Has your child experienced racism at school in Scotland?
AdRESS can help.
What is AdRESS?
AdRESS (Advocacy for Race Equality in Schools Scotland) is an advice and support service created by the Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights (CRER) to assist parents and carers whose child is experiencing racial abuse and discrimination at a school in Scotland.
We pride ourselves on being a non-judgemental advocacy service, with advisors who have the lived experience of racism needed to understand your circumstances, and are skilled in providing advice and advocacy.
We can help to get the resolution you deserve.
Why does AdRESS exist?
Racism is a serious issue in Scotland’s educational system
Teachers report that bullying based on race is the most frequent type of prejudice-based bullying between learners.
In 2020/21, over 1,200 incidents were recorded in Scotland’s schools - the highest level of recording since 2007/08.
AdRESS was established to help families take action against this and protect their rights.
How can AdRESS help you?
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Advocacy & Advice
Advocacy is in our DNA. AdRESS’s parent company, CRER, has over 20 years of experience in campaigning for racial justice. Our advisors are uniquely positioned to help you to secure your rights.
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Accessing Support
Sometimes, you just need someone to listen.
Our advisors will do this, with the relevant lived experience of racism to understand your circumstances and provide the support you need.
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Useful Resources
Just want to find other useful organisations, get some help with how to contact your school, or download some awareness-raising materials?
AdRESS has a variety of resources and information to help you.
Is this the right service for me?
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AdRESS operates exclusively in Scotland and can only provide advice relating to incidents occurring in and around Scottish schools.
In some instances, we may be able to provide advice relating to incidents taking place online and on social media; however, service users must be based in Scotland.
If you are not based in Scotland, you may be able to access support via the organisations listed on our 'Useful Organisations' page.
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AdRESS is designed to support parents and carers seeking advice and justice, so they will need to be involved if you need our help.
If you would like to learn more about your rights, please see our 'I'm a child or young person' guide.
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AdRESS is designed to support parents and carers whose child has experienced racism at school in Scotland.
We can assist you to take action against the treatment of children in your care.
We normally expect you to report what’s happening to the school first, as explained below.
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Racism is a serious issue in Scotland's schools, and it can have significant impacts on mental health and wellbeing.
If your child has experienced racism at school, AdRESS is here to offer support and advice on how to navigate complaining to the school.
If you're not sure whether what happened was racist or not, you may want to see our 'Frequently Asked Questions' or 'What is Racism?' pages.
If what is happening doesn’t involve racism, AdRESS’s services won’t be what you need; however, please see our 'Useful Organisations'page for more places to access support.
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AdRESS is actively committed to a policy of equality of opportunities in its activities and in service provision for its members.
Due to the nature of the work, AdRESS is focused on helping parents and carers of pupils who come from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds.
If you are unsure whether this applies to you, please refer to our 'What is racism?' page.
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AdRESS can support you if you have reported a racist incident or racist bullying at school, and you're not satisfied with their response.
It is important to report an incident no matter how 'small' you may feel it is. The more people know, the more they can help.
We understand that there could be situations where you cannot report an incident; we won’t turn you away if you can’t report it first.
Reaching out to AdRESS
Through our website
You can get in touch with AdRESS right here on our website.
Using our contact form, tell us about yourself and your situation and we’ll get back to you within 3 working days.
On the phone
You can reach us by phone on
0330 122 4600
Our phone lines are active from 10am to 4pm, Monday to Thursday (excluding Bank Holidays).
By email
You can reach AdRESS at any time by email.
In your email, you’ll need to tell us some information about yourself and your situation.
On socials
AdRESS is also active on: Facebook
Instagram
Twitter (also known as X)
Follow us at @AdRESScotland to stay up to date with AdRESS’ services and learn more about how we are empowering children, parents and carers in Scotland.