Remembrance day

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zcxktcw/articles/z2866g8#zy6yvwx

What do you see in the photo? What is happening, when do you think it was taken, what are they doing?

The photo shows a recruitment drive in Trafalgar Square, London, 1914.

What are they recruiting people to do?

They are recruiting men to enlist in the army to fight in World War One. In August 1914 the government realised Britain needed more soldiers. 

Why did they need so many soldiers, how was the war fought in 1914?

How do you think soldiers were recruited?

54 million posters were put up, 8 million letters were sent, 12,000 meetings were held, 20,000 speeches were given by military personnel.

In the first weekend of the war, a huge number of men signed up. Can you guess how many?

In the first weekend, 100 men an hour, 3000 a day signed up to join the armed forces. By the end of the year, 1,186,337 men had joined up.

Why do you think so many joined to fight the war?

The legal age to enlist was aged 18-41. Some jobs were "reserved occupations" which meant that men had to stay at home: these were men who worked on farms, coal mines, ship yards, munitions factories.

Why were these reserved?

Many younger teenagers tried to join before they were 18. They lied about their age to get in the army; some aged as young as 13 or 14 joined the war.

Why do you think boys did that?

Some joined the army because they wanted to fight for their country, some wanted to be treated like men and some were excited to join a war.

What do you think they thought war would be like? 

Do you think they were right?

Did all men enlist? 

Some men refused to fight on religious or moral grounds. They were conscientious objectors. 

Can you understand why someone might refuse to join the army?

What are the arguments for and against being a conscientious objector?

Some conscientious objectors were allowed to carry stretchers on the battlefields, some went o work on farms. Some were sent to prison.

Often white feathers were given to men in the street if they were not in uniform to try and shame them and make them join the army. A group called the order of the white feather did this.

What do you think about this?

By the end of the war, almost a quarter of all the men in the UK had been in the armed forces and millions had died or were injured. The government needed to replace these soldiers so recruitment carried on thought the war.

Today we remember all those who gave their lives. Every year on 11th November at 11:00 we hold a 2 minute silence to remember those soldiers. This is because  World War One ended at 11:00 on that date in 1918.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/health/medical/remembrance-day-visually-impaired-veterans-lost-for-words-as-they-prepare-to-join-parade-at-cenotaph/ar-AA1Q2rqk?ocid=BingNewsSerp

This year is very special for two veterans who are joining 10,000 soldiers in the remembrance day march at the cenotaph in London. James Alfred Sibbet and Ian Baker are visually impaired and have not been able to march with the veterans before. They say the opportunity to join the march fulfils a life long dream.

Both men are supported by Sight Scotland Veterans to join the march. James Sibbet is 95 years old and says, "To me remembrance is about honouring a group of people who dedicated themselves to the safety and wellbeing of their country and everyone in it. These are individuals who made the choice to serve. Those of us who did share a deep sense of connection and understanding."

What does he mean? 

"I never thought I would be able to do this, especially after losing my sight."

Ian Baker says, "I've lost many good friends and family in different conflicts and this is my chance to pay tribute to them. I never imagined I's get to be past of something like this, especially after losing my sight. It means more to be than I can put in to words."

Why do you think this means so much to James and Ian?

Both men say losing their sight made them think they would never ne able to join; what do you think about this?

Ian says, "As the old saying goes, for our tomorrows they gave their todays. I can't thank these people enough for the sacrifices they made and the freedoms we have today."

What does "For our tomorrows they gave their todays" mean?

What can we learn from Ian and James?

Why is this about No Outsiders?

Which British value is this about?

Do you want this assembly as a power point? To join the free mailing list and receive these assemblies as power points every week, email me on a.moffat@excelsiormat.org (please note, I will not be able to send this out to people in time for Remembrance day after mid day Monday 10th)

No Outsiders: We belong here by Andrew Moffat  (scheme of work for primary schools) 

Andrew Moffat delivers in-school No Outsiders training- watch a short video here 

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LGBT sculpture

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr7m8kzgy77o?fbclid=IwY2xjawNvAz9leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETA4NGRTdVA2dmo1ODh4aFE3AR61y9mPyk1XQ4WiFxYy1r5TxftzSUdW6tWDHC9-4iK5eKWurL5psBOFF0WgqA_aem_IrdpOjXp6K-UZ9IpMH8TYg

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c70e0gep19xo

What do you see in the picture, do you recognise anyone? Are there any symbols you recognise? What do you think this story might be about?

