Day of Difference: Day with a Difference

This year’s ‘Day of Difference’ for Year 10’s Deep Learning Activity was so good I thought it deserved special attention. The day is coordinated by the Barbican Theatre in Plymouth, and run in College by our English team. It is an exhausting and at times emotionally draining day, but that is why it is so powerful and students gain so much. In brief, students consider the snap judgements and prejudices we make when seeing new people. They then establish their own “countries” in groups, establishing their own identities and ethos, and exploring how different attitudes influence relationships. This is developed as a ‘fun activity’ with great use of colour, slogans, banners and the like. Then the countries have to receive ‘immigrants’ and the tone becomes more serious. The day develops with each group meeting two real-life immigrants, who have fled racism, intolerance, violence or political/religious persecution in their own lands. It is a fantastic day. Students reflected on how easy it is to build irrational prejudice which becomes quickly ingrained, and then made the 180º turn to appreciate the real-life impact of such intolerance. I sat in two of the visitor sessions, and you could have heard a pin drop. Our students were incredibly respectful, and positive about the day.

“It was brilliant, really inspirational.”

“One of the best days in school I’ve ever had.”

It’s so sad what humans can be like – I learned loads

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