FEATURE FOCUS: VIEW FROM THE CLASSROOM


them an appreciation for what benefits and resources they can access in the future. It’s been great to see students find a passion for democracy through the EPAS programme. The programme integrates really well with student councils to motivate them to do more and learn more about how they can make a difference. The students biggest highlight from the programme had to be the visit to Europe House in London. There they got to hear so many different perspectives, have discussions about international aid and democracy and got to see how they connected to so many other schools through the EPAS programme. As a pupil premium school, it was really such a great opportunity to get students to go on such an exciting educational trip.


It has been very inspiring to see students become so passionate about their own political literacy, which is such a vital aspect of their personal development. The EPAS resources are excellent in promoting this and have had students creating a range of quizzes and events through which they have recruited a new set of younger student ambassadors that they have mentored. Within our student community, we have seen that staying connected to Europe is important to our students and they can accomplish and celebrate this as part of the EPAS programme.


How important is diversity at your school? Diversity is part of who we are at Loreto. Intersectionality is a key value that we uphold as part of our mission, and we want students from all backgrounds to feel welcome and comfortable. One of the ways we champion this is through specific events in the calendar year and so we bring a big focus to the EU Day of Languages, Diversity Day and Pride Month amongst many others. These days are celebrated by the whole school and really have become a key feature that students look forward to all year long.


Diversity is also tied to the global focus we bring through so many of our subjects. So much of what students learn, and who they are, is related to their connections to Europe and this


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has really been something that we have fostered through being part of the EPAS programme. Exploring what it means to be European and hearing students’ thoughts around Europe has been really interesting and I think one thing they have gained is seeing Europe as a whole entity that they are a part of. Having students feel like they are part of something bigger, whether that’s being part of the school community or part of Europe, highlights the values we all share and ensures that we stay connected to something bigger than ourselves.


As a teacher of PSHE and Geography, it has been great to find and foster the global links through the EPAS resources and how they connect to the curriculum. My Year 10 class has really engaged with learning about different cultures and parts of the world and has allowed them to decide in their own individual ways about what being European means to them. Through PSHE, I’ve really been able to bring a focus on democracy into the classroom and using the EPAS resources to highlight the UK systems, especially during timely moments such as Parliament Week, and has allowed students to


stay feeling connected to Europe to have a clear idea of what the EU does.


What advice would you give other teachers about connecting with their students? The best piece of advice I can give is to keep it relevant to the students. Already try and make connections with something that they are interested in and don’t let the scope go too wide, students are a lot more likely to engage with things happening locally in Manchester than in another part of the country. Some of the ways we keep students engaged is simply by asking what they are interested in. For example, the release of the new Black Panther film allowed us to have great discussions about diversity and inclusion and the coverage of the World Cup allowed us to discuss issues of global inequality and human rights. We always try to take these global themes and ground them in their own interests. This relates back to personal development and the importance of choosing who they support and how this contributes to the society they want to see in the future.


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