Belonging

‘Belonging’ is that sense of being somewhere where you can be confident that you will fit in and feel safe in your identity. Schools are one of the few shared social institutions which can create that sense of belonging. Agency is a mindset of possibilities. Agency is our ability to intervene in the world, to make a difference, to have our voice heard. To develop agency, you need a belief that you can make a difference. You also need the skills and the opportunities to act. As a mission-driven federation, we encourage pupils to be conscientious global citizens who do their part to build a kinder, more inclusive, and compassionate world.

Through World Week this year, our focus was to create safe spaces for our pupils to ask questions and share their own perspectives and experiences in relation to the two recent events of COVID 19 and Black Lives Matter. We also worked to create a community inspired video thinking about what it means to belong… watch our video here!

Black History Month

October is Black History Month in the UK. It is an annual event honouring the contributions and accomplishments of the Black British community. It celebrates both current and historical individuals and the positive impact they have made to our society. Black History Month provides great opportunities to highlight key moments in Black British history. It is important to celebrate the contributions of everyone to our society and support the multi-culturalism and diversity that helps shape our communities. In order to ensure that pupils receive multiple opportunities to learn about Black History, instead of Black History Day, there will be four assemblies across the month of October on the following themes:

• Week 1: Taking a stand: Bus Boycotts and beyond
• Week 2: Re building Britain: The Windrush Generation
• Week 3: Shaping our world: Impacting science, technology, medicine and the arts
• Week 4: Influencing our world: What are people doing today to make a better future for tomorrow?