Primary School Assemblies for a Just World

Assemblies provide an important element in the busy school day, a chance to be together, to celebrate achievement, and time for ethical and spiritual reflection on big issues and personal responsibility. But they can also be a headache for the busy teacher or assembly leader and sometimes those big questions can seem just too daunting to tackle in an appropriate way for the diverse young minds of the school community. Help is at hand in this book which provides a rich variety of assembly material exploring and explaining global development issues for primary school children. Using true stories and personal testimony to engage the children’s interest, the assemblies include activities, games and drama to open up the issues in an age-appropriate way. They conclude with a reflection and a prayer to help children relate development issues to their own lives, bridging the gaps of distance and culture to unite the human family. Each of the 30 assemblies is accompanied by a range of possible classroom activities that tie in to National Curriculum subjects such as PSE, Citizenship, RE and Maths. This user friendly book includes clear, informal instructions and advice along with photocopiable worksheets as appropriate. The material is presented in a step by step fashion with an emphasis on ’pick-up-and-use’ plus adaptability to personal style and circumstance. This is an ideal resource for teachers and all those who lead primary school assemblies and collective worship.Gordon Lamont is the editor of a website which provides high quality, instant access primary and secondary school assemblies for teachers and others leading collective worship.