Assemblies

Assemblies at Kingsmead are fundamental to communicating and sharing our ethos and values so we can all live up to them and be our best selves. They are not an add on to the curriculum but an integral part of learning for the whole school community. Assemblies provide key curriculum content alongside the National Curriculum in supporting our children's personal, social and emotional development, their motivation and sense of belonging.

Autumn term - caring for ourselves

We focus on caring for our mind, body and spirit. People who are happy and value themselves are then able to bring happiness and value others as well as take good care of their environment and the natural world. Being useful and kind to ourselves includes working hard, developing curiosity and the interest in learning that leads to high achievement for everybody. It is also about our relationships with others, and how through our good character, our words and actions, we can enjoy happy friendships and relationships with everybody.

Spring term - caring for other people

Caring for others starts with seeing all our human family as 'people like us'. We may not believe as others, eat like others, look like, live or speak like others but we are one human family, one human race. At Kingsmead we are useful and kind - unlimited. This means we have no outsiders in our school. Being useful and kind to others includes treating everybody with respect, allowing everyone to join in with learning and play. It is about demonstrating the self-regulation needed so that everybody is safe and is included in our school. Everybody brings different strengths. Everybody has something to offer. Everybody can make us better.

Summer term - caring for the environment

Caring for our world is one of the most important things children in the early 21st century need to know about and understand. In Summer term we will use our learning about ourselves and others to consider the great issue of our age - biodiversity and climate change. Being useful and kind to planet Earth includes learning that consuming things and owning stuff doesn't equate to happiness - to ask for less and appreciate more. It is also about seeing us as part of the natural world - one species among many. One with great responsibility for the future of all life on Earth.

Five daily routines bring our learning together: our big society of learners. These routines form the backbone of our SMSC (social, moral, spiritual and cultural) curriculum.

• Music on Monday - Mrs Harper posts a tune with something for children (maybe adults too) to enjoy and reflect on. This is shared in class and in assemblies during the week.

• Thinking on Tuesday - Mrs Rutter-Brown delivers a whole school assembly linked to the weeks theme.

• Words on Wednesday - We share poetry and vocabulary to share our love of the wonderful English language.

• Thursday Thoughts - Mrs McHugh or Mrs Rutter-Brown lead Key Stages assemblies to continue and build on the week's theme.

• Friday Fable - Mrs Buzzard shares a story to enjoy in school or at bedtime to share high quality literature and encourage reading for pleasure.

The notion of everybody

Our policy for Assemblies sets out what we do in school to make assemblies accessible to everyone. Our prospectus and curriculum document also give information about 'worship', religious education and assemblies. We have developed a policy and practice that enables people of all faiths and none to participate happily as we do not promote any religious belief or world view over any other. Parents do have the right to withdraw their child but for the overwhelming majority of assemblies, the vast majority of the time, all children are present and correct. Which is great. Because assemblies really are an important part of the day for bringing us together, sharing values, culture and building a strong community where everyone is valued, everyone has a part to play.

End of year Red Admiral awards and the Year 6 Hummingbird Hawkmoth prize for marvellous migrant (from another school) are awarded in a special assembly on the last day of the school year. Awards are for transformation and excellence. They have been awarded to children of all abilities and aptitudes, religions and ethnicities as well as to children who have had very different starting points in life. Families came along for a special assembly and award ceremony.