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This week’s assembly, so thoughtfully led by Ms Hesketh and our student DEI leaders from Year 5 and Year 6, reminded us of something simple but deeply powerful; the importance of a name.
This week’s assembly, so thoughtfully led by Ms Hesketh and our student DEI leaders from Year 5 and Year 6, reminded us of something simple but deeply powerful; the importance of a name.
Every child has the right to a name. This simple fact is a right recognised by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. A name carries identity, culture, history, and belonging. It is the first word many children learn to respond to, and the one that grounds them in the world.
Our assembly invited us all to reflect on the power of saying someone’s name, not only saying it but saying it correctly. As educators, we often talk about the importance of relationships and respect, and learning how to pronounce a child’s name correctly is one of the most respectful acts we can offer. It says: I see you. You matter. You belong here.
Research supports this too. Studies show that when adults and peers make an effort to learn and correctly pronounce children's names, it strengthens relationships, builds trust, and contributes to a more inclusive school environment (Kohli & Solórzano, 2012). On the other hand, repeated mispronunciation, even when unintentional, can lead to feelings of exclusion and invisibility.
It takes effort. Sometimes it means practising unfamiliar sounds or asking again, gently, for clarification. But that effort communicates care, and care builds connection.
The assembly also made me reflect on how something so small can carry such significance. Sometimes, the smallest gestures speak the loudest.
Derek Watson
Senior Vice Principal - Head of Primary
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