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School Among 1% in UK Recognised by UNESCO
Posted: 15th December 2022A school which is dedicated to developing global citizens is among just one per cent of UK schools to be recognised by UNESCO.
Epping St John's has been awarded an accreditation by UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.
Following an application and interview process, the Christian school joined the global network.
The school’s vision starts with: “We celebrate every member of our family; we embody our Christian ethos through living well together with people of different cultures, genders, sexualities, faiths and abilities.”
Faye Clarke, assistant headteacher, said: “This underpins everything we do, both inside and outside the classroom; it informs our curriculum choices, assemblies, PSHE days, our work with church and local primaries, to name a few.
“We are dedicated to developing young people who aspire to make a difference to the world in which they live. It is this allegiance to securing social cohesion and respect that has led to us receiving recognition from this global organisation.
“UNESCO have recognised the efforts we have made to promote their values and the commitment Epping St. John’s has made to developing global citizens.
“This is a significant achievement and informs us the work we are doing to celebrate difference, build aspiration and challenge outdated views is not only the right thing to do, but is having a positive impact on our local and global community.
“Thank you to our parents for continuing to support the school’s vision.”
The school celebrates difference and promotes global thinking by holding Pride Day, Cultural Celebration Day, PSHE dropdown days exploring questions such as should Qatar have hosted the World Cup; by teaching about same sex marriages and adoption; exploring the Black Lives Matter movement and teaching about girls getting into school in Uganda.
Being part of the UNESCO network allows the school to drive forward its vision for the community by forming global connections and providing access to a pool of resources to further develop the curriculum and extracurricular offering.
The mission is for students to be exposed to different cultures and backgrounds in every subject lesson to expand their knowledge of the world.