SL Assembly and SMSC
ASSEMBLY AND SMSC
This new SL Assembly and SMSC pack suggests ideas for assembly and, or, collective worship that supports spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development.
KEY QUESTION
SL four key questions ‘Who am I?’, ‘Who are we?’, ‘Where do we live?’ and ‘How do we all live together?’ are accessible in meaning to pupils and are used throughout these assembly plans to deliver breadth of SMSC coverage, supporting planning to promote identity, diversity, equality and community.
ABOUT THE ASSEMBLIES
All the assemblies referred to in this pack have been used in a school, and last 15 minutes. They will, as all assemblies do, require tailoring to a new school context. Various SL Resources including assembly and lesson plans can be found on www.schoolslinkingnetwork.org.uk.
Key features of the planning are:
• ‘Talking partners’ with carefully chosen questions for quality discussion to generate excellent ideas from pupils.
• All adults present to engage with pairs of children to support quality responses.
• Access to a screen for song words, pictures and the internet is useful.
• Use fascinating, real objects to help dramatise stories.
• Listening to, interviewing and hearing the life stories of real people, especially as an on-going connection to a small group of community members over time, has been found to significantly enhance pupil’s SMSC development.
Each assembly plan includes:
• A rationale about what you aim to achieve.
• Learning objective(s).
• Ideas used to include ‘talking partner’ questions, stimuli used, real objects, interview questions, reflections and song ideas.
NB.
· SL recommends the PSHCE section on www.singup.org for an easily accessible source of songs - yearly subscription of around £100.
· SL recommends The Lion Book of 1,000 Prayers for Children (widely available through all good book sellers) as an excellent source of reflections for assemblies.
COMMUNITY ASSEMBLIES
‘Friends’ Strategy
Allerton Primary School in Bradford has developed an assembly strategy where representatives from the local interfaith centre, local churches and youth workers come together in an assembly they have jointly planned with a teacher from the school.
The assembly visitors, referred to as ‘Friends of Allerton’, include representatives of Muslim, Christian, Sikh and Hindu faiths. Since 2008, the school’s cohesion innovation team and the ‘Friends of Allerton’ have lead assemblies together at least once every half term, modelled on friendship and conversation.
Themes have included ‘Names’; ‘Sports I played as a child’; ’My favourite story’; ‘The places I have lived and belonged’; and ‘How I like to relax’. Members of staff and the visitors share their own experiences on the theme and children reflect on their own preferences thus building in a very relaxed way an appreciation of diversity and identity.
In addition, assemblies are held which focus on one particular faith, with one of the faith representatives leading and the other adults modelling listening and showing respect for difference, or indeed supporting the assembly delivery.
This strategy was intentionally developed to actively model cohesive attitudes and help develop the children’s understanding of diversity and identity. This type of assembly activity is shown to work well in a diverse school such as Allerton Primary, but would be equally successful in other settings.
“What the children see is adults working together and enjoying themselves!”
Manjit Kaur, Sikh Faith Tutor
“The presence of adults from different communities showing respect and interest in one another and exploring diversity is very powerful for children and staff.”
Meg Henry, Lead Teacher
“The doors are open to us all the time and the school feels like a real community partnership. This is a very positive step for preparing children to live and work in the outside world.”
Mohammed Mushtaq, Muslim Faith Tutor.
To see a video showing this strategy in action visit http://www.teachersmedia.co.uk/videos/good-practice-in-two-schools
ASSEMBLY: WHO ARE WE? OUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS
Focus: Spiritual Development
Rationale
To develop pupils’ understanding of diversity within their own school and to help them understand that there is more depth to everyone’s story than is visible.
Learning Objective
To enjoy discovering people’s stories about their achievements.
Interviews: Facilitate two-minute interviews with a range of school staff, for example the caretaker, teaching assistants, lollipop person, and ask them to share their greatest achievement with the pupils. Suggest the staff bring a relevant object to show the children, through which they can demonstrate a link to their achievement (e.g. running shoe, badge, certificate ...)
