Once again we have had a fantastic week of celebrating Neurodiversity. Neurodiversity refers to all of us but, whilst the majority of the population is classed as neurotypical, 20% of the population is neurodivergent.  For our school numbers that would be about at least 80 of our children. It has been a wonderful chance to appreciate the unique abilities and strengths of neurodivergence, and to build upon our environment of inclusivity, that celebrates diversity and empowers differences. The talks that our Year Six children gave recognised their individual strengths, qualities and talents. They  are educating and encouraging each other to be more inclusive and empathetic. Our children shone this week as always.

We were also so inspired by a wonderful assembly, led by one of our parents, Mauro Calo. He talked of how he struggled at school but is now lucky to work in his dream job as a stunt driver on films. You may have spotted him in the latest James Bond movie! He said that at school he sometimes felt that he was not as good as others but now realises that his neurodivergence has provided him with strengths, which others may not possess that enables him to do his current job. 

It was also a week where our older children took some time to read with their younger friends. Please scroll down to see some lovely pictures of Lau class reading with the children of Thunberg. 

We checked in with some of our children and staff to see what they thought of the week:

Mrs Bachour: "I am so inspired by the confidence and knowledge of our Year Six children who spoke with such eloquence about their neurodiversities. Thank you so much to Mauro for coming in and giving such an inspiring assembly."

We were really pleased that the school were able to give her a platform as she really wanted to speak out about ADHD.  She was really happy to have had the opportunity to talk through her experience and she has had children in the playground coming up to her to congratulate her and thank her, so we are really pleased for her. 

Miss Downes: "I was lucky enough to see Jasper's presentation. He presented in a lighthearted way about ADHD and Dyslexia. The students were eager to listen and he answered their questions honestly."

Mrs Cryan: "Josh is enthusiastic, articulate and understanding and was able to give guidance confidently. He shared his own experience and identified with other children who had similar experiences."

Mis Rose: "Dolly was captivating and gave a stunning presentation. She coped fantastically when there was a technical fault and dealt brilliantly with individual enquiries."

Mrs Hunt: "Emmeline was so eloquent and enthusiastic in her talk about ADHD. She spoke very clearly about before and after her diagnosis. It was lovely how she wanted to get her school community together to help children with neurodiversity."

Miss Taylor: "Jasper made his presentation so interesting and inclusive. It made everyone so comfortable to share."

Zara: "After watching Emmeline, I now think being neurodiverse is a superpower."

Mr Abbott: "Charlie and Arlo were so good at answering questions. I learned so much from them. They were brilliant at curating the questions and so enthusiastic to tell people about neurodiversity. I really enjoyed their session."

Benjamin said: "Emmeline made me think that ADHD is a positive ability. I learned lots from her and it was so enjoyable to listen."

Nithila said: "Emmeline was very inspiring. I thought she was very brave and confident to speak to us all."

Miss Rainey: "I was a little bit sad not to catch Emmeline, Jasper and Dolly's presentations, but all the children and staff who saw them have spoken so positively about their sessions. However, I was immensely lucky to see Josh, Charlie and Arlo. They spoke so confidently and knowledgibly about neurodiversity and answered questions with such confidence. I felt very proud of them."