Last week King Charles III unveiled a memorial to LGBT veterans at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. This is the first memorial in the UK to military personnel who are Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Transgender. There has been a campaign for 25 years to have a memorial for LGBT veterans. 

Why do you think it has taken so long?

Why do you think this memorial exists?

Has LGBT always been accepted in the army?

The bronze sculpture was designed by a Norfolk- based artist collective Abraxas Academy and resembles a crumpled piece of paper containing words from personal letters from by LGBT soldiers that were used as evidence to incriminate them.

                                         

What does incriminate mean? How can a letter incriminate someone?

Why use words and letters, why not have a statue of a gay soldier?

Being gay in the military was banned until the year 2000. Before 2000, if you were LGBT you could be dismissed from the army.

Why do you think this happened? What is this an example of?

How do you think it felt to have to hide who you were to your colleagues and friends? 

Why wouldn't this happen today? What law do we have today that stops this happening, what other groups are protected in this law?

This photo shows Ltd Cdr Duncan Lustig-Prean who describes how he hid his sexuality while in the navy before the year 2000. His boyfriend' name was Phil so Duncan used to practice saying "Phyliss" if anyone asked about a girlfriend. He would put photos of a girl next to his bed on the ship, never a photo of Phil. He and Phil would write to each other but would never sign letters to each other with full names.

Why not?

Why not just tell close friends?

When the ship left harbour for a lengthy deployment (sometimes eight months) everyone else would have their loved ones waving on the dock. Phil could never join the loved ones on the dock; he would walk a few miles down the coast and wave at the ship from a sea wall on his own; Duncan would always look out for him.   

What does this show about Phil and Duncan's relationship at the time?

Duncan was suspended and later discharged from the navy after 15 years in 1994 because they found out he was gay. Seeing the monument today, Duncan says is an "intensely emotional experience - not just because we never expected to vet this far, but also because  for anyone who serves, remembrance of those who gave their lives is profoundly important to us."

Why do you think Duncan wants to remember something that was so hard for him at the time?

The Ministry of Defence says today it deeply regrets the treatment of those affected by the ban; "What they experienced was not reflective of today's values or the inclusive culture of the armed forces."

What does inclusive culture mean, how is the military different today?

Why is this about No Outsiders?

Which British Value is this about?

Do you want this assembly as a power point? To join the free mailing list and receive these assemblies as power points every week, email me on a.moffat@excelsiormat.org

No Outsiders: We belong here by Andrew Moffat  (scheme of work for primary schools) 

Andrew Moffat delivers in-school No Outsiders training- watch a short video here 

Register to be a No Outsiders school  (get access to members page with additional resources)

Watch CPD films showing schools teaching belonging

Scapegoats

 

https://www.scottishlegal.com/articles/england-council-seeks-justice-for-women-executed-in-17th-century-witch-trials

What do you see in the picture, were do you think it might be? What might this story be about?

The picture shows Peneden Heath, is a small town in Maidstone, Kent. It is known for its heathland area which you can see in the picture. The Heath wasn't always so peaceful as in history it had a different use. The Peneden Heath comes from an Anglo Saxon term "Pinian" which means to inflict pain and suffering.

Can you guess what the heath was used for in history?

Peneden Heath was used as a site for executions in medieval and Tudor times. 

There have been no executions on Peneden Heath for a long time, so why do you think this place might make the news in 2025?

The story is about seven women from the year 1652; Anne Ashby, Mary Brown, Anne Martyn, Mildred Wright, Susan Pickenden, Anne Wilson and Mary Reade. 

Can you guess what the story is?

