Celebrating Black History Month 2025

On Tuesday, Dean Close Senior School was delighted to host a special event in celebration of Black History Month. The event, organised and led by pupils, welcomed guest speaker Mrs Florence Nyasamo, a prominent advocate for inclusion and diversity in Gloucestershire.

Mrs Nyasamo is Chair of the African Community Foundation Gloucestershire and the founder of Black History Month Cheltenham. Through her organisation Lives of Colour, she has championed meaningful conversations around diversity and belonging within businesses and local communities.

The event took the form of an engaging Q&A session between Mrs Nyasamo and pupils Seth, Nathan, Karis, Ezra, and Maxwell, each bringing their own unique experiences having lived in countries such as Canada, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, Kenya, Nigeria, to name a few. Together, they explored themes of identity, culture, and representation within the Dean Close community.

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Pupil Q&A Highlights

Q: What is life like as a Black person at Dean Close?
A: Dean Close celebrates diversity, especially with lots of different cultures being represented in the community. Boarders feel welcomed and get introduced to UK culture as well as having their own culture celebrated and valued.

Q: What is a key part of your African or Black heritage that you try to carry in your everyday life?
A: Respect for others—especially elders—is really important in our culture. We try to treat everyone with respect. Humility is also a big part of who we are.

Q: How has your understanding of your identity changed since joining Dean Close?
A: We’ve been encouraged to dive deeper into our identities and really explore what they mean to us. Living in the UK has influenced our identity, as we’ve started to blend our home cultures with UK culture. You can’t always define your identity as one thing or the other—it’s shaped by all your experiences.

Q: Do you feel represented in the school community?
A: Dean Close has made an active effort to show representation of Black people in the community—for example, in lessons, teachers intentionally include Black figures in history. Also, having Maxwell as the first Black Head of School is an inspiring step forward.

Q: What role does faith, family, or community play in shaping who you are?
A: They’re all really important because they’re interlinked. We meet up with our families to practice faith, and that faith shapes our actions with our community.

Q: Who has inspired or mentored you as a Black pupil here?
A: My parents, especially my dad, are big inspirations to me. He’s always told me to treat people with respect and to stay focused on my goals. Also, as a boarder, Mr Pitt has been a real role model for me.

Q: Is there a cultural tradition, food, language, or music that means a lot to you?
A: I listen to a lot of Black artists like Bob Marley and Michael Jackson—many of their songs share powerful messages about love, freedom, and unity. I also love cultural traditions like weddings, with all the dancing and loud celebrations.

Q: What legacy do you want to leave for younger Black pupils here?
A: I would like to say to anyone that you can do anything. No matter where you come from, your ethnicity or your background, just put your mind to it. I don't want any of my black peers to feel lonely or segregated; I had people here help me come out of my shell, so I want to do the same for my peers.

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This inspiring discussion offered a space for open dialogue, authenticity, and reflection—values that lie at the heart of the Dean Close community.

By sharing their experiences and perspectives, pupils continue to shape a more inclusive and representative school environment, one where every voice is heard and celebrated.