The Birley Academy celebrates diversity and inclusion with a week of cultural events and learning opportunities.

The Birley Academy celebrates diversity and inclusion with a week of cultural events and learning opportunities.

The week had been spearheaded by the academy’s Student Culture Council to celebrate the different cultures of their peers.

Throughout the week, students spent their form time learning about different cultures from around the world. Several students even created presentations on their own culture to educate their peers on the wide variety of traditions and customs observed globally.

As part of the lessons, students learnt about what culture and subculture means to different people. Students were also encouraged to celebrate the rich cultural history of Sheffield, such as exploring the history of Sheffield’s music, Yorkshire food and the local football teams.

Within reading time, students were encouraged to read popular stories from other cultures, such as The Life of Pi by Yann Martel.

The week culminated in a culture party, where over 200 students and staff gathered to celebrate the success of the week. Students were encouraged to attend in their own clothes and express their individuality and culture.

During the party, students were treated to a spread of food from around the world, different music acts and a showcase of artefacts. During the event, students and staff also raised over £630 to be donated to Save the Children.

After a hugely successful week, preparation is already underway for next year where the academy is planning an even bigger celebration of culture.

Rabia Ajaz, Chair of The Birley Academy’s Student Culture Council said:

“We were so pleased to see so many students from across the academy get involved with the various activities across culture week. We have already begun to think about different ideas for celebrating next year.”

Victoria Hall, Headteacher at The Birley Academy, said:

“I am so proud of our Student Culture Council for creating such a fantastic and engaging week. The events really helped to bring our students together and ignited a shared pride in celebrating each other’s differences, while also being proud of our own local culture.

“Diversity and inclusion are core values of our academy, and we always ensure we are educating and encouraging our students to be respectful of different cultures from around the world, which this week was a real testament to.”