Unity without Uniformity

This week saw the first assembly led by members of our new Sixth Form Leadership Team:  Grace and Bea, our Undivided Prefects. Undaunted by this challenge the pair delivered an uplifting and memorable assembly that defined their mission as bringing ‘unity without uniformity’ in a community where everyone, regardless of difference, feels they belong. 

The GDST’s Undivided initiative was born following the murders of George Floyd and Sarah Everard when it became clear that everyone needed to have a voice. In the grip of a global pandemic our attention was drawn to the inequalities and injustices that divide people. Undivided continues to thrive at Royal High and in the wider GDST as we make efforts to make everyone feel welcome and actively develop opportunities to appreciate and understand one another. 

Each year every student in the GDST is invited to complete the Undivided Survey. This year’s remarkably positive results were shared in the assembly. Over 90% of Royal High students strongly agreed with statements such as ‘Over the last year, as a school we have worked together to support diversity and inclusion in our school community,’ ‘the topics I study in lessons are broad and diverse’ and, most pleasingly, ‘I feel like I belong in my school.’ 

The challenge for our new prefects is to maintain the strong agreement that ‘pupils come up with creative ideas and solutions to problems.’ I am sure that Bea and Grace are more than up for the challenge and are determined to combat complacency about these most important issues. 

The prefects shared some amazing and innovative plans to learn from one another’s differences. Over the next few months we can expect to see student-led workshops and assemblies on how to be an active ally, a campaign to promote kindness in action: sharing stories from students on how they were made to feel seen or included, and some ambitious ideas to create new art works in the courtyard to celebrate and promote the ideals of Undivided. 

I am most looking forward to hearing about their proposed new lunchtime club, Let’s Get Together. This will be a space where students can 'share their traditions, try new foods, learn greetings in different languages, and connect through culture with an emphasis on making it fun and creative.’ 

It was so inspiring to hear the prefects share their values and ideals for our community with their peers. There was a palpable sense of excitement about their plans which can only help to bring our diverse even closer. Indeed, they spoke for the whole Royal High community in saying, ‘We believe that unity isn’t all about being the same, but it’s about standing together.’