172 pages
234 x 156mm
ISBN: 978 1 85856 436 4
Due June 2010

Britain has been mixed and mixing for centuries, yet this is the first study of the specific experiences of white/black pupils in the education system. People of mixed heritage are the UK’s largest ethnic minority group, and the presence of white/black pupils in schools should sharply focus the efforts of education professionals to address issues of race, ethnicity and culture in relation to their education. At present, though, white/black pupils are either invisible in the school system or lumped in with the larger, diverse black population.

This book highlights the importance of pupil voice when schools address issues of cultural identity and mixedness. It examines the approach of the Multiple Heritage Project in training youth facilitators of mixed heritage to lead their peers in discussions about school. The young people’s narratives capture something of how it feels to be like them in the British school system. Their accounts of their school experiences present a challenge to popularly-held stereotypes around pupil identity and aspiration that is long overdue.

Mixed Matters is essential reading for professionals in the field of education, social care and health and will also interest parents, carers and policy makers. It challenges assumptions about white/black pupils and unpicks some of the crucial distinctions often overlooked by practitioners working with these young people.

Denise Williams is an independent education consultant specialising in Black and Mixed Heritage Achievement.