Courageous Advocacy

At Longparish Church of England Primary School we have a strong emphasis on encouraging our pupils to become courageous advocates, not just locally, but nationally and globally.

“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

By way of a working definition, when using the term ‘courageous advocacy’ we are referring to the act of developing an awareness of, and being prepared to speak out against, an issue of injustice, often on behalf of those whose voice is not heard.

Speaking out, at whatever level this takes place, requires an element (and sometimes a great deal) of courage! Becoming a courageous advocate for change, therefore, must involve being informed about an issue and it must move beyond simply knowing, to saying and doing. Educating for courageous advocacy must embody an ethos of action-taking, challenging injustice and becoming agents of change in the transformation of ourselves, our relationships and our communities from the local level to the global.

Within the community, our school stands up for what it believes in. Our Christian Values of Friendship, Respect and Excellence, alongside the British Values (Rule of Law, Tolerance, Democracy, Mutual Respect and Individual Liberty) ensure that opportunities to discuss current world issues, to challenge injustice and to engage in activities that can bring about change are always present.

Such as:

• Remembrance Day - £196 raised in November 2024
• Politics – voting in our House Captains
• School Council who seek the views of pupils as to which causes we want to support;
• NSPCC – all children received NSPCC ‘speak out, stay safe’ training
• Head Teacher writes in the local Parish newsletter and local papers to reach out to the community.

We understand that life can be challenging at times and that all people, including friends, family and global citizens will face difficulties that they need help to persevere with in order to overcome them. We aim to inspire courageous advocacy and instill our Christian Values in the whole Longparish community. To ensure that we, and our community give, inspire and flourish together, we have been and are supportive of a range of charities in our local area, nationally and globally.

Some of these include:

• Christian Aid
• Andover Food Bank – Our house captains  visit the food bank before every Harvest Festival, to find out for themselves what they do to help support those in need in the community.  On returning to school they speak to the school in a collective worship so that everyone knows the importance of donating food for the upcoming Harvest Festival. 
• Children in Need - 
• Comic Relief
• Sports Relief
• Mityana Projects Trust (Uganda)
• Red Nose Day

Our children have a good understanding of the meaning of belonging to a local and global community and the sense of responsibility that comes with belonging; therefore 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:

• Longparish Clean up day – Children from school volunteered to help on ‘Village Clean up day’ in October 2022
• Links with local care home – including visits at Christmas time to Carol sing.
• Joining the village lunchtime club to share in the enjoyment of musical concert
• Developing links with our newly twinned school in Uganda
• Developing links with schools locally, nationally and internationally (to learn about the similarities, differences & how we can help support/develop each other through these).
• Strong PTA with community events such as Christmas and Summer Fayres.
• School advertises and supports local events;
• House Captains visit local food bank every harvest time.

‘What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God’ Micah 6:8