World Book Day colour at St Cuthbert’s

Diversity and inclusivity were the focus at a Tyne and Wear primary school when the children celebrated World Book Day in a riot of colour.

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Pupils at St Cuthbert’s, Walbottle, a member of the Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust, dressed in a rainbow of different coloured T-shirts for the day, which also included a range of activities inspired by Aree Chung’s book, Mixed: A Colourful Story.

Chinese-American author and illustrator Chung, who previously worked at Pixar, tells the story of a community of Blues, Reds and Yellows who live in segregated areas of the same city, until a Yellow and Blue become friends and discover the benefits of mixing.

St Cuthbert’s headteacher, Colette Barrett, said: “We planned the whole-school event around the book, which links to our PSHE [Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education] curriculum.

“The theme of the book helps us to think about living in harmony, how we are all unique and that is OK.”

She continued: “For the past few years, we have tried to limit the need for parents to spend money on costumes, so we suggested this year for children to come in the coloured PE top or coloured T-shirt of their choice.”

The children also took part in different activities throughout the day, including book reviews, diary entries, and a persuasive writing task – all linked to the themes covered in Mixed.