Dear Year 9 Parent/Carer,
Next half term Year 9 will be studying a play called Small Island. It is a play by The National Theatre developed from a book by Andrea Levy. The play is about the experiences of the Windrush generation who emigrated to the UK in 1940s and ’50s from Jamaica and other Caribbean Islands. It tackles issues of race, prejudice and inequality. The author of the book – who was born to parents of Jamaican descent – includes some examples of racially motivated slurs that are offensive and these are depicted in the play.
Students will be reading the text in full and therefore will read these words in lessons. We believe that these realistic depictions of racism in Britain in the past are an important part of students’ wider education. Teachers have spent a lot of time thinking about and planning these lessons carefully. The issue will be handled sensitively and within the supportive environment of the classroom.
We are writing to you so that you will know about what is being taught as your child may want to talk about the issues it raises at home. If you have any further questions, please get in touch.
Yours sincerely,
Ms H Khaliq
Head of English
