Learning about various people, communities, religions and traditions was the starting point. This meant leaving the classroom and travelling outside our community to other communities to meet people and children from different backgrounds.
To begin the work of expanding horizons and teaching our pupils about the lives of others, a multi-sensory exhibition was organised in the school hall where children were given an opportunity to read, listen, watch and learn about the history and experiences of Welsh people from diverse backgrounds. Opportunities were provided for them to discuss big questions, such as ‘Who does Wales belong to?’ and ‘Are you more Welsh if you speak Welsh?’, and questionnaires were sent to parents to include them in these discussions.
Inviting visitors to our school to talk about their experiences and their identity in modern day Wales was crucial so that our children could hear directly from them about their experiences and challenges. Being able to travel to different communities, such as Butetown and Cardiff Bay, was extremely valuable. Here, they were given a taste of life outside their local area and saw and heard a variety of languages, dress and foods, in addition to appreciating the different art that could be seen on the walls of buildings in Cardiff Bay.
Pupils were given an opportunity to meet and spend several days in the company of children from a primary school in Cardiff Bay. This was, without a doubt, the highlight of this work as our children enjoyed and came to understand and appreciate the similarities and differences in their lives. They played, sang and performed a unique dance with a professional choreographer that celebrated the diversity, identity and traditions of each child.
Following the success of this work, other teachers at the school were inspired to plan similar opportunities to teach the children in their classes about the lives of other communities. From an early age, our pupils learn about rights, the importance of equality and being moral citizens. Teachers’ plans place a strong emphasis on developing pupils’ knowledge and understanding of other cultures, beliefs and religions and we take advantage of every opportunity to ensure that there is a prominent place in our curriculum to learning about the contributions of notable people from all communities.
