Having achieved the Cultural Diversity Quality Standards in Gold in summer 2009, we were determined to go for the most prestigious award that the specialist Schools and Academies Trust has on offer – the Diamond Award!

In November 2010 assessor Mike Goodfellow came along to Stewards to validate the huge amount of documentation and evidence that we had gathered together. A packed programme of meetings culminated in an Ethnic Minority Pupil Voice meeting, and on the last day of term in December we received our letter of confirmation that we had achieved the Diamond Award as we had met all the criteria in all the standards.

The report recognises that:

“pupils are extremely proud of their school community and are eager to show off its many virtues, particularly the way it includes all pupils”

“very effective systems ensure that no pupils are left behind and all have every opportunity to benefit from the rich menu on offer”

“outstanding cultural development is promoted through the school’s strong curriculum, for example an International Food Day which celebrated many different cultures”

The assessor was fulsome in his praise of the pupils he met at the EMPV meeting, and stated that a few ‘sound bites’ from their discussion could not do full justice to the breadth and depth of the pupils understanding of, and pride in, their approach to cultural diversity.

“a chance to celebrate that we are all human and can learn from each other”

“we are set up for life….. preparation for the world of work….”

“even if there is just one of you, you are still included”

The assessor recognised that recent developments:

- The personalisation of learning for Eastern European students as part of an inclusive approach to EAL

- The celebration of Arabic culture through dance at an SSAT event in London

- The achievement of the full International Schools Award from the British Council

- The achievement of the Inclusion Quality Mark which recognised that “without exception, every young person was eager to discuss their pride in the school and how it has made a positive impact on their lives”

All reflected that Cultural Diversity is an integral aspect of life at Stewards and this all contributes to the rich tapestry of life at Stewards.

Mrs Erwood MBE and the EMPV group

Mrs Wichowski and her group of students