Head's Newsletter 9 July 2021

School Diversity Week 2021

Enzo Brown 8MRL

In recognition of Pride Month, Tiffin School joined with over 2 million other students and staff across the UK to celebrate School Diversity Week 21-25 June, a nationwide initiative started by the charity Just Like Us as a way to encourage LGBT+ equality in education. Alongside our anti- bullying and safeguarding policies, taking part in School Diversity Week is an important way of actively supporting LGBT+ young people in our school, and of demonstrating our commitment to an inclusive school environment where every young person can be themselves and thrive. It is also a chance to explain to all our pupils the importance of diversity in the world we are preparing them for.

Throughout the month of June, rainbows started brightening up the school--in the bunting hanging in the hallways, on colourful notice boards and most importantly, around the necks of staff wearing rainbow lanyards as a powerful show of support for our LGBT+ students.

Haruki Noonan 8FA

With the goal of raising awareness and fostering greater understanding of LGBT+ issues, Tiffin’s LGBT+ Society staff organised a series of Assemblies followed by daily tutor time sessions on a range of topics designed to educate students and spark discussion throughout School Diversity Week. Students were also invited to submit entries for a Diversity and Inclusiveness Art & Writing Competition which revealed some incredible talent at Tiffin--in fact the submissions were so good that each entrant will be receiving a merit for their efforts. The LGBT+ Society members then had the unenviable job of choosing the finalists before the whole school was given the opportunity to vote for the winners in each category. Both Caleb Connor in Year 7 who won the Writing Competition with a brilliant short story about a transgender girl, and Haruki Noonan in Year 8 who won the Art competition with the fantastic ‘Be Proud’ manga artwork shown, took home a dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts each as their prize.