Racial Justice, Equality and Diversity at St Paul's
We are proud to support the Diocese of Westminster RJED strategy
What is RJED
•RJED stands for ‘Racial Justice, Equality and Diversity’ and is a Westminster Education Service initiative with a working party. It began as working group for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) concerns.
•Then following the death of George Floyd on 25th May 2020, which sparked a national and international response, it evolved into RJED, so that it was inclusive of all cultures and races, such as Travellers and other minority groups. Implicit in the title is the importance of ‘inclusion’ – we are all equal members of a diverse community, characterised by mutual respect and love.
•First and foremost, RJED promotes the love of God who created each one in his own image and loves each person uniquely and unconditionally.
•It also reflects the Church which is the ‘sign and sacrament of Trinitarian communion’ (Lumen Gentium, Vatican II). This communion is one of great diversity and equality as well as respect.
•It mirrors the prayer of Christ who asks God ‘that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us’ (John 17:21).
RJED Pledge
At St Paul’s we will:
· Work together to ensure all differences are celebrated
· Promote and support racial justice, equality and diversity in aspects of our Catholic life.
· Act responsibly and foster an inclusive attitude whenever we see injustice, amplifying our voices.
· Continue to inspire the children to embrace racial justice, equality and diversity.
As Catholics we believe that every human being is created equally in the image of God. As a school we recognise the essential requirement to oppose racism and seek racial equity in all aspects of our school’s ethos, curriculum and practices.
In 2022, a parent working party as part of our school’s Diversity Committee was formed of parents, the committee worked collaboratively on a number of key actions which fed into our action plan.
During 2023, each subject leader has reveiwed their curriculum offer to consider the diversity and representation.
We have had a number of different whole school projects which we have included members of our community in, some of these can be seen below.
Whilst we are proud of the work achieved so far, we also recognise that this is an ongoing mission. Education is a tool for social justice and educating our children about race and racism will allow them to create a more just future for all.
RJED Statement
“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35)
The above verse, taken from the Gospel of John, is central to St Paul's Catholic Primary school’s mission to ensure all who attend and work at the school, learn, love and respect.
The command to love our neighbour extends to all human beings irrespective of race, ethnicity, culture, or background; as Christ’s disciples, our love for one another will ensure that all members of our school community are held to be equal and are treated with dignity and respect.
We aim to challenge bias, discrimination, stereotyping and any other conduct that is prohibited by or under the Equality Act 2010, that can lead to racial injustice or inequality and will work to embed anti-racist practice into all areas of our work, to create a more equitable and inclusive community.
The promotion of human dignity is the foundation of Catholic social teaching at St Paul's Catholic Primary School. We aim to educate our young people as to what needs to be rejected as wrongful and unworthy and celebrate our common humanity.
We aim to address the cumulative effects of past and present inequities to eliminate disparities and enable all our pupils to flourish. We believe that this can be achieved through the education of the whole person throughout the whole curriculum.
As an expression of Christ’s love, we support a vibrant school with full equality, that embraces diversity and allows for equitable opportunity for all; together we celebrate the diversity that enriches and unifies our community.
“Act justly, love kindly and walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)
Whole School Diversity project - October 2023
Thank you to all the children and families that took the time to take part in our home diversity project. Please see photos of this below.
EYFS cultural day - October 2023
On Thursday 19th October, we hosted a 'Cultural Day' for our EYFS children. It was an opportunity for our little ones to embrace and appreciate the rich tapestry of cultures that make up our EYFS family.
To make this day memorable and educational, we invited the children to dress in traditional clothing from their home country or simply wear the colours of their country's flag. This helped us showcase the beautiful diversity within our EYFS classes.
Throughout the day, we planned a variety of activities that will allowed the children to explore different aspects of various cultures. Some of the activities include:
1. Chinese Writing: The children had the chance to learn and practice Chinese writing, discovering the beauty of Chinese characters.
2. Greek Dancing: The children got ready to move and groove as we introduce the kids to the lively world of Greek dancing.
3. Noodle and Chopsticks Play: We explored the culinary world by having fun with noodles and chopsticks.
4. Multilingual Story time: The children were immersed in a world of different languages as we read books in various languages.
5. French Song: They had a blast learning a fun French song that was both entertaining and educational.
6. English Tea Play: In the role-play area, the children got to experience the classic English tradition of tea time, complete with pretend English tea bags.
RJED within curriculum
We have been working hard to ensure that our curriculum is diverse in all subject areas, please see our curriculum map below.
Year 1 Music
In music we have been exploring Hip Hop and Reggae this half term. We have looked at the origins of where these styles of music have derived from and have learnt that it has come from the African-American community and Jamaica. The children’s favourite Reggae musician is Bob Marley. Here are some pictures of us enjoying his music!
Year 4 RJED work
In Year 4 they have been looking at Lewis Latimer. Please see their fact files below.
Racial Justice Sunday 2024 - Whole School Assembly & Mission
Our Chaplaincy Team led on a whole school assembly marking Racial Justice Sunday 28th Jan 2024. All classes mission will be to complete a Racial Justice Activity and add a thumbprint signing up to making sure everyone feels included and welcomed in our school and our community.
We will be taking part along in an RJED project with our local Catholic Schools to mark how important it is 'Seeing someone in the life of the Church'.
Racial Justice Sunday 2024 - Whole School Assembly & Mission
RJED enrichment
As part of our enrichment day, staff provided a variety of RJED activities for children to try and join in with. These ranged from trying new cultural food to dancing to making things and even games!
Mary Mother of God in the Month of May 2024 - RE & RJED Whole School Project
During the month of May 2024, St Paul's Catholic Nursery and Primary School will be honouring Our Lady, Mary Mother of God during an Ascension Mass, a daily Rosary prayer challenge and a whole school pilgrim and holy offerings of devotion and prayers through Mary.
St Paul's have also been carrying out an RE / Mary - RJED whole school art project celebrating diversity and the love for Mary across the world. For this project each class choose a different image of Mary from diverse cultures across the world and wrote the ‘Hail Mary’ prayer in that native language. Children showed cultural appreciation and shared in celebrating religious diversity and diverse representations of Mary from around the world.
Please see the attached letter for more information and the beautiful work created by our pupils across the school.
Our RJED portfolio
Enrichment Day July 2024
Summer Music Concert - July 2024 Theme - songs from all nations
Lighthouse Keepers - 2024 to 2025
At St Paul's School we aim to keep RJED at the forefront of our thoughts and actions. With Lighthouse Keepers appointed in upper Key Stage 2 it enables a dedicated team to guide all pupils in our Catholic School to rightous and good doing.
Whole School Project - October 2024
Black History Month - Saints of the Catholic Church
As we enter into Black History Month, we look at Saints around the world who also have inspired us. Our lighthouse keepers would like you to choose a saint from another culture who inspires you and draw a picture of them and write a few sentences. You can use the Catholic Church Bishops Conference to help you at https://www.cbcew.org.uk/saints-of-colour/ .
Our lighthouse keepers team will share our whole school successes with a whole school display (See below).
Our RJED focus - Celebrating our Cultural Heritage - December 2024
This half term St Paul's School celebrated our diverse Cultural Hertiage by learning and sharing facts and traditions about all of our cultures. Our wonderful whole school display is a true and proud representation of our rich cultures here St Paul's Catholic School. Well done!
