What did your kids schools do for Black History Month?

[OnceuponaRainbow18]

Would be interested to know what your kids school did for Black History Month and what the dynamic of their school is. I’ll start:

The school I work in- mixed school, secondary, maybe a house assembly for each house abs that’s that.

My kids school: mostly white, I’m not sure they did anything! Or nothing was relaid back to us and my kids didn’t mention anything.

Also, what would you like the schools to include?

Feck, just noticed this is Black Mumsnetters. Sorry everyone, I'll leave you in peace.

In the school I teach in, 99% white pupils, 100% white staff, the history department put together a booklet of activities for each yeargroup to do in forms with their form tutors. We had 4 morning's to do it, with actually only 15 minutes each day after we'd don't the register and given out notices. That's the equivalent of one lesson, not even done in history lessons or delivered by people who know anything about it. Some forms had very engaged tutors who know something about it and enthused the kids about this very important topic. Others had tutors who were busy dealing with pastoral/safeguarding things, so couldn't do it justice. And some forms had tutors who were very begrudging about the whole thing because it's extra work for them on top of a very difficult couple of years and it's the last thing that's been placed on their never ending list of things they are supposed to do with their form. I do have a lot of sympathy for that position.

I think the history department should/could have done a lot more about black history month actually in their history lessons. They could have done a while month of proper black history lessons for ks3, making a big thing of it, rather than learning about the battle of Hastings or Queen Elizabeth l. I think our kids who don't meet or see black people very often (through no fault of their own, but we're a rural, farming community where people don't move in or out of the villages very often) need much more opportunity to learn about black history properly.

A few assemblies focusing on some of the famous black people from history and more recent times.
Rec- year 8 school

We had two different assemblies for all year groups. I thought they could have been more focused on black British history, but they were ultimately designed by a group of kids based on what was important to them. In key stage 3, I taught a lesson on Black Tudors to year 8, as did my colleagues in the department. A colleague also ran a weekly lunchtime group focused on looking at the stories of black British women from history. That group will continue but will broaden to more general diversity for the rest of the year,
Some of our students also raised money for the Anthony Nolan trust. That was started as a school tradition for BHM a few years ago by a student whose sibling had leukaemia.
We try to ensure that black history is taught in every year group, even though most of those lessons don’t fall in October.
Ultimately, we try to be led by our students (who are mostly black).

@AosSi X-posted with you and made the same error. Sorry everyone!

@AosSi Friends welcome, you are a teacher doing positive things don't feel unwelcome. You are bringing something positive to a thread on education.

It's not a thread where it's black mums just wanting the views of black mums. IYSWIM.Your contribution is relevant here.

Totally get what you are saying about the demands on teachers at this time of year. Thanks for telling us what you are doing, it cheers me up to know

My children (Y1 and 4) have come home telling me about the black people they have been learning about at school - seems like a good mix of current role models and important historical figures (Nicola Adams, Harriet Tubman, Marcus Rashford, Rosa Parks...) It seems to have really captured their imagination (they don't usually volunteer much about their school day beyond what they had for lunch!) and I'm pleased with the school's approach.

@MadameMinimes. That's fantastic to read and relevant. Don't apologise!

I like that your students are encouraged to do the assemblies! Madame

I also love getting the students involved.

I took a real lead in BHM in my last school and moved schools this sept, so thought I would sit back and see what they do and I am less than inspired and almost insulted so next year I will make sure I get involved.

My son is in reception so wasn’t too sure what to expect but nothing that been mentioned, each week they send home a newsletter and nothing has been featured.

Our HT is big on students leading assemblies throughout the year. There’s always a member of staff allocated to work with them and check things over but it’s good for them to get a chance to talk about things that matter to them. They embraced this year’s “proud to be” theme and did a really good job. As a history teacher, I think I would have steered them towards history a bit more, but ultimately it’s their school and what they want to do is more important than what I would have done. We can do the more detailed history stuff in our lessons.

These student centred approaches are so good.
And teaching other transferable skills, too, planning, organising, speaking, confidence building and so on.

Thinking outside of schools…
I work NHS and we have had a black origin meal in the canteen every Monday and usually during the week. I’ve heard there are workshops to attend too.

Did they actually call them ‘black origin meals’, BridesmaidHelp, or did they specify which discrete national cuisines you were being treated to?

@BridesmaidHelp

Is that every week or just in Oct?

@EdmontinaTiresofNameFlipping

Did they actually call them ‘black origin meals’, BridesmaidHelp, or did they specify which discrete national cuisines you were being treated to?

I have a vision of BridesmaidHelp eating bush tucker.

Well Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are called "Blackfella"....

(Yes I am being facetious.)

I'm reminded of years ago when the BME section of my trade union had its first residential weekend school.
The rice and green garden pea mix served at dinner, some took as a piss take.

Total miscommunication between full time officials directing the menu (as a surprise), and the cooks at the residential.( Who usually did good traditional Yorkshire cooking. BME members were all looking forward to a roast dinner. Not a roast spud to be seen).