British Values Day 2019
On Friday 18th October 2019, Pioneer Schools took part in a fun and enriching British Values Day as a way to celebrate and learn about the British Values. The children took full advantage of the opportunity to come into school dressed in red, blue and white to represent the British flag and the staff joined in too!
The children were organised into groups so that Reception and Year 1 and 2 worked together and Key Stage 2 joined up so that they could all take part in the different activities planned for the day.
To learn about the ‘Rule of Law’, the children explored the idea of rules and how they are there to ensure everyone is treated fairly. By looking at different fairytales, like ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’, ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ and ‘Little Red Riding Hood’; the children could pick out characters who were not following the rules and discussed what happened to others’ feelings as a result. The children designed wanted posters for these rule-breaker characters and could explain why they were on the wanted posters.
Joseph in Year 2 said “The wolf is wanted for breaking into Granny’s house and not looking after people’s property.”
The children were also excited to receive a visit from two PCSOs. The children asked a lot of questions about what the PCSOs have to do to keep safe on their job and what they like most about their jobs. Samuel in Year 3 asked about what different types of police work there was. He learnt that there were different divisions that deal with different crimes, along with forensics and animals.
Using Google Earth, we looked at the location of ‘Great Britain’ and how it is a collection of islands. It was also interesting to see that the Union Jack is made up of all of the flags of the British Isles. Some of the children created their own maps, locating England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. We then found where East Hoathly was within the British Isles and zoomed in on the school from above and could spot the playground and trim trail.
Theo in Reception said “The flag is white, blue and red.”
The children read the story of ‘It’s OK to be different’ by Todd Parr, which opened up lots of discussion about what creates our own personal identities, whether this be our eye colour, a favourite hobby or a belief. The children looked into ’Mutual Respect’, ’Tolerance’ and ’Individual Liberty’ further when they compared their differences and spoke about how having differences doesn’t stop them from being friends with and caring for one another. The children created pictures about how different people can look and later shared them with one another.
Delilah in Year 2 said “It’s important to be kind to others because you might hurt their feelings.”
The children had an opportunity to be a politician for the session as they learnt about and practiced ‘Democracy’. The children were posed with the question “Should Key Stage 2 children be provided with free school meals?”. After huddling up and discussing their ideas, the children began to debate backwards and forwards with well constructed arguments in a really respectful way. They thought carefully about children who might need a hot meal and on the opposing arguments, where the money should be spent. It was incredible to see the children so passionate with their ideas, every child contributed to the debate and Jack C, the chairman, kept good records of the votes.
Sophia in Year 4 said “Democracy is about having your own opinion. We voted about if Key Stage 2 children should have free school dinners. We need to listen to others, even if we don’t agree.”
As a result of learning about the British Values, we have already seen the children demonstrating and applying their new knowledge in their classrooms and on the playground. The children really enjoyed learning about what helps create their identity and they now have a renewed respect for themselves as individuals, as well as for their peers and adults both in and out of school.
Royal Wedding Celebrations 2018
On Friday 18th May 2018, the Pioneer Federation held a special Celebration Day for the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The children and staff swapped their uniforms for red, blue and white and enjoyed learning about the Royal Family and what happens at weddings. The children also enjoyed an array of different activities, inspired by the big day.
Reception made Royal crowns and designed wedding cakes. They also looked at different photos of weddings and talked about their experiences.
Year 1 and 2 spent their day learning about the Royal Family, making flags and making beautiful cards for Prince Harry and Meghan—which have been posted out to them!
Year 3 and 4 made family trees, played traditional British games, like skipping and made up rhymes for the Royal Wedding. They also attended a wedding of our very own!
Year 5 and 6 spent their afternoon designing flags, but in the morning, they re-enacted the Royal Wedding, with Isabella and Sid performing the starring roles! The wedding was beautiful and we even had the very talented Aidan Woodward-Brenchley playing his violin as Isabella walked down the aisle!
At lunchtime, the playground was transformed into a royal celebration banquet with a very long table! We enjoyed sharing a lunch together in the sunshine!
Thank you to our cooks, who provided the baguettes for the lunch we shared and thank you to Dee Gibbons for coming in and helping us set up for our lunchtime celebration!
British Values Day 2017
On Friday 22nd September 2017, we held a ‘British Values Day’ to promote our core values and enjoy learning about them.
