Drapers' Maylands Primary School in Harold Hill puts on Unity Day

Drapers’ Maylands Primary School held its first ever Unity Day earlier this month, where pupils, parents, grandparents, and staff celebrated the school's diversity.

Families were welcomed into the school for an afternoon with entertainment and activities from across the world.

From a steel band performance to dance workshops ranging from salsa to Bhangra, the Unity Day had something for everyone.

The pupils took part in salsa dancing, line dancing, and Bhangra dancing (Image: Drapers’ Maylands Primary School)

Emma Sarkis, assistant principal, said: "This was our first ever Unity Day at Drapers’ Maylands, and it was a huge success.

"We had such fantastic feedback from our families are we are hoping to make this a new annual tradition for our school community."

The school community took part in portrait drawing, friendship bracelet making, and team-building games.

Family contributions to a international buffet showcased the community's cultural diversity, with dishes from countries such as Canada, Tunisia, Bulgaria, India, Ghana, Lithuania, and Poland.

Parents and pupils brought in food from their cultures (Image: Drapers’ Maylands Primary School)

British cream tea, Tunisian Kafteji, Caribbean chicken and rice, sweet Jalebi, Canadian sausage rolls, curry, jollof rice and Šakotis (tree cake) were among the global treats on offer for everyone to try.

Even intermittent summer showers could not dampen spirits, as attendees chatted, exchanging traditions, stories, and food.

One parent, Ketiwe Anjorin, said: "It has been great celebrating different traditions and normalising our different cultures.

Pupils also took part in crafts such as portrait drawing and friendship bracelet making (Image: Drapers’ Maylands Primary School)

"It’s been lovely to see the kids learning about the different foods we eat and the different music we listen to so that they grow up being open minded."

Another parent, Michelle Rockson-Anthony, said: "This has been a really lovely day with some great food and entertainment.

"It is great to see the pupils embracing it all.

She added: "We are representing our Ghanaian heritage and have brought in some jollof rice which has gone down extremely well."

A steel band performed throughout the event (Image: Drapers’ Maylands Primary School)

Drapers’ Maylands pupils also embraced the day with enthusiasm, saying they felt like they had visited "different parts of the world".

One said: "I loved all the food and dancing.

"I think it is good to try new things and learn about what makes people different."