“I can’t think why any school wouldn’t want to do it.”
Silent Sitting
Each lesson opens with a few minutes of Silent Sitting from one of our 15 tracks that promote relaxation as the children listen to a scenario gently unfolding to the sounds of calm background music. Our experience at NHPS showed that if we created our own tracks that linked to the lesson’s value, the children gained a deeper perspective. The response from Reception to Year 6 has been phenomenal.
“Silent Sitting helps me to calm down as I can get annoyed easily. It helps me to focus, especially in the afternoons when I’m sleepy.”
Values Inquiry, Dialogue, & Roleplay
Back in their classrooms, through productive, age-related talk, the children are given the space to reflect upon and explore The Big Ideas generated during the Assemblies. Values Inquiry: The Big Talk proved the most popular approach at NHPS as children took centre stage, progressively learning to express their ideas and try out new ones. The process also gave teachers insights and a greater understanding of what drives children’s behaviour so they in turn could better meet their pupils’ needs more closely in other areas of learning.
Values Dialogue: The Big Circle is similar to Circle Time but provides regular opportunities for the children to be reminded about their previously agreed Class Values, which they then put into practice, thereby gradually developing skills such as listening without judgement.
The Big Story
Central to all learning are the 44 especially commissioned short stories for each age range. Every lesson includes a story with a real or familiar event that helps to address situations the children may feel uncertain about. The NHPS children seemed to be looking for a safe space to work through their common anxieties about their community and their understanding of the wider world.
The Big Sing
At NHPS, Year 5 and Year 6 children were very clear about the types of songs they preferred to sing. We commissioned a band to write and compose 5 Values songs, one for each of the programme’s core values of Truth, Love, Peace, Responsibility and Community. ‘The Big Thinkers’ have come up with songs that are fun to sing and also meaningful for all children.
The Impact
Our End-Point surveys show that after just 1 term, children were becoming more conscious about how they relate to others and the world around them. Both teachers and children alike have reported that they feel calmer and more focussed during the day when they have done Silent Sitting. NHPS are working to fully embed TBT in their weekly timetable and the wider school community is beginning to get more involved – starting with an inclusive Values Dialogue – an open discussion about Values in education – involving a mix of parents, children, governors and staff.
Listen to this audio clip from the end of the session:
Year 4 child | 2. Head Teacher | 3. Parent Governor | 4. Learning Support Assistant
NHPS now plan to involve their School Council in leading the calls to social action that come as a result of The Big Change component in the classroom sessions.