Throughout the month of October, Black History Month celebrations were held in Newstead Wood School in Orpington.

The celebrations included a wide range of forms, including singing, dancing, as well as poetry, which was read out and even written by students themselves. Newstead Wood School has an Afro-Caribbean Society, who were largely responsible for organising many of the events, but everyone could get involved!

Assemblies and interactive lectures were also given to the whole school, educating the students on many elements of Black History, for example, the significance of hairstyles, and the erasure of many elements of Black History, especially the experiences of black people during the slave trade.

On Friday 15th October, Newstead hosted a huge celebration for all students to attend on the school’s netball courts, which involved singing and dancing, a thrilling display and celebration of Afro-Caribbean culture. Among the performers were sisters Kelsey and Olivia Calladine-Smith, who gave a breath-taking dance performance to the crowd of students. The performances were lively and joyful, adding to the fun atmosphere of celebration that joined the whole school together.

There was another celebration after school, on Wednesday 20th October, which included captivating performances of song and poetry. The celebrations are important to allow Newstead’s students to celebrate their culture and heritage, whilst also allowing them to share it with, and educate others. The events were inclusive; everyone was allowed to be involved in the celebrations. The celebrations were a huge success, and everyone that was involved thoroughly enjoyed them!