Children at St. John’s Church of England Primary School recognised Black History Month in a variety of exciting and creative ways throughout October

Beginning in Next Steps Nursery, the school’s youngest children explored a variety of multicultural resources, learning about the differences between communities and the diverse families that live in Midsomer Norton.

Further up the school, children have learned about and celebrated the achievements of significant figures from different ethnicities throughout history. These include Walter Tull, the first person of mixed heritage to be commissioned as an infantry officer in the British Army, and Laurie Cunningham, who played football for England.

They also studied the life of Harriet Tubman, who was a 'conductor' on the Underground Railroad in America, as well as Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, both of whom played pivotal roles in the Civil Rights Movement in the USA.

The children’s learning has taken many forms, including shared reading sessions, creative writing and even a trip to Bristol to explore the city’s role in the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The children have produced some amazing pieces of work in response to their learning.

This has included some poetry inspired by the likes of Benjamin Zephaniah and Maya Angenou, as well as some artwork and collages. Furthermore, taking inspiration from Martin Luther King’s infamous ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, many children have produced their own speeches about the issues that they feel passionate about.

As part of their learning, Year 5 student Finley wrote a powerful poem on the theme of equality, expressing his thoughts on discrimination and the importance of kindness.

Equality - By Finley - Year 5

Hi, my name is equality and my goal is to make sure everybody is kind to one another and they’re not discriminated against.

I am really disheartened to hear that 62 million girls are denied education,

That makes me feel like I am a colossal deep dark ocean crying for help.

We’re not like this, at least I’m not,

This is not right, how would you feel if you were denied education?

That’s just not who we are or should be.

My emotions are a dark ominous cave at midnight,

Why do people have to get discriminated against? This is practically global bullying which is not humane.

I love everyone equally, just like Jesus and God loves us all.

Stop, it's like torture to discriminate.

Everyone might not look the same on the outside,

But we are the same on the inside.

We Are Equal.