Embrace our diversity
This term continues at pace, with a jam-packed assembly on Monday in which I announced awards in national competitions for Biology and Maths, alongside the victory of our Young Enterprise team at the county final. This was followed by a special award from the Deputy Lieutenant of Leicestershire to Samantha in Year 13, recognising her exceptional contribution to the community. And we somehow also managed to fit in a couple of thrilling numbers from Big Band: what a way to start the week!
In sport, we were delighted to welcome men’s and women’s teams from the MCC to play our senior boys and girls in side-by-side matches yesterday. The sun shone and both our senior teams did themselves proud.
But there is more to life than competitions and prizes, and I am delighted that our student-led charity, Embrace, have agreed to write for you this week.
Embrace is our pupil-led group committed to promoting inclusivity, diversity, and cultural celebration at LGS. Our aim is to create an environment where every pupil feels welcomed, respected, and proud of sharing who they are. We believe that celebrating different cultures and traditions helps bring people together, encourages understanding, and strengthens our school community. Through a variety of events and activities, Embrace gives us all the opportunity to express ourselves, learn about others, and appreciate the diversity that makes LGS so special.
One of our biggest and most successful events this year was Culture Day. Pupils and staff came together to celebrate their heritage by dressing in traditional clothing and school was filled with colour, excitement, and pride as we all shared our traditions and learned about cultures from around the world. We organised henna stalls, which were extremely popular and allowed students to experience traditional cultural art, as well as lots of food stalls offering a variety of dishes, giving pupils the opportunity to try new foods and experience different cultures and traditions through cuisine.
Another memorable event was our cultural Fashion Show. This gave students the chance to confidently showcase not only traditional outfits, but also clothing that reflected their own personalities on stage. The Fashion Show celebrated individuality and allowed pupils to feel pride in representing themselves in an energetic and supportive atmosphere. To make the event even more exciting, teachers acted as judges – giving awards for use of colour, creativity and the most confident ‘walk’ on the catwalk.
As a group, we are excited about future events we have planned. We are looking forward to a non-uniform pyjama day in support of the Sleep Charity and we’re also planning a talent show featuring dance, comedy, music, and magic tricks! In addition, we hope to host a cultural trivia tournament, where pupils can test their knowledge from around the world alongside an international movie night to celebrate global storytelling.
Through all of these events, Embrace hopes to continue making our school a welcoming, inclusive, and vibrant place where everyone feels valued and celebrated.
Thank you to the Embrace team for this important and timely reminder of the value, and enjoyment, of learning about and respecting the range of cultures and traditions we are lucky enough to enjoy at LGS.
With best wishes for the weekend,
Magnus Anderson
Headmaster