Courageous Advocacy
What is courageous advocacy?
Courageous advocacy is defined by the Church of England as “the act of speaking out against an issue of injustice, often on behalf of those whose voice is not heard.” At The John Wesley CEM Primary School we encourage and support our children to become courageous advocates who believe that they can become ‘agents of change’ to strive towards a fairer and more joyous world. This means that they champion causes that are special and meaningful to them; connected to matters and concerns personal and close to home for them or linked to wider global issues.
Courageous Advocacy at The John Wesley Church England Methodist Primary School
The John Wesley CEM Primary School is a strong Christian community where all unite and flourish. Our family is guided by God’s teachings of love, compassion, service, forgiveness, wisdom and Koinonia, enabling everyone to thrive as happy and fulfilled individuals.
All acts of courageous advocacy at The John Wesley CEM Primary School are driven by our school’s Christian vision. Children act together with a purpose that people may live happily together in unity. Our Christian vision encompasses God’s vision that everyone should live well together and follow the Bible passage of Love your neighbour as yourself. Compassion is one of our core Christian values and is at the heart of all actions and decision making by children and adults. Another core Christian value is service. We actively promote the value of serving God and by doing that, serving others in the school, local and global communities.
In collective worship, RE lessons and other times of reflection and prayer, biblical references are explored to deepen children’s understanding and enable them to live out our Christian vision and values to serve others and enable themselves and others to flourish. Children learn how Jesus demonstrated values of compassion, love, service, forgiveness and wisdom and are inspired to follow His example. Children and adults learn about the life of Jesus and God’s vision for the world and reflect on the message of the Bible in the context of their own character and actions.
Jesus spoke up for people who were disadvantaged, disempowered and ignored by their communities. Children are encouraged to reflect on Jesus’ actions and teachings to inform their own values, judgements and courageous choices. Other learning experiences, including, PSHE lessons, character education and learning about British values, enables children to grow in character and independence, develop their sense of respect and justice, and grow in courage “to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves” (Proverbs 31:8).
At The John Wesley CEM Primary School, aspirational teaching encourages and challenges children to be their best selves, to take pride in their work, and to be positive members of the school and wider communities. Lessons and experiences across the curriculum, opens the children’s eyes to an understanding of the world, their place in it and how they can act to make positive changes for their local and global communities. Children learn about their own and other communities and world events and issues. They learn about people in history and present day who have shown courage and compassion whilst acting courageously to make the world a better place. This offers children hope and the tenacity to succeed in their endeavours.
Driven by our aim for our children to ‘love your neighbour as yourself’, staff encourage the children to become ‘agents of change’, championing causes which are especially meaningful for the children themselves inside and outside of school. Children research charities and causes that they feel particularly drawn towards, often issues linking to their own lived experiences.
Children have a voice though our school council to see and make the changes in our school and also supporting local charities and events.
School Community Courageous Advocacy Close to Home
The charity chosen by the school this year to support is the Dandelion Time. This is a local charity, whose vision is to restore hope to young lives, they assist children with challenging emotional issues, often resulting from adverse childhood experiences, such as domestic violence, loss, abuse or neglect. Their systemic and trauma-informed approach, focuses on the family as a whole unit, helping them to recover from life events and improve relationships.
Awareness Days and Fundraising
Each academic year, children and adults enthusiastically participate with, and contribute towards, a wide range of charities and awareness days. These include:
- Comic Relief – Red Nose Day
- Children in Need
- Kindness month
- Local Foodbanks at Harvest time