Many schools across the country have been marking Anti-Bullying Week (11–15 November), but children and staff at Tollerton Primary School decided to look at things through a different lens by focusing on kindness through a whole-school project they called ‘It’s Cool to Be Kind’.
The youngest children in the school’s Early Years Foundation Stage invited children who attend Tollerton Village Playgroup to play, and it was all very exciting!
The playgroup children each decorated a heart as a thank you for the kindness. Luci Gordon, the school’s Deputy Head and EYFS Lead, said: “It was very special seeing all the children enjoying time together in our amazing outdoor area on a lovely sunny autumnal afternoon.
Chatting away and exploring kindness through play was exactly what we were seeking to achieve.”
Tracey Owen, the playgroup’s Supervisor, said:
“It is never too early to teach children about kindness. It was a lovely gesture, and we were all very excited to pop over to ‘big school’!”
Children in Class 3 made small snack packs, which were taken to the local Spire Hospital for staff to enjoy during their rest breaks.
The hospital has been supportive of the school previously, so it felt very natural to reciprocate.
Other classes made cookies to hand to parents as they arrived to collect children from school, lavender bags to distribute to neighbours, planted bulbs in pots which were left on doorsteps of neighbouring properties, and positive affirmations were written by the oldest children in Class 6 for every member of the school’s staff.
Katie Smith, Headteacher, said: “Being kind is one of our school values, and in our assemblies and through our curriculum, we focus a lot on what it means, but enabling children to walk the walk as well as talk the talk is vital. Everyone needs to know how it feels to be kind, and let’s face it, it’s so much easier to be kind than to be a bully.”
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