Educational Psychologists using non-violent resistance as a framework to support schools on their anti-racism journey

Educational Psychology as a profession has roots in colonial legacies and practices which continue to reinforce racial inequalities in education. In Scotland, recent policy and professional commitments, including ASPEP’s (2025) Anti-Racism position paper, call for Educational Psychologists (EPs) to adopt explicit Anti-Racist practices for challenging systemic racism within education. This paper presents the work of two white EPs who supported two schools in Renfrewshire to develop whole-school Anti-Racist approaches by building on their existing use of Non-Violent Resistance (NVR) as part of the Renfrewshire’s Nurturing Relationships Approach. Drawing on Critical Race Theory (CRT), reflections on their own positionality, their own Anti-Racism journeys, principles of Implementation Science (Fixen et al, 2005) and Quality Improvement, the work explored how NVR’s four pillars; unite, repair, persist, and resist – provides one framework for active Anti-Racist practice in schools. Staff consultation, surveys and whole-school workshops highlighted the role of the EP in scaffolding Anti-Racist action whilst supporting the discomfort often associated with race talk. Early outcomes included increased staff engagement in reflective dialogue, the use of ‘autopilot’ statements as racism interrupters, the establishment of pupil and parent groups to amplify the voices of Black and People of Colour (BPOC), and a greater visibility of Anti-Racist commitments within schools. The paper concludes by considering the role of EPs in supporting systemic change through consultation, relationships-based practice, and actively resisting racial harm, while acknowledging the ongoing need for self-reflection and persistence in the Anti-Racist journey of the Educational Psychology profession.