By Geoffrey Stanford, Headmaster, RGS Newcastle
Each spring, I am reminded why schools matter so profoundly to the societies they serve. Our student-led Culture Week at the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle, has become one of the most powerful expressions of who we are as a community and who we aspire to be.
What began as a modest series of lunchtime events has grown into a confident and thoughtful celebration of identity, heritage and shared humanity.
For many students, the celebrations have become an annual highlight, as Year 13 student Aditi K explains: “Watching the school come together every year to celebrate every individual’s culture strengthens the diversity of RGS. It is a wonderful way to feel at home, even so far from my home country.”
From the outset, our pupils have driven RGS Culture Week. They have shaped its themes, curated its programme and led its delivery. Crucially, the celebrations have never felt like a bolt-on to school life. Instead, they have become embedded in the rhythms of the school.
Our early events understandably focused on visibility, sharing traditions, and opening conversations that some had previously felt uncertain about initiating. Over time, those conversations have deepened. Students now ask braver questions about belonging, intersectionality and fairness. They unite not just in celebration, but in meaningful discussion about the challenges and responsibilities of a diverse society.
This journey began six years ago, when RGS undertook a comprehensive Equality, Diversity and Inclusion audit. That process asked us to look honestly at our policies, curriculum, staffing, pastoral systems and school culture, present and past. It was challenging but ultimately transformative. From that audit emerged a deliberate and sustained EDI action plan, overseen by governors, staff and pupils working together.
RGS Culture Week is one visible outcome of that strategic work that sits alongside curriculum review, staff training, changes to recruitment practice and focus on ensuring student voice is heard and acted upon. In our most recent ISI inspection, inspectors judged our approach to diversity and inclusion to be a “Significant Strength”. We were deeply proud of that recognition, not because it marked an endpoint, but because it affirmed the value of intentional, long-term work.
At a time when the political climate, both within the UK and across the wider world, often feels polarised and unsettled, the importance of celebrating diversity cannot be overstated.
Schools have a responsibility not to shield pupils from complexity but to equip them to navigate it thoughtfully and compassionately. RGS Culture Week creates opportunities for pupils to listen to one another, to ask respectful questions and recognise shared values alongside differences. It reminds us that inclusion is not about erasing distinction but about ensuring that every individual feels safe, valued and able to contribute fully to the life of the community.
As a consequence of our conscious efforts, I am consistently struck by the maturity our students show. They understand that culture is dynamic, that identity is multifaceted, and that belonging is something we build together through daily choices. They also recognise that inclusion requires action, standing up for others, challenging assumptions and being willing to learn when we get things wrong.
As Headmaster, I could not be prouder of our inclusive culture. RGS Culture Week has become a cornerstone of our school calendar. It reflects a school confident enough to listen to and empower its young people and committed to continual improvement.
This is also a reminder that education, at its best, shapes not only successful learners but also generous, informed and engaged citizens. In uncertain times, that feels like work worth doing and worth doing together.
www.rgs.newcastle.sch.uk