It was great to see so many people dressed in red, white and blue clothing!
The children enjoyed working in their mixed aged house teams and visiting different classes to learn about the values. Each teacher concentrated on a different theme and planned an activity to develop understanding of tolerance, respect, rule of law and democracy. Everyone really enjoyed sharing their learning in the celebration assembly at the end of the day to parents and carers.
A huge ‘thank you’ to everyone who entered the ‘Great East Hoathly British Bake Off’! The cakes that were produced were so impressive and many had a red, white and blue theme. A big thank you to all of our pupil governors for judging the competition and to the parents who helped set up the bake sale after school.
Partnership British Values
It is our, and every school's responsibility “to promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.” At Chiddingly and East Hoathly we promote these values in the following ways:
Democracy
At the beginning of each year children affirm the school's expectations and the rights and responsibilities associated with these. Every child and staff member abides by these. The children and staff actively engage with each other to create harmonious learning environments where everyone is responsible for the rules.
Both schools have a School Council to which members are voted in each year by their peers. Children write a statement to support their proposal to be their class representative and the children decide who will best represent them. Children understand that a place on the School Council comes with the responsibility of representing their peers' needs and interests.
We encourage children to be leaders throughout the school and we have a number of activities and responsibilities that are undertaken by the children. For example, pupils from Key Stage 2 are peer mediators and play leaders at lunch and play times. They have specific timeslots during which they are on duty and are responsible for encouraging all children to take part at playtime, for example by inviting them into games.
Democracy is taught during assemblies and during class-based PSHE sessions. Children regularly get opportunities to express their views in school through Pupil Voice interviews and questionnaires.
The Rule of Law
Behaviour and safety at Chiddingly and East Hoathly are seen as an absolute priority by the entire school community. Children know what is expected of them, why rules are so important, and what the consequences are if they do not follow them. Children at Chiddingly and East Hoathly are well aware of what an exciting curriculum they have and their sustained excellent behaviour enables them to develop into confident and independent learners.
At Chiddingly and East Hoathly we ensure that children are acutely aware of the responsibilities that come with having rights. Children develop a thorough understanding of personal responsibility and develop independence in managing relationships and behaviour. Through our whole school approach to restorative justice, we enable children to develop the language and strategies to solve conflict and right wrongs.
At Chiddingly and East Hoathly we offer a range of exciting opportunities for children to be leaders throughout the school and they understand that the rules they have created for their classes permeate through all activities and events. Children also understand that their behaviour and regard for the rules extends beyond the school itself, such as acting as school ambassadors while on school trips. This understanding means that teachers can organise fascinating school trips secure in the knowledge that children will get the same from them as they do from learning opportunities within school.
Individual Liberty
Chiddingly and East Hoathly are safe places for children and both cultivate an atmosphere in which children can make choices about their school life in a supportive environment.
We educate our pupils to know that they have boundaries within which they may make choices safely, through the provision of a nurturing mind set and empowering education. Pupils are encouraged to know, understand, and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and are advised on how to exercise these safely, for example through our E-Safety and PSHE lessons. Whether it is through choice of challenge, of how they record, or of participation in our numerous extra-curricular clubs and opportunities, pupils are given the freedom to make choices. From the very start of their school life children are encouraged to challenge their personal best by giving them ownership of their own learning. Children regularly have next steps shared with them, whether verbally or with written feedback in books so they know exactly what they can do to progress.
Mutual Respect
The ethos of our schools nurture an understanding of mutual respect and it underpins the engaging and exciting teaching and learning that happens here. School life at Chiddingly and East Hoathly abides by our values that nurture kindness, resilience, honesty and respect. The children and all staff connected to our school understand our values and work in a manner that encourages everyone to achieve to their highest ability. Assemblies regularly cover ‘Respect’, and pupils have been part of discussions related to what this means and how we show it. When a child does well, their achievement is displayed for everyone to learn from their positive attitude and hard work. Learning and effort are highly respected.
Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs
This is achieved through enhancing pupils' understanding of their place in a culturally diverse society and by giving them opportunities to experience such diversity. We celebrate and learn about the numerous religious festivals that happen throughout the school year. Children experience influences from all over the world in their classrooms. Our core values ensure children develop respect for the person; developing strong and lasting relationships that enable the community to be strong and cohesive.
Own & British Values Assembly Slides
