Shared ground, not division
Across classrooms, staffrooms, and living rooms, the people who care for and work with children are more alike than we sometimes admit. Teachers, youth workers, governors, parents — we all want young people to be safe, well, and thriving. We may disagree on the route, but the destination is the same.
Life’s obstacle course for young people is easy to see. On one side: social media, and the risks of criminal or sexual exploitation. On the other: the demands of entering the world of work, building relationships, and staying well.
The same principles that help a young person succeed in university or employment are the ones that protect them from exploitation and misinformation.At Class 13, we see deficit ideology in schools as one of the biggest barriers to embedding these principles.
Our starting point: four principles for thriving
At Class 13, we believe the daily culture of a school can and should embed these principles in every interaction, by everyone supporting young people. Our Equitree framework centres four key principles:
- Affirmation — Every child is valued for who they are, without having to earn their worth through grades or compliance.
- Community — Belonging is built together, not handed out as a reward or withdrawn for not meeting rules designed to promote it — like punishing a young person for wearing the “wrong” uniform.
- Critical thinking — Cultivate a culture of curiosity where young people are encouraged to question, think critically, and explore, rather than simply accept.
- Democracy — If we do the first three well, we create the conditions for real democracy.
When we tie a young person’s value to grades, restrict their chances to think critically, and remove their support network as punishment, we harm them through the very system that should protect them.That’s why rulings like the recent High Court decision to uphold isolation booths sadden us, because they legitimise practices we already know cause damage.
These principles aren’t “nice to have.” They are the foundation. When woven into policies, routines, and relationships, they transform school for everyone.
Why power works the way it does
It’s not inevitable that children will bully each other. That pattern becomes tragically common when young people watch adults use power in ways that normalise domination and control.
Our fear of sharing power often comes from how we’ve experienced it — and how we’ve used it ourselves. People who have been abused sometimes go on to abuse others. In the same way, when children experience power as something done to them rather than with them, they learn to replicate it.
To the inner “It didn’t do me any harm” voice, we ask two questions: Didn’t it? And imagine what you could have achieved if you’d been in an environment that truly valued you. Some flowers can grow without sunlight, but they all do better with it.
How small actions shape culture
If this is your first engagement with Class 13, welcome. ou might recognise some common practices, each the direct opposite of our principles of affirmation, community, curiosity, and democracy:
- “Paulo is sitting nicely and it makes me happy” — Affirmation tied to compliance. No wonder bell isn’t welcome in his game of tag.
- “You’ve lost your break” — Community time removed as punishment. No wonder some children never feel like they belong.
- “Because I said so” — Curiosity impeded without explanation. No wonder so many fights start over perceived disrespect.
- “You need to earn our trust” — Affirmation and community withheld until they perform. No wonder they learn to hide parts of themselves.
None of these acts are intended to harm. But together, they send a clear message: your belonging, your value, and your autonomy are conditional.
The good news? It doesn’t have to be this way. We can model power as something shared, where responsibility and care are reciprocal. In those spaces, bullying struggles to survive because we no longer teach young people the language of dominance.
What this looks like in practice
As part of our embedded pilot, we ran the Rule Change Project with young people to identify school rules that undermined well-being. Phones were the early focus (no surprise). But once the four principles framed the debate, the priorities shifted. Students called for shorter lunchtime detentions, better toilet access, and a “rule window” so policies could be reviewed collectively.
When given the tools and trust, young people didn’t choose chaos. They chose fairness.
Why this matters now
With a new school year beginning, we have a choice. We can double down on control, or we can create spaces where affirmation, community, curiosity, and democracy are not extras — they are the foundations.
Take the first step with us
If this feels like the school you want to see, join our online Introduction to Deficit Ideology session. It’s the first step into the work we do at Class 13 unpacking how deficit ideology in schools shapes policies, culture, and outcomes, and how we can replace it with practices that allow every child to flourish.
Sign up and start the year by rethinking what’s possible.
