Blackheath Primary School, Blackheath, West Midlands, B65 9NF Friday 27 November 2015

30th November 2015

Chair of the Peaceful Schools Strategy Group, presents the Beacon Peaceful Schools Certificate to two pupils at Blackheath Primary School. http://www.blackheathprimary.org.uk The school impressed the assessors on all four ‘levels’ of peace: inner peace, peaceful relationships, community peace and global peace!

On the photo - Sara Hagel, Chair of the Peaceful Schools Strategy Group, presents the Beacon Peaceful Schools Certificate to two pupils at Blackheath Primary Schools.http://www.blackheathprimary.org.uk The school impressed the assessors on all four ‘levels’ of peace: inner peace, peaceful relationships, community peace and global peace!

All children are given a lot of help to feel peaceful inside. For example, 5 minutes is set aside at the end of lunchtimes for a calming- down activity to ease the way into the rest of the school day. Yoga is practised across the school, and in particular it is practised each day in Year 6 prior to the SATS! There are also ‘Meditation Mondays’, with a meditative assembly. Every classroom has a chill-out zone. In addition, any child with particular emotional or behavioural issues can choose a space in the school (where they can be seen) as their chill-out space where they keep a box stocked with things that help them calm down. They can go there when upset and not be bothered until they are ready.

Good relationships are prioritised and the school follows the ‘Jigsaw PSHE’ scheme http://www.jigsawpshe.com that supports healthy relationships. Children have received peer mediation and buddying training and the school plans to develop this work. Reflection sheets are used when a behaviour rule has been broken, which encourages students to think about their behaviour choice and how they were feeling. There is an emphasis on genuine pupil voice, with, for example, an elected pupil leadership team shadowing the SLT. Staff all have mentors and a coaching system is being developed. Conflicts are sorted through talking and coaching.

Community Peace - all work in the school is built around the core values

R - RESPONSIBILITY (Everyone’s)

E - EMPATHY (Show understanding)

S - SMART (Appearance in everything)

P - POLITENESS (Be polite at all times)

E - EMPOWER (Let me learn/lead for myself)

C - CARE (Show you care about yourself, each

other and your environment)

T - TEAM (Together Everyone Achieves More)

The values are lived out and reinforced throughout the school with assemblies being linked to the values. The values work is also brought alive by creative work such as puppets for each of the values that ‘visit’ each classroom on rotation and the values drawn out during curriculum lessons. The children are really engaged with the school values. There are school-wide policies such as a ‘No shouting’ policy and the physical environment of the school is creative and stimulating and designed to be peaceful.

Peace in the world - each year group has a charity that it raises money for, raising awareness of broader issues. Assemblies mark important events and dates e.g. Syrian refugees and International Peace Day, exploring community and global dimensions of peace.