Anti Bullying week

 

https://www.good.is/barack-obama-wrote-a-beautiful-letter-to-10-year-old-girl-being-bullied-about-her-gay-parents-ex1/

What do you see in the picture? Who is Barak Obama? What do you think this story is about?

In 2012 Barak Obama was president of the United States and had to stand again for re-election. During his campaign he spoke in support of marriage equality.

What is marriage equality?

Marriage equality is when two men can get married, or two women. Before marriage equality laws existed, only a man and woman could get married. In England and Wales, marriage equality laws were passed in 2013 and in Scotland in 2014. In America, the Supreme Court passed marriage equality laws in 2015.

What law in the UK today protects LGBT people?

In 2012, ten year old Sophia Bailey-Klugh wrote a letter to President Obama thanking him for speaking up in suport of marriage equality and she described the reaction form some of her classmates to her own family; Sophia has two Dads who are married to each other.

Here is Sophia's letter:

"I am so glad you agree that two men can love each other because I have two dads and they love each other. But at school, kids think that it's gross and weird and it hurts my heart and feelings."

Why would kids at school say that Sophia's family is weird?

What does that suggest about the kids and their understanding of diversity?

What do we say about different families at our school?

“If you were me and you had two dads that loved each other and kids at school teased you about it, what would you do?”

Sophia calls this teasing. Do you agree? Is there another name for this behaviour?

What is bullying, how do we know if something is bullying or not?

Is teasing the same as bullying?

Some people say you should ignore bullying- do you agree?

What advice would you give to Sophie?

Barak Obama replied to Sophie; he wrote a letter to her.

What do you think the letter said?

Here is the letter:

 

“In America, no two families look the same. We celebrate this diversity. And we recognise that whether you have two dads or two mums what matters above all is the love we show one another.”

What is Barak Obama, the President of America, saying here?

What is your response?

“Our differences unite us.”

What does that mean, how can we be united if we are different?

“You and I are blessed to live in a country where we are born equal no matter what we look like on the outside, where we grow up or who our parents are.”

Are there any other characteristics Barak Obama could add to that sentence?

“A good rule is to treat others the way you hope they will treat you. Remind your friends at school about this rule if they say something that hurts your feelings.”

What do you think of Barak Obama’s advice?

He doesn’t mention the moist important thing to do when you see bullying – what is that?

How do you think the kids in Sophia’s felt when they read this letter, about their behaviour, from the President of America?

This week is anti- bullying week. Why do we hold anti-bullying week each year?

This year the theme is “Break the silence”- what does that mean?

Why might people might wear odd socks to start anti-bullying week?

What do we say in our school about bullying?

Why do you think bullying sometimes happens in schools?

How can we all help to make this a school where bullying doesn’t happen?

Why is this about No Outsiders?

Which British Value is this about?

Do you want this assembly as a power point with Oracy sentence stems? 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

 

Walter Tull - Remembrance day

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zbgxbdm

What do you see in the photo, what do you notice, when do you think this was taken

 The photo shows Walter Tull.

 Who is Walter Tull?

 Walter Tull was born in 1888 in Folkestone, Kent. He was mixed race; his mother was from Folkestone and had white skin and his dad was from Barbados and had black skin. After Walter’s dad died in 1897, Water and his brother had to go to an orphanage in East London.

 What do you think life was like in an orphanage in 1897?

 It was at the orphanage that Walter discovered a love of football. Here is a picture of Walter with the orphanage football team.

Walter became a very good footballer and he went on to play professionally, first for Tottenham Hotspur and later for Northampton Town where he played in 110 matches.

In 1914 professional football was suspended.

 What happened in 1914 to cause football to be suspended?

 World War 1 began and Walter joined the football battalion, a fighting unit with about 1000 men, where he was quickly promoted to rank of Sergeant.

Why do you think Walter was promoted, what does this suggest abut him?

In 1916, Walter returned to England to be trained as an Officer. But at this time, only a white British born person could train to be an officer.

Why do you think this rule was in place?

What does this rule suggest about how life was different in 1916 for people with black skin?

What law was missing in 1916 that would make this rule illegal in 2026?

Walter was allowed to train to be an officer.

