Shrewsbury Academy turned rainbow ready for Diversity Week celebrations

Press Release:

Monday 21^st June saw students and staff from Shrewsbury Academy take part in a weeklong event to celebrate our diverse school community.

School Diversity Week is a national event celebrated every year towards the end of June, allowing young people across the country to show their support for LGBT+ equality. The cause is a chance to learn more about diversity and understand that no one should face discrimination. It is an important topic as life can still be really difficult for LGBT+ people around the world.

To educate on this important topic, the students at Shrewsbury Academy took part in a number of informative assemblies through the course of the week, these discussed key topics such as: Definitions and Pronouns; LGBT phobia and LGBTQ+ role models. The school’s Dance Studio was turned into a drop-in area during breaktimes, a safe place, where the students were encouraged to go and get support, ask any questions they may have had and meet members of the school’s LGBTQ+ community. The awareness week concluded with ‘Rainbow Friday’ – a special day where staff and students were encouraged to wear rainbow accessories to school.

Head of School, Miss Johnson had a cake especially commissioned for the school’s cake sale from local business Cake Junky Shropshire. The spectacular centre piece, filled with six layers of colourful sponges with a surprise Skittles core was a huge hit with students. The school raised over £240 on their Rainbow Friday, with the money accumulated going towards the AKT Community, a great charity which supports LGBTQ+ young people aged 16-25 in the UK who are facing or experiencing homelessness or living in a hostile environment.

The event organised by Shrewsbury Academy staff; Miss Frederick, Mrs Howells, Mrs Powell and Mr Jordan was a great success, with a lot of positive feedback from students and staff across the school. Year 10 student Ashton Evans, said; “I feel like our school is a really accepting place.” With fellow peer Maddison Burton, commenting; “It’s been a great week, I’ve loved celebrating all things LGBTQ+.”

Shrewsbury Academy is working hard towards achieving Rainbow Award Accreditation and hopes in the coming year that they will be leading the way for their work on diversity and inclusion.

Holly Bishop Year 9 and Ashton Evans Year 10. Waving rainbow flags – the symbol for LGBT and Pride.

Oliver Booth Year 7 and Akira Broderick Year 7, posing with boards highlighting key topics.

Miss Julie Johnson (Head of School), along with Year 7 students: Jay Olszowy, Charlotte Johnson, Oliver Booth and Izzy Mills. Delight at the cake cutting!