About Windrush
Windrush Day takes place on the 22 June and is a chance to commemorate and celebrate the anniversary of the arrival of the passengers of the Empire Windrush to the UK.
The arrival of the ship HMT Empire Windrush at Tilbury Docks in 1948, bringing more than 800 passengers from the Caribbean, is a moment that shaped modern Britain.
The 75th anniversary was in 2023. The NEU is among many organisations and trade unions that wish to build change, before 2048, which will mark 100 years.
By the time of the Windrush centenary in 2048, those who can talk first hand about their experience will no longer be with us. The NEU therefore supports the recording and capturing of stories of the Windrush generation, before they are lost, and so much can be learned by young people through inter- generational dialogue.
The Windrush story can help illustrate to students why Britain’s multi- ethnic society looks as it does today. Every student in school needs to get the chance to learn about this important moment in our shared British history.
Windrush in the curriculum
The year 2023, marked a significant change in the English curriculum. For the first time, two texts by Black British female writers will feature on the English specification across three exam boards. AQA, Eduqas and OCR have added Leave Taking by Winsome Pinnock and The Princess and the Hustler by Chinonyerem Odimba to their collection of texts for examination in 2025 (available to teach THIS September).
Read this blog by English teacher Samantha Wharton.
Windrush Conference
The NEU is excited to announce that we are hosting a Windrush Conference in London on Windrush Day on Saturday, 22nd June 2024. Gary Younge, will be joined by other speakers on the day to celebrate the contribution of the Windrush generation and their descendants.
Teaching resources
Teaching resources help pupils reflect on the importance of Windrush and how migration has shaped Britain; we hope all schools will find these new resources useful. The resources have been written by The Linking Network in partnership with the Windrush 75 Network who are calling for a national celebration this 75th anniversary year.
Resources include:
- A Primary and Secondary Assembly
- Primary Lesson/Secondary tutorial sessions with activities
- New videos showing Bradford classes talking with Windrush Elders.
- Toolkit providing guidance and lesson resources for schools who arrange an interview with a Windrush elder or descendant.
All the resources are available on The Linking Network
More resources available at :
Windrush Foundation | Remembering a generation
Windrush & the legacy of patriots | New Law Journal | The leading weekly legal magazine
Time to pick up the pace on social mobility? | New Law Journal | The leading weekly legal magazine
Windrush campaign
The NEU emphasises the importance of supporting the Windrush generation through advocacy and assistance from grassroots organizations, to navigate Home Office bureaucracy and access compensation for the injustices they’ve faced.