Exploring the Global

Dimension to promote
Social Justice at Deptford
Green School
Ruth Fairclough
Lee Faith
Ben Hammond
Cross-curricular strands
Rationale & Context
• Development of a whole school and community based
initiative

• Explore and advocate the global dimension within the

curriculum,

• Engaging our local-global communities and undertaking

meaningful cross-curricular work

• Explored how the mediums of literacy, oracy and active

citizenship can be used to promote social justice in the
world today

• Whole school assemblies – R.E. department

Conceptual Overview

Curriculum time was used in English, Drama, Citizenship

and Geography to examine themes such as:

• Global Citizenship

• Media Representation

• Development of critical and cultural literacy.

The ‘Week of Voices’
‘One World, Many Voices’
How can we use our voices to promote social justice in our world?

How can the mediums of literacy, oracy and active citizenship help to explore and
critically reflect on the Rwandan genocide?
(What happened? Why did this happen? How can we prevent this happening
again?)
English
• Year 7 – African Storytelling
• Year 8 – Poetry of empathy
• Year 9 – Speech writing, Genocide survivors speaking in lessons
• Year 10 – Film reviews
• Year 11 – Decoding propaganda: bias and persuasive mediums
Drama
• Years 7-9 – Cultural celebration: Rwanda
• 30 KS3 Drama Pupils working with Mashirika Theatre Group

Citizenship
• Year 10 – Refugees in the Media SOW
• Year 9 – Film making, promoting social justice in the local community through
the medium of film
Mashirika: ‘Rwanda, My Hope’
‘Rwanda My Hope’ is a moving and powerful dramatisation of
events leading up to and during the 1994 genocide, young
people tell the story of their country through theatre and music.

The core message is of respect, tolerance and hope. It also

highlights the universal lessons of individual responsibility.

• Feeder primary Matinee Performance

• Evening Performance

Both performances took place at The Albany, Deptford’s local

community theatre
Evaluation
“I loved it. Energy, empathy, compassion shared in an evening, which I will not forget.
Amazing dancing . Strong reminder of the power of the human spirit to survive, stunning!”

“The performance was wonderful and my children are now wanting to find out more about
getting involved with social activities in their community”.

“I liked the performance very much, it helped me learn more about the genocide in Rwanda”
- Year 6 pupil

Rwanda My Hope matinee performance for feeder primaries Rwanda My Hope evening performance
Did you find the performance helped you understand more Do you feel the performance is a good way of raising peoples
about Genocide? general awareness of Genocide?
0%
2% 0%
9%
2%

19%

39% 1 - Not at all 1 - Not at all

20%
2 2
3 3
4 4
5 - Very Much
5 - Very Much

79%

30%
Examples of Pupil Outcomes
Yigi was a very small man who lived in a small hut. He had small sheep and small
cows. Yigi woke up in his small bed very eager to check on his large calabash in
the deep, green and dark forest. He came to the opening in which he had hidden
the gleaming and colourful calabash.

There it was sitting on the very same dusty rock that had been there ever since he
could remember. But there was one thing wrong. The calabash was empty. All his
prize possessions had disappeared. Yigi thought he knew what had happened.

He had grown up with a friend, Zgrez. Both their parents had died in the genocide
of 1951. Zgrez had grown up selling stuff he had stolen from people. Yigi tried it
but got caught and so never did it again. Because of that, there was always conflict
between them.

Zgrez had heard that Yigi kept something precious in his calabash but he could
never get his hands on it as Chummy the Chipmonk and his gang would ambush
him whenever he got near

Yigi looked over and saw Chummy fast asleep and realised Zgrez must have crept
past. He decided he had to get his possessions back and ran off to make a plan.

Shannon Jhany 7EL

Examples of Pupil Outcomes
About me

Hiding. Neatly wrapped,

Away from everything. And all closed up,
Curling. The time came,
Away from everyone. Slowly untied and ready,
Strolling alone, Spoilt for choice
I fear for my close ones, Containing so many different options,
I jump. Sour.
Alert and ready. Sweet.
Prepare to attack. Bubbly.
Like the needles on a hedgehog’s back. Exotic.
Some, others may not accept,
I have many meanings, While other sfall in love with,
Some words may offend others, Not everyone will b ehappy.
While some can be taken at peace, One is left
My feelings are expressed in the lyrics, Untouched.
So that others,
Can feel what I feel, Susan Duong
Hear what I hear. 11WS
See what I see.
And know,
What it’s like, to be
Me.
Impact

How can we engage students?

What were the outcomes?

How can we take this work forward?

“This is a moving experience of a shocking
narrative that most of us observed, and still
observe in Darfur on a screen. This
performance makes the horror and reality
tangible, but takes us towards unity and hope.
It demands that we are not bystanders, but
people who will stand up and do something and
make a difference”.

Year 9 Parent