Since 1987 In the UK the month of October has marked the celebration of Black History Month, the annual commemoration of the history, achievements and contributions of black people around the world. It originated in the US in 1926 and was created by historian Carter G. Woodson (1875-1950). He wanted to challenge preconceptions at the time and preserve black history and culture. Previously, much of the achievements and contributions of black men and women have been less well documented in history due to oppressive attitudes at the time. Raising awareness of the misrepresentation and underrepresentation of black people in history allows us to explore and appreciate the contribution of all individuals to society. Students have been engaging in a range of thought provoking activities in lessons and through wider PSHE to explore this prejudice in more depth and broaden their historical knowledge beyond the statutory curriculum. The History department have held an essay writing competition titled "How Important is Black History Month?", a lecture on "Representations in Popular Culture", designed an historical treasure hunt competition and prepared assemblies and tutorial activities for students.  

To celebrate World Maths Day and to inspire students and encourage positive attitudes towards maths, technology and engineering, staff hosted a range of activities to engage and enthuse students about the wonder of maths and its importance in the world. This included a mathematics themed bake off competition, a raffle, a maths scrabble competition, and a maths themed bake sale which raised over £70 for the NSPCC charity! Thank you to all staff involved for their efforts to enthuse and inspire students to have a love for their subject, and congratulations to Emily Cullen in Year 7 who won the £50 Amazon Voucher!