Black in School

Kemi Oluyinka has worked in the education sector for over 10 years. She is a qualified SENCO, Science Teacher and has experience as an Education Consultant. She has held different leadership positions over the last 10 years and was previously an Assistant Headteacher in London. She started the first four years of her career in mainstream education settings, moved to an Alternative Provision for another four years before she decided to work internationally as a Science Teacher & SENCO in Dubai. Kemi wants to do more in the world of education to support fellow Black teachers and students, especially students from disadvantaged backgrounds. She is the founder of the Young Black Teachers Network (YBTN), which was established in 2018. She has been featured on BBC News, the Huffington Post and Guardian Labs.  Caren Onanda has taught and volunteered across the education sector for over 25 years - from Widening Participation projects with the Universities of Cambridge and York, to work with Gifted & Talented provision and at international summer schools. She is passionate about improving the life outcomes of young people, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds. She has been teaching English in secondary schools in England for 17 years and has held various leadership positions - from Head of Year and Head of Department, to Lead Practitioner and is now a member of the Senior Leadership Team at her current school. Caren has also embarked upon a Doctorate in Education in order to further explore and research the journeys of black educators in the UK. She is keen to ensure good practice is shared and strong networks are built and developed across schools in diverse settings. Caren is a Trustee for Southside Young Leaders Academy and on the advisory board for Penguin Lit in Colour. She has written for various educational blogs including Schools Week. She is the South London Hub lead for YBTN.