Why do you think Walter was allowed to train to be an officer, what does this suggest about him?

In 1917 Walter was commissioned to be an Officer. He was highly praised for his role in battle, in particular when he led soldiers over a river in Italy.

Why would leading an army of men over a river be difficult? Imagine what could go wring and what an officer had to consider at the time to be successful.

On 25 March 1918 Walter led an attack on German trenches.

What were the trenches, why were they there, who was in them?

Walter and his men had climb out the English trenches, cross No Mans Land and reach the German trenches to attack them.

Would this be exciting?

Was is No Man’s Land? Why is it called that?

What do you think happens when a soldier climbs out of his trench and crosses No Man’s Land?

Walter Tull was shot and killed as he led his men across No Man’s Land. His body was never found.

Why do you think his body never found?

At the time, Walter’s death didn’t get any attention. Walter’s name is listed on the Arras Memorial in France alongside the names of 35,000 men who lost their lives in the War between 1916 and 1918 and have no grave.

 

But recently his story has been told and there has been a campaign to award him the Military Cross Medal.

Why award a medal to someone after they have died?

Today, Walter is remembered as the first black officer to lead white men in to battle. Walter wasn’t the only Black British officer to serve in the army, but he was the first to lead soldiers on the front line.

Today, a road in Northampton that leads to the football stadium is named after Walter, and there is a statue of him outside the Northampton Guild Hall.

What is Remembrance Sunday for, why do people wear poppies?

What can we learn from Walter's story?

Why is this about No Outsiders?

Which British Value is this about?

Do you want this assembly as a power point with Oracy sentence stems? 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

 

Eye gaze

 

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/oct/02/patrick-mccabe-success-cheshire-reveals-limits-send-tech?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

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

Patrick McCabe is 16 years old and goes to Fallibroome Academy in Macclesfield, Cheshire. This summer, Patrick achieved something at school that made the news. Patrick did his GCSE's alongside his friends. However, while his friends did the exams over a few weeks. Patrick took 4 months to do his GCSEs. 

Why do you think Patrick took 4 months to do his GCSEs?

Patrick is thoughtful, articulate, intelligent, witty and honest. He also has cerebral palsy, which means his body works in a different way. The word cerebral refers to the brain and palsy refers to muscles. Patrick and his teachers had to work out a different way for Patrick to do his exams because he doesn't use his hands in the same way his friends use theirs and so pencils / pens do not have what he needs.

What do you think Patrick used to record learning in his exams?

Patrick used eye tracking technology, sometimes known as eye gaze technology.

What do you think eye tracking/ eye gaze technology means, how does it work?

Eye gaze technology is a device that enables the user to communicate by using only eye movements. The user selects letters, words or icons to express themselves. The tech can be paired with speech which enables words and phrases to be heard.

Patrick attends a mainstream school. He says, "The best thing has been that, just like my big brothers, I have been able to learn and develop skills and gain knowledge of the world around me. Even if some days I didn't want to go to school, I think the opportunity to learn has helped me to grow and develop an independent mind."

What challenges do you think Patrick faces at school?

Patrick says, "The most difficult things have been building meaningful relationships, and communication barriers do exist."

What barriers do you think Patrick is talking about here?

"People are not always familiar with eye gaze technology and are not always able or willing to give it a chance in terms of friendships."

What is your response to this comment - what is happening here?

What is the solution? 

It wasn't easy to get permission from the exam board to give Patrick 4 months to do his exams. Other pupils had just hours to sit their exams in June; Patrick started his exams on 2nd February and worked on the exams every morning till 5th June. One question that was worth 30 marks could take up to 6 hours to answer for Patrick. Some might argue that's not fair... 

Can you see both sides of this argument?

What is your response?

Now Patrick has started his A Levels - French, Business and Media Studies and he wants to go to University. Patrick is not only worried about exams as he moves forward; what worries him most is friendships; "My concerns remain around friendships, if I'm honest."

Why do you think this is?

What can we learn from Patrick?

What needs to change moving forward for Patrick to stop worrying about friends?

Why is is 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

I usually send these out on a Sunday morning.

