A primary school in North Norfolk has come under fire after a pupil of West African heritage was draped in a Union Jack during a Year 6 assembly on the transatlantic slave trade.
The controversial lesson, held at Gresham Village School and Nursery, involved a class debating whether or not the enslavement of African people should be taught in schools — prompting outrage from parents, race experts, and safeguarding advocates.
😡 “Profoundly offensive”
During the assembly, one child wore the Union Jack over their shoulders as their class discussed the legacy of slavery. Most pupils reportedly agreed it should be taught — but others said it was “in the past” and questioned the value of learning about it at all.
Parents described the event as “profoundly offensive” and said it marginalised children of colour while whitewashing Britain’s colonial past.
“It’s like asking Jewish children whether we should remember the Holocaust,” one parent wrote in a complaint.
Another family said the incident left their child confused and upset — and ultimately withdrew them from the school.
🛑 Breaching safeguarding?
The incident took place in November 2024 but only came to light after parents submitted written complaints. They claim the assembly may have breached the Equality Act and UK safeguarding guidance, which require schools to act in pupils’ best interests — and apologise when harm is caused.
Despite a private apology from headteacher Marc Goodliffe, there has been no public statement to the school community, and the Synergy Multi-Academy Trust — which oversees the school — has declined to comment.
Parents say teacher Christopher Davies, who led the Year 6 lesson, has also faced no disciplinary action.
🧾 The headteacher responds
In a written reply to one parent, Mr Goodliffe admitted the lesson had been “clumsy” and “wrong,” saying the use of the flag was intended to symbolise the class “turning its back” on Britain’s slave trade — but that it was clearly misjudged.
“There was never any intention to offend,” he wrote. “But I do understand now how this content was received. It is important that we learn from this.”
He added that the assembly lacked a clear conclusion, which may have left younger pupils with misleading or harmful takeaways.
📣 “No room for debate on slavery”
In a scathing letter, one parent wrote:
“Debating whether to teach the enslavement of African people is whitewashing. It marginalises children of African descent and frames their history as optional.”
They demanded a full public apology and a review of the school’s anti-racism and safeguarding policies.
“No Union Jack is going to fix this. What happened was a failure — and it’s time to own it.”
🗣️ Calls for accountability
Buki Mosaku, a leading expert on race relations and unconscious bias at DiverseCity, said the school has a legal and moral duty to publicly apologise and take responsibility.
“When things go wrong, the headteacher should be the first person to say sorry. It’s not just about policy — it’s about principle.”
“Failing to apologise sends the wrong message to staff and students alike. It says unprofessional conduct is acceptable.”
Despite calls for transparency, no public apology has yet been issued — and the Synergy Trust has refused to comment further.
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