Coming to England is Baroness Floella Benjamin’s account of emigration, told through the eyes of her younger self. It’s a great resource for exploring the life of this inspirational British actress, presenter and politician…
In planning for Black History Month, you could share the struggles, achievements and inspirational stories of many different people. Floella Benjamin is certainly inspirational. However, she also has the added advantage of having recorded her experiences in a beautiful, accessible book, Coming to England.
Floella emigrated to England in 1960 from the Caribbean island of Trinidad. Coming to England is written through the eyes of her younger self. She describes in detail growing up in Trinidad and the journey to England. She also describes life in her new home and her experiences of school.
There’s a lot that you could explore and it could easily form a larger unit of work. For example, the early chapters entitled ‘Life in Trinidad/School life’ and ‘Celebrations’ not only set the scene and give context, but are full of great descriptive language.
This contrasts strongly with the descriptions in the second half of the book about England – cold, grey, misty mornings, sooty air, freezing rain, and dull beige walls.
This lesson plan uses drama to explore some of Floella’s experiences while giving children the opportunity to discuss and express their views on discrimination, inequality and injustice.
Students will learn
- About discrimination and its effects on individuals
- How to collaborate with others
- How to communicate learning in relevant ways
Jonathan Lear is a Teaching Award winner and AST at St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School, Sheffield. Browse more Black History Month activities.
