STAFF and pupils at the Seva School have been celebrating after receiving the prestigious Coventry Peace and Reconciliation Award.
The school places a big emphasis on interfaith work to promote understanding and tolerance.
As well as sharing the Sikh message, everyone there is committed to learning about other faiths and people as part of the school’s British Values work.
At Easter, Seva students linked with their counterparts at Cardinal Wiseman, learning all about the Catholic celebration while teaching about the Sikh Vaisakhi festival.
Another community project involving Eden Girls and Blue Coat Schools was highlighted as exemplary practice, illustrating Seva’s commitment to working collaboratively.
The school has also supported city-wide peace projects, such as the Peace Picnics at the Peace Orchard and a poetry competition on the theme.
Pupils have been taught about their roles in creating a better city via tree planting with the Sikh Union and older children were instrumental in developing their own KS1 Peace Garden.
The school appointed a yoga teacher as part of an enrichment programme to promote wellbeing, introducing the school’s local community to the Sikh practice of meditation.
Peace education has been embedded across the whole curriculum and supports the school’s ethos.
Lord Mayor of Coventry Coun John McNicholas, who recently visited the school, said the award was fully-deserved and learnt about ‘exciting’ partnership projects with other city schools and internationally.
“These links will help pupils to understand their role as global citizens and will enable them to work on joint projects.
“The school has worked hard to encourage interfaith co-operation and learning and it was a real pleasure to meet with staff and pupils.”
Seva School Principal Jo Donnellan said: “I am extremely proud of the pupils and staff who have worked tirelessly to embed a strong Sikh ethos across the school, which has led to us achieving this prestigious award.
“We are deeply committed to developing the whole child at Seva School, without compromising academic excellence.
“This award tells me how successful our community has been in reaching this goal and is why Seva School truly is ‘the best kept secret in Coventry’.”
