often struggling with first day introductions, not being themselves with day-one speaking tests, and avoiding answering questions such as ‘are you happy in the student residence?’ with clarity and frankness.
We see students whose culture, life experience and/or neurodiversity determines how they interact in group settings, and how they approach new situations. Some students love walking into our bustling canteen on day one, ready to get busy making friends. Others, less so. Much less so.
Having a diverse day-one team of student services officers and academics who understand these dynamics makes us better equipped to address them with sensitivity, ensuring that our students feel valued and respected from the get-go. This creates an environment where students can settle in quickly and are more comfortable expressing themselves and participating actively in their time at school.
Beyond day one
Empathy, perspective, representation
As students make their way through their language learning journey at your school, these are the three things that a diverse school team delivers, and that make a huge difference to how students develop and grow.
Empathy
Our international students often face challenges beyond learning the language, such as adapting to life in London and its new culture, handling homesickness and navigating unfamiliar systems. Our diverse team – many of whom may have gone through similar experiences themselves – empathise with these struggles and provide invaluable support.
We find that staff who understand the emotional and cultural adjustments required to live and study in a new country create a stronger bond and a better sense of connection with students. This connection builds trust, making students more likely to seek guidance and engage fully in their classes and their time in school.
Staff being willing to share their own experiences with students can be transformational for a student’s experience, helping them feel less isolated and more motivated to succeed. The presence of relatable and understanding staff can be a powerful factor in boosting student morale and retention.
And what’s more, a culturally aware team can serve as role models for cross-cultural understanding, teaching students the importance of respecting and appreciating diversity. In a globalised world, these lessons are just as crucial as language skills, preparing students for a future of working in international workplaces and living in multicultural communities.
Perspective
The diverse team here in school provides us with a broader, more global perspective within the school. Teachers from different parts of the world can share their cultural experiences, enriching classroom discussions and broadening students’ horizons beyond language learning. Support staff can see where students are ‘coming from’ with their questions and problems – and are able to provide answers and solutions that work for the student.
A classroom example would be a lesson on idiomatic expressions and how this could be enhanced by teachers explaining how similar phrases exist in their own languages or cultures. This not only deepens students’ understanding of English but also helps to build an appreciation for the interconnectedness of languages and cultures.
Having this global perspective in school helps our students see the relevance of English as a global lingua franca. By simply just being a diverse team, we are able to provide real-time and real-world examples of how English is used in international settings, inspiring students to pursue their own goals of global communication and mobility.
Representation
A school team from a wide range of cultures, ages, genders, sexual orientations, neurodiversities and nationalities serves as an inspiration to students by demonstrating that success and expertise both come in many forms. For students from different backgrounds, seeing teachers and support staff who share their cultural, linguistic or personal experiences can be incredibly empowering.
Representation matters in education, as it helps students envision their own potential and possibilities. A staff member who has overcome challenges that are similar to those faced by the students in front of them can inspire resilience and determination. For example, a student who feels unsure about their ability to adapt to life in London, or to succeed in learning English may be motivated by a team member’s story of overcoming language barriers or cultural adjustment.
A diverse whole-school team creates an environment where students feel seen and valued. When students see themselves reflected in the people around them, it validates their identity and helps build confidence. This sense of representation creates a positive feedback loop, encouraging students to participate more actively in class and take ownership of their learning journey.
And what’s in it for the school?
Diversity in the workplace often leads to stronger collaboration and more effective problem-solving, and ELT schools are no exception. With a school team made up of individuals with varied backgrounds and experiences, we see many different approaches to solving the challenges we face, often leading us to more creative and well-rounded solutions.
Also, let’s not forget that working in a diverse team makes us all more adaptable, more flexible and more open-minded. The team learns to navigate differences, communicate effectively and collaborate respectfully, skills that enhance their experience in our beloved industry and help with their professional development. All this also contributes to a positive workplace culture.
To sum up, having a diverse team in our Bloomsbury school brings us a whole tonne of benefits, from awareness and empathy to enhancing teaching methods and problem-solving.
By having a team that reflects the diversity of its student body, I feel that our school creates a more inclusive and effective learning environment, preparing students not only to master the English language but also to thrive in a multicultural world. Diversity is not just an asset – it is a cornerstone of success in 2025’s ELT landscape.
