‘What’s in a name?’

Bancroft's is pleased to announce the inclusion of phonetic spellings in our pupil registers this year, an initiative championed by our Diversity and Inclusion coordinator Ms Gurdip Chana.

The goal is to help Bancroft’s staff pronounce pupil names accurately and respectfully.

A name is an important part of a person’s identity. It connects us to family, culture, heritage, and history.  At Bancroft’s, we want all our pupils to feel proud of their names and empowered to share how they should be pronounced.

We asked pupils to say their names as they wish for them to be said and compiled the phonetics. Many pupils proudly clarified the pronunciation of their names whilst others needed a little more encouragement. Saying one’s name can be surprisingly nerve-wracking, so staff worked closely with pupils to ensure they felt comfortable exploring its pronunciation. 

Following our collaboration in establishing the new pupil registers, we are currently directing our efforts towards replicating this process for our staff list. Subsequently, we will proceed to capture the pupils verbally stating their names, allowing staff members to playback these recordings.

This initiative supports our wider mission of diversity, equity, and inclusion at Bancroft’s. We strive to make all pupils feel welcomed, valued, and respected here. Correct name pronunciation is one way we can achieve that goal.