Wren Academy is an incredibly diverse community, over 60 different languages are spoken within our staff and student body. The Sixth Form Committee, wanted to find a way to appreciate this rich diversity and the ways that it benefits us, so on Monday 26 February we launched Wren’s third yearly Culture Week: A week organised by the Sixth Form Committee dedicated to celebrating culture and diversity within our school community.

The primary aim of this week is to encourage both students and staff to engage in conversations about culture, giving them the confidence to share their own stories and emphasising the importance of respect and tolerance. During tutorial time, students were given the opportunity to think about how we define and relate to the concept culture, while also being encouraged to share, along with staff members, some of their own cultural background and what culture means to them, opening up some valuable discussions. We were also able to adapt the food being served in the Restaurant in order to better represent the range of cultural identities which make up our school communities.

The highlight of the week was the assembly, which was also completely planned and presented by members of the Sixth Form Committee. As well as introducing the theme of culture, four of our committee members gave a short presentation about their own cultural backgrounds and personal relationship with culture. They wore their traditional cultural dress, as shown in the photo below. Well done Jamie (Germany), Nikita (India and Kenya), Pia (India) and Tracey (Ghana).

Whether focusing on the role of history in allowing us to connect with culture, or learning how music can influence culture and its evolution, these presentations were an incredible way of inspiring younger students to be proud of their cultural identity. It was so rewarding to see those who presented being thanked by younger students for making them feel included and represented.

Overall, the fact that this entire week was planned and carried out by the Committee is a real testament to what a dedicated team of students can do if they put their minds to it. As a group we have been able to create something really valuable which hopefully continues the trend of the committee contributing to both the Sixth Form and lower school.