Songs
• ‘Into the Sun’ - a folk song written in 2009 by Roger Davies and available on iTunes
Everybody's gonna take it one step at a time
Everybody's gonna make it to the finishing line
Coming out of the darkness together as one
We're gonna walk into the sun
• ‘OK’ - available on www.singup.org
Find your place, be the best that you can be…
The future’s in your hands, live learn and understand.
• ‘Believe’ - available on www.singup.org
When I look up to the stars … if I can just believe in me.
• ‘Proud’ – a song by Heather Small
Reflection or Prayer (depending on your school policy)
The Lion Book of 1,000 Prayers for Children
When I feel like a nobody
going nowhere,
make me into a somebody
doing something for you
ASSEMBLY: WHERE DO WE LIVE? THE PLACES WE HAVE LIVED AND BELONGED
Focus: Cultural and Spiritual Development
Rationale
To develop pupils’ curiosity in others and cultural understanding of the diversity of experience of migration and belonging in people they know.
Learning Objective
To learn where different people have lived and belonged.
Stimulus: Blue Beauty - an amazing powerpoint available on You Tube with music showing earth, during both night and day, from space.
Interviews: with staff and community about where they have lived and belonged placing labels onto a world map. It is particularly important to affirm those who have never moved as well as affirming those who have migrated.
In the school where this assembly was first used, Mushtaq, a faith tutor said: “I call myself a Bradfordian, I went to school here and played in the football team and I was born in Pakistan so I am from Pakistan.” This positive and thoughtful approach is the one to aim for.
Songs
• ‘Consider Yourself’ – from the stage production ‘Oliver’ - available on www.singup.org
• ‘He’s got the whole world’ – available on www.singup.org
Reflection or Prayer (depending on your school policy)
The Lion Book of 1,000 Prayers for Children
Help us to find room in our community for newcomers
Help us to find room in our school for newcomers
Help us to find room in our hearts for newcomers
End of Assembly Song
• ‘Introduce Refuge’ - available on www.singup.org - as pupils leave the assembly explaining that the words of this song are about the welcome we choose to give others.
I’ll be your refuge, your shelter, your fortress, I’ll be your champion.
I’ll be your refuge, your pilot, your brother, your northern star.
Don’t be down-hearted, I’ll be your refuge
ASSEMBLY: HOW DO WE ALL LIVE TOGETHER?
‘STARFISH ASSEMBLY’
Focus: Moral Development
Rationale
To help pupils to understand how they can contribute to society in small ways but that make a positive difference.
Learning Objective
Explain that today we are thinking about ways we can make a difference in the world. Teach everyone the actions, and then read the interactive ‘Starfish Story’, which is available on the SL website via the link http://www.schoolslinkingnetwork.org.uk/resource-area/teaching-resources/how-do-we-all-live-together/starfish-story/
Share examples from your own school and local community of people doing something that makes a difference. For example, on my street there is ‘someone who walks up and down the road with a carrier bag and picks up litter every Saturday morning’; there is someone ‘who works in the school and cooks once a month for a local soup run’.
Reflection or Prayer (depending on your school policy)
The Lion Book of 1,000 Prayers for Children
Share these readings:
I am only I, but I’m still someone. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. Just because I cannot do everything does not give me the right to do nothing. (Motto from an Amish school in Pennsylvania)
We can do no great things, only small things with great love (Mother Teresa of Calcutta, 1910 - 1997)
Ask pupils to turn to talk to the person next to them, and discuss small ways they can think of which would make a difference and make the world a better place.
Songs
• ‘Reach out and touch somebody’s hand, make this world a better place if you can’ by Diana Ross – available on You Tube
• ‘Teach me your way from ‘Don’t you know?’ CD by John Froud (Track 9) – a Christian song
• ‘Spread a little happiness’ – available on www.singup.org
ASSEMBLY: WHO AM I?
