Please find further resources on Schools within this section of the site.
‘Peaceful Primary Schools’ Conference, in London, on Friday 18 May 2012 at the (Quaker's) Friends House (it's a very big building opposite Euston Station!), 173 Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ. To download the booking form click on: SE_Conference_2012.pdf or email: anna@spiritualengland.org.uk
Organised by Spiritual England in partnership with Quaker Life and Winchester University.
Only £45 for people from schools and statutory agencies and just £38 for everyone else!
This is a unique and timely conference about how people are making primary schools into peaceful communities where all children are valued, listened to and helped to develop into well-rounded human beings.
Speakers and workshop leaders:
- Dr Neil Hawkes, International Consultant for Values-Based Education and Leadership
- Pete Dunmall, Head Teacher, Addison Primary
- Laura Daniels, Head Teacher, Woodheys Primary
- Annie Blampied, an Inter-faith Minister with many years teaching experience in Steiner Waldorf education
- Suzanne Lee from ‘Transforming Conflict’
- Chris Nickolay, Quaker Life
- Philip Roderick, Founder-Director of the Quiet Gardens Movement and the Bishop of Sheffield’s Adviser on Spirituality.
- Learning Through Landscapes
- Christine Easom, Creative Spaces Education
- Cathy Ota, Working with Others
- David Keith, the Peace Foundation Network
- David Holmes, Healthy Schools consultant
- Anna Lubelska, Spiritual England
Workshops on
- Designing peaceful school grounds
- Engaging with children about peace
- Creating a peaceful school
- Our value-based school
- Healthy schools and spiritual development
- Peace work in schools
- ‘Fun into stillness’ for children in schools
- Peacefully working with others
- Peace education in schools
Peaceful Schools Movement
Spiritual England is generating a Peaceful Schools Movement! Networking with others. We have a researcher working in a small number of schools in Staffordshire and Derbyshire asking primary and secondary school pupils: 'Would you like a more peaceful school?' and 'What would a peaceful school be like?' Lots of interesting answers and ideas so far. Email: anna@spiritualengland.org.uk if you would like a brief report of our findings so far.
We are planning two publications: Peaceful Secondary Schools and Peaceful Primary Schools and we are organising a conference on the 18 May 2012 in London on Peaceful Primary Schools.
Spiritual England has created the Peaceful Schools campaign to bring some stillness and peace into our children’s lives at a time when concerns about young people’s mental health are escalating, children are bombarded with information, advertising and under all sorts of pressure in our global and media driven society. Director Anna Lubelska said: ‘We believe that there should be dedicated spaces at the heart of our schools where pupils and students can be quiet, reflect and meditate or pray if they want to’. Spiritual England is working with national and local partners to:
- engage with children and young people about their needs and ideas;
- organise regional events to discuss and promote the campaign amongst people involved in schools and children’s services;
- develop materials for use in schools and other settings to help people create special quiet places indoors and outdoors and also to help children and young people develop inner peace.
The scope of this work includes:
- School ethos – for example Bohunt School in Hampshire which was founded on Quaker principles does not have bells at the end of lessons which makes for a calmer atmosphere.
- School environment (inside and outside) – young people have said that the library is the quietest place in school….at the moment!
- Ideas for quiet indoor and outdoor spaces.
- Connections between the school and the local community, and wider world to promote peace.
- RE, PSHE and citizenship classes – developing peaceful content within these classes that can influence the whole school ethos and behaviour.
- Peaceful classroom practice – for example, how the teacher can help pupils quieten themselves at the start of any type of class.
- Meditation, mindfulness and yoga in schools to help children have inner peace.
- How to help children and staff be reflective.
- Quiet spaces for bigger groups eg RS and PSHE lessons and associated activities.
- Practices for the whole school community eg the Krishnamurti school ‘Brockwood Park’ on the South Downs has a 10 minutes of silence session at the start of each school day for all pupils and staff.
- The use of music and nature as a means to nurture children’s spirituality.
- Imporving the rooms that are used for children who are removed from the classroom because of their behaviour.
- The effect of diet on making children hyper or calm.
- A holistic approach to children’s experiences within after school and school holiday activities.
To get involved in this campaign please email: anna@spiritualengland.org.uk