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From September – December 2021, Hackney is marking Black History month with an extended season.

During World Week, the ‘Proud to Be’ theme was celebrated and shared through class discussions, written outcomes and a community video that was created and shared. Scroll up to view the video.

To extend the season, in line with Hackney, during the month of November, children will explore a range of ‘Black British Stories’. These are a collection of short films for primary schools, exploring the experiences and contributions of people from communities across the UK, and celebrating the rich contribution of the black community to the culture, society and economy of the UK.

Black British Stories

The month will begin with a launch assembly.

This will be followed up weekly with a series of in-class discussions linked to a short film, focusing on a different story each time. In each film, pupils are introduced to different role models, focusing in particular on the experiences and contributors of black British people in post-war Britain. Each of these central characters is interviewed by a child of a similar age to your child.

The videos are targeted at children in KS2. For those with children in EYFS or KS1, you may choose to, as the class teachers will be, watch the video yourselves and summarise the stories for your child and discuss with them.

The videos follow the sequence and focus on the stories outlined below and can be found via the links here, which will also be text to you.

WB: 8th November:

Christina Shingler – Becoming an author of children’s literature https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/class-clips-video/history-ks2-black-british-stories-christina-shingler/zc6mqfr

WB: 15th November:

Alison Bennison – Working as a NHS nurse https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/class-clips-video/history-ks2-black-british-stories-alison-bennison/zs9cbqt

WB: 22nd November:

Vernon Samuels – The Bristol Bus Boycott of 1963 https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/class-clips-video/history-ks2-black-british-stories-the-bristol-bus-boycott-of-1963/z9k4g7h

WB: 29th November:

David Mwanaka – Becoming a farmer in Britain https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/class-clips-video/history-ks2-black-british-stories-david-mwanaka/zfjd96f

Through both structured discussions and pupil-led conversation, children will explore a range of contributions made to society by the black community, developing their understanding of the impact these people – and many like them – have had.

The month will conclude with an assembly where the pupils will share what they have learned with their peers and reflect on the discussions held over the month.