‘PEOPLE EQUAL ASSEMBLY’
Focus: Moral and Social Development
Rationale
To develop pupils’ understanding of equality in diversity through the poem ‘People Equal’ by James Berry and Christopher Corr - the focus of the poem is on enjoying differences in personality and outlook. Through listening and then writing their own versions of the poem, pupils gain a really strong understanding of the moral value of equality.
Some people are always on the go
Others never take off with their show
Yet people equal, equal
James Berry & Christopher Corr
Some people are loud and thunderous
Others are quiet and soundless
Yet people equal, equal
Year 4 Pupil
Learning Objective
• Show the People Equal photo-powerpoint available on the SL website as pupils enter the assembly http://www.schoolslinkingnetwork.org.uk/resource-area/teaching-resources/how-do-we-all-live-together/people-equal/
• Show pupils some pasta and some rice and explain that pasta and rice make different yet equally delicious meals!
• A group of pupils who have been reading and writing their own versions of the poem in class using the literacy lesson plans available on the SL website can then perform their poem with actions. This makes an excellent parents’ assembly.
Songs
• ‘Good to be me’ – a KS1 song available on www.singup.org
ASSEMBLY: WHO ARE WE?
‘NAMES ASSEMBLY’
Focus: Moral and Social Development
Rationale
To develop pupils’ understanding of diversity, through looking at the variety of different names in their school community, and to explore the value of names to themselves and others. This positive view of names is a good foundation to a subsequent assembly that looks at developing understanding about the hurt that name calling can cause.
Learning Objective
To learn about names, their diversity, and the importance of using names as a way to demonstrate friendship.
• Ask someone to act as a scribe and record what is shared about names in the assembly.
• Explain that the assembly is going to be about our names. Names are really important. We use them all the time. Knowing someone’s name is an important step in being friendly, along with smiling.
• ‘Talking partners’. Ask everyone (including all adults) to turn to the person next to them and talk about their name. Ask them several questions in turn. What is your name? Do you know what your name means? Are there any stories about your name? Do you have a ‘nickname’? Who gave you your name?
• Interview a few pre-selected adults from within school or specially invited visitors to school and ask them to share the meaning of their name, who gave it to them and any stories connected to their name etc.
Reflection or Prayer (depending on your school policy)
The Lion Book of 1,000 Prayers for Children
• Ask the children to think about how important names are to each of us and how important they are for being friendly and welcoming to others.
• Challenge everyone to find out three people’s names today.
May the things I say build trust and friendship
May the things I do build trust and friendship
May I set my heart on trust and friendship
Song
• You Got A Friend in Me” from Toy Story (Disney) Newman 1996 – available on www.singup.org
• KS1 Welcome song – available on www.singup.org
ASSEMBLY: HOW DO WE ALL LIVE TOGETHER? PERSEVERANCE AND SUPPORT
‘DEREK REDMOND’S STORY’
Focus: Moral and Social Development
Rationale
To develop pupils’ moral understanding of the values of perseverance and supporting others and their interest and empathy for others, using the story of Derek Redmond’s perseverance in injury and disappointment to explore the topics: How can we keep going when things go wrong? How can we help others?
Learning Objective
Play the video of athlete Derek Redmond running for gold at the 1992 Olympics. It shows the race, the painful moment when he injured his hamstring, his determination to continue to the finish and his father’s support for him to the finish. The video can be found in the free resources section on www.smsc.org
entitled ‘Don’t give up, don’t give in’.
A recent news interview with Derek can be found on http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/athletics/15751770
Songs
• ‘Lean on me’ – available on www.singup.org
Lean on me, when you’re not strong,
I’ll be your friend, I’ll help you carry on.
For, it won’t be long, till I’m gonna need somebody to lean on.
• ‘OK’ – available on www.singup.org
The sky feels like its falling, the sun is overdue, life seems so confusing, you don’t know what to do ...Gonna be alright, gonna be OK...
ASSEMBLY: WHO WE ARE? WHO’S WHO?
‘IDENTITY MYSTERIES ASSEMBLY’
Focus: Spiritual Development