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A greater Understanding...

I was very young, about 5 years old. I lived in Syria.
We had a war. Our house was damaged by bombs.
We went from Syria to Lebanon.
I can’t remember how we got there.
We lived in my grandmother’s flat. There was not very much
room.
We had no money. We only had what we could carry.
Then we went to England.
In Syria and Lebanon the weather was very hot; I find it very
cold in England.
I couldn’t go to school in Lebanon because you have to pay
for books, paper, pens.
So, my first school ever was here in Ivybridge at Manor Primary. In a recent equality and Diversity english
I started at the end of Year 4. lesson during which refugeeism was discussed,
I couldn’t understand any English, I couldn’t speak any English. Year 7 student Sidra spoke of her experiences.
I had school dinners and thought the food was very strange. Following the lesson she completed a
wonderful piece of homework, with the
But now I like to eat things like fish fingers, chips, roast dinner
and I LOVE chocolate muffins! support of Kate Kenning, literacy and eAl
Coordinator, about her personal adventure.
At home we eat Arabic food – it’s delicious!
School Diversity Week 11

Knitting for Wellbeing

Students and staff ‘got knitting’ in
celebration and support of School Diversity
Week for the lgBt+ community, and also
for race, equality, ability and everyone’s
own unique style of being diverse.
Knitting can be used as a tool to help with
various emotions, and people often find that
it inspires and calms them when they knit.
lexi, in Year 10 came up with the idea of a
Knitting Club as she wanted to share this skill with others. together with ellie, also in
Year 10 and Archie in Year 9, they led this project by helping staff and students get
involved, with the finished results being proudly displayed at the College.
Kelly Atkins, PACe keyworker said, “the students and staff created a great
atmosphere in this group and as a result we will be continuing this as a club.”
munity College is
announce that educating on Diversity

ed for Just Like Us throughout history

Diversity Week. Year 9 students have been embracing the opportunity to
reflect on the diversity of individuals during their history lessons.
Matt Warne, teacher of history said, “I love teaching history.
the problem I constantly identify is how male-orientated the
curriculum is. Most topics we study contain stories about
individuals who are usually rich, old, white, and are almost
always men. It is important and pleasing to note that this has
been acknowledged, and history teachers countrywide are
actively looking to teach a more diverse curriculum.”
In order to balance this, Mr Warne introduced his students to a plethora of new individuals,
including: hayat Sindi, Flossie Wong-Staal, Alice Ball, hilda leyel and his new favourite, Dorothy hodgkin, who,
despite her crippling rheumatoid arthritis, solved the atomic structure of molecules such as penicillin and insulin,
using X-ray crystallography.
Mr Warne added, “I believe that we have a great responsibility when it comes to equality and diversity. We
want our students to be able to discover new role models who do not always get the same limelight as these
“rich, old, white men” and for them to be amazed at just what these people went through when trying to show
the world their new discoveries. We live in a diverse world which does not echo our diverse past. It is time we
do more to change this narrative.”