Last week saw the KWS community come together for a spectacular week of celebrating all forms of diversity.
Across the week, all students got involved with the designated days marking a spotlight on a different focus area such as disabilities awareness – including neurodiversity and hidden disabilities, LGBTQ+ awareness, and religions awareness. On Friday we celebrated Culture Day, before our Diversity Week grand finale evening.
We are immensely proud of our students who took part in various form time sessions and assemblies.
As part of the week, on Monday and Tuesday we hosted guest speakers who talked to students to dispel misconceptions about people from various communities. Students also took part in workshops and lunch clubs such as an LGBT art workshop held by Mrs Alexis, Braille Lego sessions in the library held by Mrs Yates, mehndi tattoos by Mrs Rauniyar, as well as a sushi making workshop delivered by a local sushi chef.
To mark Religions Awareness Day, several Year 7 and 8 classes were given the opportunity to participate in an interactive workshop hosted by STEPS. Using specialized activity mats, students engaged in deep reflection on how core religious values intersect with personal character development. The session encouraged pupils to consider how virtues like empathy, kindness, and resilience play a role in their everyday lives. A big thank you to Richard, Ruth and Jez who put on an array of interactive sessions for our students to take part in individually using their iPods.
Beyond personal growth, the workshop also highlighted our collective “daily responsibilities” toward the world around us, specifically focusing on environmental stewardship. It was a fantastic opportunity for our younger students to connect ancient values with modern-day actions.
On Friday, for our Culture Day, we had the pleasure of seeing our students showcase their cultural attire. It was a colourful day that saw students exchange conversations about the significance of their accessories and outfits, before some attended the evening finale where we hosted almost 200 people.
During the evening we were blown away with the talent of our students who shared skills showcasing their diversity – their religion, music, neurodiversity and so much more – including sets by our resident DJ from year 10 Temi S. The final performance was delivered by a guest professional Punjabi drummer, who used a fusion track of the classic British dance track ‘Freed From Desire’ combined with his Punjabi drumming; this led to dozens of attendees joining in, clapping and dancing along. It was a magical end to a special week, with a mix of colours and outfits on the dancefloor representing the unity and strength we hold as a community at KWS.
Thank you to all staff who supported the week resulting in a very special first Diversity Week for KWS.
