Students at Banbury school celebrate Black History Month through music and food

The students at Wykham Park Academy enjoyed tastes and sounds from Black African and Caribbean cultures as they celebrated Black History Month on their last day before the half-term break.

The day of celebration was the culmination of weeks of hard work from some students who showcased their cultural heritage.

Carine Foster, assistant principal at Wykham, said: “We wanted Black History Month this year to be a chance for our students to show and share what matters to them.

“The planning for the day of celebration, which took place on the last day of term, started at the beginning of the month with students meeting every lunchtime to discuss what they wanted to do and how they planned to execute their ideas.

“They created posters to put up around the school to publicise the event, and artwork that was created during lessons was also put up. The displays included national flags and highlighted celebrities and artists. The event itself on the last day of school before half-term saw students make dishes for their peers to try. A special playlist of music was created and there was also a chance to take part in a quiz about black scientists and also sign a pledge regarding Black Lives Matter.”

As well as the celebration day, the school is incorporating diversity into the curriculum with history lessons on the experiences of black people in Tudor England and lessons on the looking at the Black Lives Matter protests.