On 30th July 1652, these seven women were executed on Peneden Heath for witchcraft.

What was witchcraft?

The seven women were accused of having "monstrous powers" and were convicted together.

Do you think the women did have monstrous powers?

Why were they convicted, were they really witches? What was going on?

In the centuries since 1652, the seven women have been forgotten. But they were not alone; many women across the UK at this time were put on trial for witchcraft. None are remembered today.

The people of Peneden Heath want to right this wrong that happened 373 years ago. The leader of Maidstone Council has written to the home secretary Shabana Mahmood, calling for a new law to pardon the Peneden Heath women and all others convicted of witchcraft; "These historic acts of murder cannot be undone but those women could be granted a general pardon."

What is a pardon?

Why do this today, isn't it 373 years too late?

The campaigners say they want to send out a message about injustice. 

What do you think this message is? 

Councillor Claire Kehily says, "For some people it's completely pointless and achieves nothing. Yes these women will never know. But I think it sends a strong message that injustice will be called out and fought against. At the end of the day, they weren't witches, they were just women."

What do you think of Claire's point, do you agree, disagree?

Marion Gibson is a professor at Exeter University and she explains; "This was happening all over Britain. Maybe somebody's child had died in sad circumstances that couldn't be explained and the neighbours start to get suspicious" People were told that witches existed and so they believed it. "It was really easy for them to think not just that witches existed but actually that the maybe the old women they didn't like down the road was a witch."

How could this happen so easily?

Why didn't anyone stop it?

Claire Mitchell is one of the campaigners. She says; "We are somebody else's history."

What does that mean?

Claire says that the women in 1652 were a scapegoat.

What is a scapegoat?

"They said, 'these are the people that are causing you ill, and when you get rid of those people, our problems will be over."

Do you think that happened? Were problems over once the women were got rid of?

Some people today say similar things about people who are different. Why do people say these things?

Can we learn anything from history?

What do we say in our school about being different?

Why is this about No Outsiders?

Which British Value is this about?

Do you want this assembly as a power point? To join the free mailing list and receive these assemblies as power points every week, email me on a.moffat@excelsiormat.org

No Outsiders: We belong here by Andrew Moffat  (scheme of work for primary schools) 

Register to be a No Outsiders school  (get access to members page with additional resources)

Watch CPD films showing schools teaching belonging

Integration

 

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/white-handsworth-trader-blasts-derogatory-32628305

What do you see in the picture, who do you think this is? What is he doing, what do you think this story might be about?

David Volante is a store manager in Handsworth, Birmingham. 

Where is Birmingham?

What do you know about Birmingham?

Birmingham is one of the most diverse cities in the UK, which over one million people call home. It is known as an area of super diversity.

What do you think super diversity means?

Many of those people were born in Birmingham, some moved here. Every single resident is unique, much more than their defined ethnicity.

What is a defined ethnicity?

What does this sentence mean: "We are much more than our defined ethnicity"?

A recent census showed data for ethnicity in Birmingham.

What is a census?

The census showed 48.6% of people in Birmingham are White or White British, 31% are Asian or Asian British, 10% are Black or Black British.

What does Asian British, Black British mean?

In some areas of the city, there are less white faces and in some areas of the city there are less Black or Brown faces. 

Why is this?

Some people  talk about integration in British cities and use ethnicity as a marker to show an area is more integrated or less integrated.

What does integration mean?

If there are more white faces or brown faces in an area, does that mean it is less integrated?

Does good integration mean there has to be equal numbers of each ethnicity?

The photo shows David Volante outside his store in Handsworth, a part of Birmingham where there are many different ethnicities living together. 

David says he has encountered "nothing but respect" from the residents of Handsworth since he moved there. "As a white British man, I've had nothing but respect in the two years I've worked on this road. I enjoy spending time in this multicultural area."

In the photo you see David pointing to a Diwali sign in his shop window.

What is Diwali? 

Do you think David celebrates Diwali?

Why does he have a Diwali sign in his shop?

