BLM Statement

At Gorringe Park Primary, we firmly believe in equality, acceptance & tolerance and as part of our Rights Respecting Charter, stand against all racial and social injustices.

We are committed to helping our pupils develop into empathetic and socially aware global citizens, who understand that everybody deserves to be respected, regardless of their colour, gender, race or religion.

In light of the recent Black Lives Matter movement and global events, we have found the following resources that families may wish to share  with their children, if they are continuing these discussions at home:

• https://www.mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/resources/a-parents-guide-to-black-lives-matter/
• https://yoopies.co.uk/c/press-releases/blacklivesmatter​

Gorringe Park is also a Rights Respecting School which is proud of our diverse school community and we will continue to make sure the voices of all of those in who call our school home, are heard.​ 

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June 2020

The death of George Floyd has sent shockwaves around the entire world; with protests as close to home as Tooting Broadway to show solidarity. Whilst many may worry about the lack of social distancing during these events, I’m sure that we can all agree it’s an honourable cause and likely one that our children have heard about.

We’re so lucky at Gorringe to have children and staff from countries all around the world, of different religions and of different races. For our children, it’s normal to see such a range of races and as such we may forget about the struggles that some of our families may face simple because of their skin colour. Being on social media over the last few days has left me with a range of emotions: such sadness at stories people have told of their experiences of racism in this country; and such hope when ideas for bringing up actively anti-racist children have been shared. It’s with the latter that I’d like to share some ideas and resources that you may want to share at home to open up conversations and normalise diversity.

• A Newsround article explaining the story of George Floyd’s death can help you to discuss the facts about what has happened in a way that is aimed at children.
• Books from the Little People, Big Dreams range include inspirational people from BAME communities such as Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jnr and Maya Angelou.
• The website A Mighty Girl has a few book lists with suggestions for books about girls from different backgrounds, including this one and this one.
• For older children, the BBC have a TV adaptation of Malorie Blackman’s Noughts and Crosses, although it is worth noting that the book is generally recommended for readers of 12+ years so you should check the content and use your own judgement first before sharing with your child.
• For younger children, you may like to begin these conversations with Elmer the Elephant written by David McKee after a racist incident with his daughter.
• Having toys which reflect our diverse society is another way to support children’s understanding.
• You can organise fun dinner nights, where you eat traditional meals from cultures other than your own, listen to their traditional music and talk about the country.