 

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)

 

Sagal Abdi-Wali

 

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/sep/09/former-child-refugee-selected-as-labour-candidate-in-byelection-for-starmers-old-seat

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/oct/09/sagal-abdi-wali-journey-child-refugee-labour-mp-former-pms-seat-london

What do you see in the picture, what is happening, what do you notice, where is the photo taken, what do you think this story might be about?

In the photo we see Sagal Abdi-Wali. Sagal. She has just got a new job.

Can you guess what the job is?

Last week, Sagal Abdi-Wali was elected to serve as MP for Holborn and St Pancras, London. Sagal has lived in Camden, London since she arrived in the UK as a refugee in the 1990s. She was born in Somalia and fled the country aged 7 with her mother and four brothers. 

What is a refugee?

What is a MP?

How does someone become a member of Parliament?

Sagal said she hoped to inspire "people who look like me - this is Camden, this is Britain."

What does she mean by that?

What is the image of refugees that people often think of?

How is Sagal challenging those stereotypes?

Sagal has spent decades volunteering in her community. Before being a MP she was a governor of several schools and also set up local football clubs, where she still plays regularly. She was the first black female to be elected as the leader of Camden Council. Her friends say she has "deep community roots".

What do you think deep community roots means?

A MP in a neighbouring constituency said of Sagal, "Her love of Camden is so obvious and people really value that. She's very caring, very local and she genuinely sems to have a passion for politics and public service."

Why do you think people say she has a "passion" for her work - how do you show passion for what you do?

Sagal says is was in the 2010's when she became interested in politics and she noticed increasing numbers of homeless people around London; "It was only when I was old enough to look back and think about it in a philosophical way... my mum was always looking after us and made our lives nice, serene... whether we were in a refugee camp or temporary housing."

What do you think life is like in a refugee camp? How can a mother make the experience "nice and serene" for her young children?

Not everyone is supportive of Sagal's win; some people posted on social media last week about Sagal being born in Somalia. 

What are they saying about England today?

What do we say in our school about being born in a different country?

Is there a law about this in the UK?

Why is is 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

I usually send these out on a Sunday morning.

 

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)

Fiona the sheep

 

https://www.upworthy.com/fiona-worlds-loneliest-sheep-rescued-ex1/?fbclid=IwY2xjawU4JmhleHRuA2FlbQIxMABwZG9mBWJyaWQRMk1rNGdpVzNQVGprRXF2c1FzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEecgsrWDF_97nVGM5cpH2NG9jT8-ktF6jN4C6_-TD7vK9027eUeSY2gqbEtrY_aem_-3Q_KYFx37wTiCp5X7lpuw

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

The picture shows a sheep on a cliff in Scotland.

What do you know about sheep?

Sheep are usually highly social animals; they don’t like isolation.

What is isolation? Why do you think sheep don’t like isolation?

This story is about a sheep who spent two years in isolation on at the bottom of a cliff in Scotland. The sheep became something of a local legend as it kept being spotted by people passing by on fishing boats. The first person to spot the sheep was a kayaker in 2021.

What is a kayak?

Two years later the same kayaker spotted the sheep again. The sheep appeared to be healthy; not malnourished at all, but a little scruffy.

How is the sheep surviving? Why is the sheep scruffy?

Other people on fishing boats also spotted the sheep and it was soon given a name – Fiona. No-one knew how the sheep got there.

Can you think of an explanation for how the sheep got to the bottom of the cliff and why it was staying there?

A petition started on the mainland to rescue Fiona and over 50,000 people signed it. However, rescuing Fiona was a problem.

What do you think was the problem?

A Scottish animal rescue organisation called the rescue “incredibly complex” because of the terrain being so inaccessible but also because human interaction with Fiona was likely to cause her extreme stress. So a group of five farmers hatched a plan. They were going to rescue Fiona.

How do you think they did it?

The farmers used a lot of rope and a lot of patience. They found Fiona in a cave and hoisted her to safety. Fiona was taken to Dalscone Farm in Dumfries, Scotland. Here her new owner said she was healthy and relaxed. People can visit the farm, see the animals and feed them.

Some people argued Fiona shouldn’t have been rescued. Did Fiona want to be rescued? They say she is now in a place like a “petting zoo” where she will be among people who can touch her all day. The farmer replied, Fiona would be kept away from the public “until she’s ready for it.”

