We also absorb stereotypes from a young age and witness discrimination. "This means we make different judgements in relation to some people. That rule helps us anticipate danger or handle changes in our environment, but it might also mean we are more likely to notice, and even fear, people who don't look or behave like us. For example, 'pay attention to things that seem unusual'." "We use simple rules to handle the reams of complex information thrown at us every day. Kirkman, who is also the co-author of Behavioural Insights and who previously taught behavioural science at Harvard before joining BIT, elaborates further: "Our ability to survive depends on our ability to make judgements," she says. Bias is a fundamental feature of human psychology." "You're not a bad person for being biased. The very nature of unconscious bias means it happens without us being aware of it, as Elspeth Kirkman, senior director of health, education and communities at the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT), explains. To say this isn't a criticism of teachers. Every assessment that a school conducts is at risk of unconscious bias.