Bristol academy adopts diversity curriculum

A City Academy student discusses the changes

A Bristol academy has adopted a curriculum that promotes diversity.

Under the One Bristol Curriculum, pupils learn about a wide range of cultures through conventional subjects.

Several schools signed up to a trial in 2019 and City Academy in Redfield is one of the first to formally adopt it.

Esther Deans, one of the teachers who helped to found the new curriculum, said it had made a "massive difference" having heroes and heroines with whom students could identify.

She said it was a positive step "Not just as a black person" because it makes her feel good.

"But also for white children as well who can see black people and can place us on that level of contribution as 'wow look what we all did together'."

Teacher Esther Deans said the changes helped pupils from all backgrounds

The curriculum incorporates black and minority ethnic (BME) teachings into all of its subjects and has previously been trialled at more than 20 schools in the area.

'Role models'

A launch event attended by mayor Marvin Rees was held at the weekend.

During the launch Roger Griffith MBE, a writer on racial equality, said: "I think it's very important for people to see people from their own cultures or from different cultures as role models.

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"And also as part of their teaching and learning experience because it creates a sense of belonging."

Earlier BBC Bristol visited the academy to hear what pupils thought about the changes.

Bristol mayor Marvin Rees attended the curriculum's launch at the weekend

One said: "In these lessons we learned about other people's cultures and about what they struggled with or what they achieved."

'Amazing' people

Another said: "I think it's helped a lot of kids in schools because now we've learned a lot more about our cultures."

A third pointed out that without the prompt by the curriculum they "wouldn't learn about all the black people who are amazing".

Another female pupil said that some people at the school might "not know about their history or what their ancestors may have done".