Courageous Advocacy

‘Courageous advocacy’ involves being courageous enough to speak out against injustice. We encourage our pupils to come together to become informed about issues that people across the world are facing, and to tackle issues, support and educate other people, and to improve both their local community as well as helping to address global problems.

Tilstock children live out the school’s Christian values by supporting others through a wide range of charity work which takes place throughout the year, supporting charities such as Macmillan Cancer Support, NSPCC, Samaritan’s Purse, Comic Relief, Children in Need, and a range of local charities which children regularly feel moved to help out, such as local food banks and organisations supporting learning needs. However, encouraging children to be courageous advocates goes much further than this, and requires time to introduce them to the range of issues faced across the world, and giving them the opportunities to raise awareness and help find solutions.

Courageous advocacy opportunities within school, whilst being responsive to issues that arise throughout the school year, are broadly mapped against our curriculum to ensure that children make meaningful links between their learning, and social action. In 2015, world leaders agreed to 17 Global Goals. These goals aim to create a better world by 2030, by ending poverty, fighting inequality and addressing the urgency of climate change. These goals form a basis for many of the courageous advocacy opportunities which link to our curriculum. The goals are:

Courageous Advocacy Map

On the next two pages are overviews of opportunities, which naturally link to the two-year rolling programme of our curriculum, to raise awareness of issues affecting people locally or globally, or impacting on the environment. Children will then be able to find ways to share this awareness with others, and as far as possible, help to make a positive difference. Opportunities may be amended or moved to alternative times during the school year to enable staff to be responsive to current issues which arise locally or across the world. Topics and themes are revisited as children move through the school, to build on learning and develop deeper understanding in an age-appropriate way.

Where there is a link to one of the ‘Global Goals’, the relevant icon is shown.

Several organisations provide resources and projects to support with social action. Possible resources linked to each topic are also referenced in italics where relevant. The referenced resources can be found on the websites below:

World’s Largest Lesson (Global Goals): https://worldslargestlesson.globalgoals.org

Practical Action: https://practicalaction.org

British Council: https://connecting-classrooms.british.council.org

(a range of climate resources available in addition to those referenced on the planning overview)

Action Aid: https://actionaid.org.uk

Kids Go Global: www.kidsgoglobal.net

Earth Cubs: https://earthcubs.com (to access resources, a free account must be registered)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Download copies here of cycle A and B.