Bob Balu also lives in Handsworth and says, "We've got Indians, Pakistanis, Vietnamese, Caribbean, white people... we're all passionate about recognising everyone."

Why?

Why does Bob say he is passionate about "recognising" and not passionate about "celebrating" everyone? Would celebrate be a better word to use? (one could argue we don't actually need to celebrate each other, we need to respect, accept, understand each  other)

"We've got 22 different cultural diversities on this road for food, it's not just curries and Bangladeshi food. We're giving it to everyone. And we all eat."

Why does Bob say "We all eat"?

"I love this area. It's got life and I'm always here to give back to it."

How can you give back to an area? What do you think Bob means?

What can we learn about Britain from this story?

Some people might say an area is better if everyone has the same skin. How do you think Bob and David would respond to that?

What do we say at our school about ethnicity?

What does British law say about ethnicity?

Why is this about No Outsiders?

Which British Value is this about?

Do you want this assembly as a power point? To join the free mailing list and receive these assemblies as power points every week, email me on a.moffat@excelsiormat.org

No Outsiders: We belong here by Andrew Moffat  (scheme of work for primary schools) 

Register to be a No Outsiders school  (get access to members page with additional resources)

Watch CPD films showing schools teaching belonging

Running shoes

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cewnje717rqo

What do you see in the picture? What do you notice? What do you think this story might be about?

The picture shows Stef Reid who is a world champion Paralympic long jumper and sprinter for Canada and Great Britain. She is a multiple medal winner and also has a MBE.

How can Steff represent two countries?

Stef was born in New Zealand to British parents. Her father is Scottish and her mother is English. When she was four years old, her family moved to Canada.

What does this family history show about people living in the word today? Where do you think Stef feels she belongs? Who decides where Stef belongs?

Today Stef campaigns for Nike, Adidas and Puma to do something different...

What do Nike, Adidas and Puma sell?

What do you think Stef is asking them to do differently? 

Lots of stores proudly display models with blades in their shop windows. Stef thinks this is great; "I love the bladed mannequins. I wish 15 year old Stef had seen those."

What is a bladed mannequin?

Why do you think some stores are doing this?

Why does Stef wish her 15 year old self had seen those?

Stef says, "But now I want the retailers to match their inclusive imagery with the actual buying experience."

What can she mean here?

What is inclusive imagery?

Think about how shoes are being sold, what do you think Stef wants the stores to do differently?

Stef is campaigning for Nike, Adidas and Pumas to sell single shoes.

Why does she want that?

High end running shoes cost over £200 but Stef only needs one. Stef has to buy two shoes even though she only uses one shoe.

Does this matter?

What do you think the store would say in response - what are the different points of view here?

Nike launched a single shoe policy last year but it wasn't advertised and when Stef asked it wasn't available and she was offered a 15% discount instead.

Why do you think this offer wasn't advertised well?

Is a 15% discount a good offer? Should Stef just accept the offer?

What would your advice be to Stef?

What do you think Nike, Adidas and Puma should do?

Why is this about No Outsiders?

Which British Value is this about?

Do you want this assembly as a power point? To join the free mailing list and receive these assemblies as power points every week, email me on a.moffat@excelsiormat.org

No Outsiders: We belong here by Andrew Moffat  (scheme of work for primary schools) 

Register to be a No Outsiders school  (get access to members page with additional resources)

Watch CPD films showing schools teaching belonging

Ice skating

 

https://euroweeklynews.com/2025/09/16/same-sex-ice-dancing-team-breaks-new-ground-in-finland/

What do you see in the picture? Where are they? What sport is this, what do you notice about the two people? What do you think this story is about?

The photo shows Millie Colling and Emma Aalto (both 19 years old) who are competing in Finland this year in the ice skating championship.

There is something different about this championship - a rule has been changed this year to allow something for the first time. 

What rule do you think has been changed?

This year for the first time ever, skaters can compete in pairs that are the same gender.

Millie says she and Emma are best friends that want to skate together. Usually skaters have to be a man and a woman but this year skaters can be called Skater A and Skater B.

Why do you think skaters have had to be different genders before now?

