Celebrating Culture: A Day of Diversity at Dartford Grammar School

Culture is a very important aspect of the society in which we live, culture can be perceived as a divider but also as a uniter. Cultural day allows students and teachers to come together and share parts of what makes us unique as individuals. Our individual cultures helped build the framework of the people we are today from language to love of food, cultural festivals and much more. 

On Monday 19th January a beautiful and highly educative assembly was delivered to the whole school by some sixth form students, which focused on significant time periods from each continent around the world. This assembly also helped students to appreciate global cultures.

Building on the themes explored in the assembly, Culture Day offered students a chance to celebrate culture through food, performance and discussion. On Wednesday 28th January 2026, we celebrated our annual cultural day – starting with a vibrant cultural food sale at break time, featuring a wonderful array of different food snacks, followed by a form time interactive exchange of pupils saying ‘hello’ in their different cultures paired with a quiz.

The sixth form cultural showcase was a major highlight of Culture Day. The event was student-led by Kweku and consisted of over 150 students , a huge amount of effort and number of rehearsals went into making this event the huge success it was at DGS. Entrances from over 16 different countries, setting the tone for the performance, students danced and sang during the entrances as we travelled around the globe from Africa to Europe, a quick stop in the Americas and finishing in Asia.

This was followed by Year 12 and 13 African dances, which were highly energetic which was highly evident by the audience reaction. We were  also very fortunate to listen to a musical cover by After Violet of “Purple Rain,” followed by a pleasing dance performance from the continent of Asia, which was more technical and detailed, making it a very interesting watch. 
Penultimately, the Caribbean gospel choir sang a lovely gospel song, adding a strong cultural twist. Lastly, Year 13 students performed an Afro-Asian fusion dance, blending two cultures. The fusion dance demonstrated the school’s collaborative and inclusive culture which was a very strong and meaningful way to end Culture Day. Reflecting on the performances, one teacher commented “ I liked the variety — the Year 12 and 13 dances, the walk-ons, and the hosting — it was very well organised.”