Honouring Our Communities - Black History Month 2026

Miss Padmore, Assistant principal, writes about how as an academy we mark Black History Month 2026.

Black History Month began last week , and this year’s theme, Honouring Our Communities, feels particularly relevant to us as a sixth form.

When we talk about Black history, it can be easy to focus on famous names, major events and stories from the past. Those stories matter, but so do the stories much closer to home. The people who have shaped our families. The communities that have supported us. The people who have opened doors for others, often without recognition. And the young people who are now deciding what they want their own contribution to be.

That is why it is great to see our Student Parliament taking ownership of Black History Month this year. They have planned a range of events and activities throughout October, and we would really encourage staff and students to support them, get involved and enjoy what they have put together.

This month is a chance to learn, but it is also a chance to celebrate. To have conversations. To share experiences. To recognise achievement. And perhaps most importantly, to appreciate the people and communities around us that we can sometimes take for granted.

Black history is not something distant from us. It exists in our families, our music, our culture, our neighbourhoods, our classrooms and in the experiences of people we see every day.

Honouring our communities starts with recognising the people within them.

Miss Padmore - Assistant principal