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BEACON SCHOOL STATUS
In recognition of our work towards creating a diverse curriculum, we have been awarded the title of 'Beacon School' by the B&NES Race Equality and Hate Crime Task Force Partnership.
OUR ETHOS
At Norton Hill Primary, we pride ourselves on the diverse curriculum we have developed, and continue to enrich, through ongoing reflection and collaboration.
We recognise how crucial our role as educators is in highlighting the many individuals who have contributed to the advancement of our country and our world, including those whom history may have overlooked or silenced. While every individual featured in our curriculum is selected on the basis of merit within their field, we also believe it is important to challenge Eurocentric biases. Through this, we aim to stimulate deeper critical thinking and promote intellectual diversity.
Black History Month remains an important part of our calendar. However, we are committed to moving beyond tokenistic gestures towards an intentionally inclusive and thoughtfully diverse curriculum, incorporating a wide range of texts, experiences, and topics throughout the year.
As a country, our history and global relationships are complex - filled with much to celebrate but also to question and reflect upon. At Norton Hill Primary, we encourage children to explore multiple viewpoints, engage in respectful debate, and ask meaningful questions about the world around them. We continue to uphold British Values at the heart of all we do, nurturing knowledgeable, respectful, and curious individuals ready to shape the next generation.
WHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE?
As stated previously, our curriculum is continuously evolving. Here are just some of the things we have done so far to diversify our curriculum and celebrate inclusivity:
Firslty, we make sure diversity is evident in our explicit planning throughout the year. We handpick thoughtful texts for our reading spine and ensure a range of themes and forms are being studied; this would be particularly evident in English and Guided Reading. For example, in Year 3 we study 'Coming to England', the autobiographical story of Dame Floella Benjamin and her journey from Trinidad to England. Through this, children will explore her perspective through various tasks and activities, such as diary entries, letter writing, dialogue, role-play and more.
Building on this, we then pinpoint foundation subjects that we can adapt and alternate to suit both the curriculum aims and our own diversity mission.
Artwork is a wonderful way to explore many races, cultures and experiences. We have explored this through a focus on specific artists like Alma Thomas (KS1) and Althea McNish (KS2). This gives us the opportunity to celebrate the achievements of a talented individual and practise their style/techniques. We have also experimented with an alternative approach to art, by selecting an amitious style and choosing diverse people as our subjects.
