Race Equality Week

For Race Equality Week, explored the definition of race, what it actually is and what our race differences mean. Different classes across the school areas explored this awareness week with a complete range of activities.

Orchard building classes looked at the book ‘Marmalade: The orange Panda’ by David Walliams and thought about how Marmalade felt being rejected by the other Pandas. We thought about how Marmalade might feel when all the other Pandas were colourful how and how he felt when all the other Pandas accepted him for who he is. Students created pictures of themselves and a friend and compared noticing our similarities and differences. We took photographs of ourselves, and lay them side by side in our classes, so we were able to compare and look closely at all our differences and similarities, from race, to eye colour, to hair colour, to face shape, to teeth. Some classes looked at the differences and similarities between their hand prints, using a magnifying glass to really pick out the tiny details in our palms. Some classes looked at themselves in the mirrors and recreated their face out of play dough, moving and manipulating the dough using and build up their fine motor skills.  ​Time was also spent in the library, looking at books from different cultures such as ‘Handas Surprise’ by Eileen Browne, ”The girl who stole an elephant’ by Nizrana Farook, as well as looking at books which celebrate diversity.

Classes in Holly Trees building watched a Sesame Street video on YouTube called ‘Explaining Race #coming together’ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk_HYAiS26I). The video explained the melanin in our bodies cause our eyes, hair and skin colour. The video continued to compare people’s skin colour to different coloured leaves on a tree. This showed us that the leaves all grow on one tree and stand together despite differences. We are all part of the human race. Afterwards, staff read out statements regarding different races. The statements read for example, “I can be friends with people who have a different colour skin to me”. The young people were tasked with pointing to different signs in the classroom which stated, ‘I agree’, ‘I disagree’ or ‘I don’t know’ about that statement. The students had mixed understanding, however enjoyed and engaged well with a class discussion on each statement discussing the appropriate response. They thought about their own lives and recognised instances when they have interacted with people of a different race to themselves, in daily life. All young people agreed we should be nice and treat others with respect, no matter their race or background, acknowledging the importance of equal rights., K was very interested in this and said that she doesn’t have much melatonin in her skin because it’s pale. They looked at a PowerPoint showing people and their differences and talked about the differences between us all in our class. Teachers asked the classes if difference in skin should make a difference in a workplace. L answered no, and said it used to but not anymore. The students then completed a word search with key words related to race equality week. K asked what diversity was, L gave a good example and was able to explain to the rest of the class.

Class in the Quad area of school watched some of Akala’s address to the Oxford Union on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUtAxUQjwB4) where they were discussing race,  the use of racist terms and why some people choose to either use them or not. They all took part in a very mature discussion about how they felt about the use of certain terms and linked this to their historical knowledge about how certain races were treated.

An awesome exploration of Race and diversity to help embed the students’ PSHE curriculum and raise awareness of the importance of Race Equality!