Students and staff at Judgemeadow Community College, in Evington, held a celebration of culture at the school to champion and shine a light on the more than 50 different cultural heritages between students and staff.
The student-led ‘Culture Day’ initiative was designed to celebrate and learn about one another’s cultures and is the third year running that the school has hosted the event.
With a hugely diverse school community, cultural heritage of staff and students span countries from Portugal and India, to Bangladesh and Algeria.
As part of the day’s events, students had the opportunity to learn about and immerse themselves in other cultures. This included trying samosas and viewing Dhol drumming displays, featuring a locally based music group, Dhol Players & Band Baja. Students also took part in workshops on Dhol drumming and Mehndi.
Students were able to dress in their cultural clothes, with others wearing their flag. The day culminated with a Runway Fashion Show, organised by Year 11 students to display some of the cultural clothes worn to school. The show included a photoshoot to commemorate the wide array of different cultures displayed through fashion.
Following the Runway Fashion Show, some students performed their own singing and dancing performances to demonstrate the importance of music and performing arts within their cultures. Others shared presentations with their peers on the history, flags and key facts about their countries. This provided enriching opportunities to learn more about one another’s backgrounds, while giving students the chance to practice their presentation and public speaking skills.
Saiful Chowdhury, Team Leader at Judgemeadow Community College, said: “It was fantastic to see our students so excited to share their heritage and traditions with the wider school community. Not only did they demonstrate pride in their cultures, they also showed respect and curiosity about those of their classmates.
“For our teachers and students, Culture Day has quickly become a highlight of the school calendar. It’s an invaluable opportunity for everyone to broaden their horizons – whilst trying some delicious food and enjoying some wonderful musical performances!”
Kath Kelly, CEO at Lionheart Educational Trust, which runs the school, said: “Events such as Culture Day are pivotal in demonstrating the inclusive nature of our schools including Judgemeadow, and our continual strive in reflecting the local communities of which our students are part.
“We are proud to be able to celebrate what makes each one of us unique as well as what we have in common, and it’s been wonderful to see the amount of enthusiasm from both staff and students. Values of respect and mutual understanding are an important part of supporting the development of our students to become kind, tolerant and well-informed young adults, ultimately setting them up to thrive both during and beyond their time at school.”
