ASCL at Pride in London 2026

Leading with Visibility

For the first time in our history, ASCL is proud to announce that we will be officially joining the Pride in London event on Saturday 4 July 2026. This milestone represents a significant step in our commitment to ensuring that LGBTQIA+ school, college, and trust leaders can be visible and authentic in their roles.

We invite you to join us as we march to celebrate diversity, equity, and inclusion within the education leadership profession.

Why we are marching
At ASCL, we believe that leaders should not have to remain in the shadows but feel empowered to be their authentic selves at work. Pride is a powerful opportunity to:
  • demonstrate our commitment to equality in education and beyond
  • connect with peers across the country in a celebration of belonging
  • send a clear message that our schools and colleges are inclusive environments for everyone, staff and students alike
How to join us (registration and wristbands)
To ensure we manage our first Pride appearance effectively, we are operating a tiered registration system for wristbands. 

Wristbands will be allocated in the following order of priority:
  1. ASCL LGBTQIA+ Leaders’ Community members: initial registration is open exclusively to our community members to ensure those at the heart of our network can lead the way. ASCL members will be contacted via email to register for the event. 
  2. Companions of Community members: once we have confirmed numbers from our member list, we will open registration to companions.
  3. Wider ASCL community: finally, we will invite allies from the wider membership and ASCL employees to join the delegation. 
Any questions? Please see our FAQs below.

If you require any further information, please contact Sharon Ealing, Professional Leadership Community Manager.  

NB ASCL members will be contacted via email to register for the event. 

Please note that space may be limited. Early registration is encouraged.
 

Yes. While we have long supported our LGBTQIA+ Leaders’ Community through virtual meetings, this is the first time ASCL will have an official presence at a Pride march.

Registration will follow these priority tiers:

  • first, for our LGBTQIA+ Leaders’ Community
  • then their companions
  • finally, the wider ASCL membership and staff  

We want to ensure a supportive environment underpinned by our values of curiosity, kindness, integrity, and courage.

Initially, yes. However, we will open up any remaining spots to allies and the broader ASCL community shortly after the first registration phase. 

If you are an LGBTQIA+ leader and ASCL member and haven't joined the network yet, you can sign up via our online form.

 

We encourage you to wear comfortable shoes and dress for all weathers.  We are investigating the possibility of ASCL branded T shirts-but this is fund dependent. To ensure you stay hydrated please bring water and any snacks, although there will be facilities to purchase food and drinks during the day.  

Further details regarding meeting points and specific event "look and feel" will be sent to registered attendees. 

We want to see your journey! Use the hashtag #ASCLPride to share your photos and stories on social media. 

 

For specific queries regarding the march or wristband allocation, please contact sharon.ealing@ascl.org.uk 

We will create a temporary WhatsApp community to share real-time updates, such as precise meeting locations or changes to the march schedule.  To protect your privacy, this group is strictly for event coordination and will be deleted as soon as the event is over. A joining link and QR code will be shared with registered attendees prior to the event
 

The initial priority window for our LGBTQIA+ Leaders’ Community closes on 5 June. After this, we will begin processing requests for companions and then the wider membership. 
 

If you included a companion in your registration before 5 June, we will reach out to you starting on 5 June to confirm if a wristband is available for them.  

 

From 7 June, any remaining wristbands will be available to the wider ASCL community. Once those are gone, you will be placed on a waiting list.

 

Yes. As this is ASCL's first-ever official presence at a Pride march, we will be documenting the day to celebrate this milestone. Photos and videos may be used across ASCL's official news channels, Leader magazine, and our website to showcase the visibility of LGBTQIA+ leaders. 

As Pride is a public event, photography and filming by other attendees, media, and the general public will be taking place throughout the day and is outside our control. 

If you are sharing your own photos and videos on personal social media, we ask that you are mindful of others' privacy, particularly as not everyone may be out in all areas of their life. Please consider checking with those around you before posting images in which others are identifiable. 
 

The registration form includes a section where you can indicate your preference for appearing in ASCL's photography and filmed content. 

If your circumstances change, or you would prefer not to be included in close-up shots on the day, please speak to the ASCL event lead at the meeting point and they will make sure this is noted. 

Any companions who are allocated a wristband will be contacted separately to confirm their own photography preferences before the event. 

Please remember that as Pride is a public event, we are unable to control photography or filming by other attendees, media, or the general public. 

All official imagery will be managed in accordance with the ASCL Privacy Notice. Photos used on our website and news reports will remain part of our association's historical record of this landmark first event.