Award-Worthy Champions: Building a Brighter Future at WGS

22 Apr 2024

Published in: Member News

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Student Diversity Champions (ages 11-18) at Wolverhampton Grammar School have been nominated for a national diversity award. They work tirelessly in their free time to give visibility to every member of the WGS community, which is 41% Asian, 30% white, 9% mixed, 8% black and 12% other or unknown.  

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Imagine a school where you can celebrate who you are, in a community that is welcoming, warm and supportive. That’s the ethos at Wolverhampton Grammar School (WGS), where Student Diversity Champions have been nominated for a national diversity award.

Founded in 2012, the concept of the National Diversity Awards arose when Founder, Paul Sesay and his dedicated team identified an urgent need for more positive role models to be actively promoted, with the aim to empower and inspire the wide breadth of diverse communities across the UK. The group of WGS students all aged 11 to 18 years, go above and beyond in their free time to foster a vibrant and inclusive environment within the School and also the wider community.

In weekly meetings, the Diversity Champions plan ways to mark different events that acknowledge the nine protected characteristics they all learn about in their Wellbeing lessons. They also work alongside Sixth Form Student Voice representatives who meet with advocates from every form group to discuss themes and issues relevant to all students.

Some of the notable events that the Diversity Champions have co-ordinated to date include raising awareness of the importance of showing empathy, tolerance and fairness during big celebrations around Black History Month. They welcomed Patron of the Black Curriculum, the Right Honourable Stuart Lawrence, brother of Stephen Lawrence, who was tragically murdered in a racist attack in 1993. They had the honour of interviewing Stuart and discussed the legacy they want to leave behind at WGS to ensure their work on diversity lasts a lifetime. They were able to speak about the pride they felt in running an assembly on Black History Month for other students.

Other activities have included celebrating religious events such as Eid, Diwali and Vaisakhi, raising awareness of events such as World Mental Health Day, LGBTQ+ History Month and South Asian Heritage Month and getting involved with charity fundraising or highlighting topical issues that might affect young people such as discrimination, online safety, sexism and much more.

Most recently a ‘We are WGS Day’ was the culmination of much work and a true celebration of the progress Diversity Champions have made so far to build a more cohesive and happy school. A joyous day was jam-packed with activities that celebrated the many cultures and identities of students and staff.

Throughout all these events with the support of their teachers, the Diversity Champions have led the way with ideas, enthusiasm and hard work. Their passion for kindness, empathy and positivity is a shining light and we hope their efforts are recognised in the shortlisting for this prestigious award. We wish them the very best of luck.

Voting is open until 30th April 2024 - thank you for your support: https://www.nationaldiversityawards.co.uk/awards-2024/nominations/wolverhampton-grammar-school-diversity-champions/