Can you think of any reason this won't work if the skaters are the same sex?

Earlier this year, retired Olympic champions, Madison Hubbel and Gabriella Papadakis performed together, hoping to help break gender stereotypes in sport.

What are gender stereotypes in sport?

Do gender stereotypes in sport matter? (explain why/ why not)

Mille says there is a common misconception that same sex skaters are gay or lesbian. But she says that's not the case and you don't have to be in a same sex relationship just because you compete together.

Why do you think some people think that?

Emma says, "The point is to be opening possibilities for everyone not just for gay and lesbian people. Ice dancing with a same sex partner is not necessarily any different."

What does opening possibilities mean?

In a partnership that was male and female, who would usually do the lifting? How do you think this works if the couple are the same sex?

Mille explains, "One of us leads, one of us follows, one lifts, one of us is lifted. We have quite similar body mass so technically there are some differences but we still do the same content."

"Every partnership is different. Every couple has their strengths and weaknesses. Ice dance is a really individual sport - each couple is unique and we're just another unique couple."

If the couple qualify in Finland, they will not be allowed to take part in the national competition in December because the rules haven't been changed for that competition yet.

Why enter a competition if you are not allowed to compete in the final? 

Mille and Emma say they do not expect to win; "we're just excited to get out there. You can be whatever you want to be on ice."

Why do you think ide dancing makes them feel like that?

If they don't think they can win, should they still enter, what's the point?

What can we learn from Millie and Emma?

Why is this about No Outsiders

Which British Value is this about?

Do you want this assembly as a power point? To join the free mailing list and receive these assemblies as power points every week, email me on a.moffat@excelsiormat.org

No Outsiders: We belong here by Andrew Moffat  (scheme of work for primary schools) 

Register to be a No Outsiders school  (get access to members page with additional resources)

Watch CPD films showing schools teaching belonging

Being British

 

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/uk-news/mosque-sends-powerful-message-after-32372270?fbclid=IwZnRzaAM5J5hleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHked6ont5Abc0JEH8y2ryXF-SdyAlVtwXbujN9zj_8s7jezk--r60pTLECXQ_aem_A4Tt5sbcQhi3fFCStPOrwg#ertkb9t4d897a347vxouqjzg6085x4dl

What do you see in the picture, where do you think it was taken, what do you notice about the people in the photo? What do you think the story is here?

Last week a man attached a union jack to railings outside a Mosque in Birkenhead. He was seen on CCTV; he did it at night and didn't ask the Mosque first.

Why do you think he did that?

When Ibrahim Syed arrived at the Mosque the next morning, he found the flag and made a decision.

What do you think were the options for Ibrahim?

Ibrahim chose to hang a Union Jack in the window of the Mosque.

Why do you think Ibrahim did that?

Ibrahim said about the person who put the flag outside the Mosque, "We think he thought the flag would be offensive to people who are Muslim but that's not how we see it at all."

Why might someone think a union jack was offensive to Muslims?

Ibrahim says that's not how they see it; how do you think Ibrahim sees the union jack?

Ibrahim said, "We decided we needed to reclaim our narrative of being British and being Muslim and our claim as much as anybody's to the Union Jack." 

What do you think Ibrahim means by "reclaim our narrative of being British and being Muslim"?

"We thought what could send a powerful message is if we could display a Union Jack in our window to show we are British, we do belong and this is as much our flag as anyone else's"

Why is that a powerful message?

Do you think flags are important?

Why do you think Ibrahim wants people to know he is British and he belongs?

What can we learn from Ibrahim?

What do we say in our school about different religions?

Which British law protects religion and belief? (who else is protected in the law?)

Why is this about No Outsiders?

Which British Value is this about?

Do you want this assembly as a power point? To join the free mailing list and receive these assemblies as power points every week, email me on a.moffat@excelsiormat.org

No Outsiders: We belong here by Andrew Moffat  (scheme of work for primary schools) 

Register to be a No Outsiders school  (get access to members page with additional resources)

Watch CPD films showing schools teaching belonging