Justice and Responsibility
Courageous Advocacy
Courageous advocacy is defined by the Church of England as “the act of speaking out against an issue of injustice, often on behalf of those whose voice is not heard.” At St. Mary’s we encourage and support our children to become courageous advocates who believe that they can become ‘agents of change’ to strive towards a fairer and more joyous world. This means that they champion causes that are special and meaningful to them; connected to matters and concerns personal and close to home for them or linked to wider global issues. All acts of courageous advocacy at St. Mary’s are driven by our school’s Christian vision, encompassing God’s vision that everyone should live well together in order to flourish. Courage is one of our core Christian values and is at the heart of all actions and decision making by children and adults. We understand that courage is needed to persevere and stand up for something or someone you believe in, to make a difference.
At St. Mary’s, we want to support and encourage our children to become courageous advocates, not just locally but nationally and globally.
At some point in life we will all face challenges and need support to help us overcome these barriers. We teach our children that is important to help others regardless of where they come from or what their challenges are. We teach this in many ways; through our work on values, with links to the Bible, other faiths and world views as well as learning about other courageous advocates. We want our children to have confidence to discuss and debate big ideas, to challenge injustice and engage in activities that can bring about change on some level.
"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy."
(Proverbs 31: 8-9)
Church of England Courageous Advocacy
It is important for our children to appreciate their role as part of a community; to take responsibility, to be able to look after themselves and foster an understanding of their importance, impact and influence in the world.
In recent years we have carried out fundraising to raise awareness of issues and support those working for change, including:
Southend Storehouse and the SVP at Short Street
Children in Need
Royal British Legion
Macmillan
Cancer Research UK and the UK Sepsis Trust
Gold Geese for Children's Cancer
As one of our core values, our children have an excellent grasp on the meaning of belonging to a local and global community and the sense of responsibility that comes with belonging. Thereby developing their ability to empathise and make a small sacrifice to benefit others.
Together we consider the beauty and fragility of our environment, the actions we take, and the impact these actions may have on the well-being of everyone. Our school community and curriculum actively embraces a responsibility for the world in which we live. We are diligent to show our connection with, and care for, the world in which we all live and care for the people who live in it.
We have links with a local care home and local charities which our children have visited. They have taken part in activities with the care home residents, such as arts and crafts, singing and seated yoga. At the local foodbanks, our Young Pilgrims helped to sort and stack the food donations onto the shelves and helped to put together food parcels.
Our Pupil Governors and Eco Warriors seek views of the children, giving a voice to concerns and plans. Some of our Eco Warriors have also been elected to the Southend Eco Council with the local authority.
Our PTA, SMASH, lead community events such as the Summer Fayre, quizzes and other social activities to support initiatives within school.
The school newsletter, the St. Mary's Shout Out, supports local events and community information sharing.
Courageous Advocacy Projects
Our courageous advocacy projects are a step beyond a national awareness day or general fundraising event. Through these projects, the children have asked questions, researched facts, shared ideas about how they might take action, and have been empowered to begin on their journey as agents of change. In the Summer Term of 2023, each year group arranged and undertook a beach clean at Jubilee Beach. The rubbish at the beach was an issue that resonated with so many children and parents across the school and the community coming together in this way made such a positive difference whilst also raising awareness.
In June 2024, following Clean Air Day our Year 6 children undertook a project focusing on the impact of vehicle pollution on our air quality and the effect on children with asthma in our school. The children wrote letters to our parents, raising their awareness of the consequences that come with poor air quality around schools, encouraging them to participate in strategies to improve our air quality, including walking to school, parking further away and turning off their engines. The Year 6s chose to donate the £400 they raised from their Business Inc projects to Asthma + Lung UK, the only UK charity looking after the nations lungs who focus on ensuring that one day, everyone is able to breathe clean air and have healthy lungs.
Other Courageous Actions
Courageousness is a quality that is at the heart of all actions and decision-making made by children and adults at St. Mary’s, including governors. Staff act courageously when safeguarding children, supporting families and when modelling our high standards and expectations for relationships and behaviours. As a school, we work to ensure that sustainability is considered at all points and embedded in decision making. Along with the usual recycling of resources and careful budget decisions, school developments in recent years have included changing the lighting across Boston Avenue to LEDs and the installation of a more efficient boiler system. Children have had a voice in some of these decisions through class feedback, collective worship discussions, Pupil Governors and Eco Warriors.