Can you see different points of view here?

What is your opinion on this story?

Who was the outsider in this story?

Do you think Fiona chose to be an outsider? Do people want to be an outsider sometimes?

What is the difference between choosing to be an outsider and being made to feel like an outsider? Is it the same feeling, is there a difference?

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

I usually send these out on a Sunday morning.

 

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)

 

ReUnion Jack

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq1kx1xg74v9o

What do you see in the picture, what do you notice, what do you think this story is about?

The picture shows Birmingham artist Clare Elisabeth and her art work titled "Re-Union Jack"

What is art?

Why do you think Clare called the art "Re-Union Jack?

What do you think it is made from?

The art is made from worn out flags that were left on lamp posts. Over the last year many of the flags have become ripped and tattered because of the weather. Clare used the old flags to create a new flag and said she hoped her art would serve as a message of unity.

How can art be a message of unity?

Clare asked hundreds of people living in the West Midlands to add their names to the art. Lots of people added their signatures.

Clare said the art celebrated Birmingham's heritage as a "magical melting pot".

What do you think she means by that?

When the original flags were put up on lamp posts, there were different opinions about them. Some people thought they were patriotic, some people thought they were divisive.

What does patriotic mean?

What does divisive mean?

Can you see both points of view about the flags?

Clare says that her art work today is a symbol of togetherness. She says she saw the flags falling apart on lamp posts; "I thought rather than throw them away, there's got to be a way that I can repurpose them in to something more positive."

What does repurpose mean, what is another word for repurpose?

The art work was shown at the Council House as part of International Day of Birmingham celebrations.

The art work was signed by many people who live in the West Midlands but who might have heritage in other places. For example, singer Jorja Smith signed the art work; she has a Jamaican father and English mother and she was raised in Birmingham. 

Why do you think the Council House in Birmingham chose to display this art work, what are they saying about Birmingham today? 

Do you think the people who put up the original flags are happy with this art work? 

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

I usually send these out on a Sunday morning.

 

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)

Feels like home

 

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/sep/17/wildlife-african-wild-dogs-longest-journey-zambia-conservation-aoe?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

What do you see in the picture, where are they, what do you think this story is about?

A pack of wild dogs, all brothers, have made history by making the longest ever recorded single journey made by any mammal in Africa.

What is a mammal?

Why might these wild dogs travel long distances?

How far do you think these dogs travelled?

When a young dog comes of age in the wild, he must travel to find a new place to live and start a family of his own. These three dogs travelled together from Kafue National Park in Western Zambia to Luangwa Valley in Eastern Zambia. This is a total of 2500 miles over 8 months.

How do you think we know they did this?

Scientists have been monitoring the dogs to find out how they work together as teams to reach their goals. They made some interesting findings.

What obstacles and barriers do you think the dogs met on their way?

How do you think they overcame those barriers?

The main obstacles come from humans, but there is a also a lack of available natural food for the dogs on the journey. The dogs have to navigate towns, hunters as well as predators in the wild.

Do you think the dogs feel fear?

The scientists monitored 19 different groups of dogs including sisters of the bogs who were also travelling but in a separate group. Usually, family members who are travelling in different groups stay away from each other. However, on their journey, the brothers and sisters did meet up; they spent one day together before moving on.

Do you think this was planned or an accident?

What does this show about the dogs and families?

 

The headline of this article about the dogs was "Like a Disney movie. Three wild dog brothers make Africa's longest journey." What do you think of that headline - how is the author trying to make the reader feel about the journey?
Do you think the journey is actually exciting like a Disney movie for the dogs?

Is it only wild animals that make journeys like this every day around the world? 

Are there humans who make journeys like this?

What do refugees face every day?

Why do some people choose to make long journey's in to the unknown? (is it a choice?)

Is a refugee's journey's exciting like a Disney movie?

How does someone who is a refugee know when they have reached a home? What should home feel like?

What kind of welcome do refugees sometimes receive when they arrive in a new place?

It's interesting that this story about wild dogs travelling 2000 miles has made the news and is being celebrated. Why isn't there a headline, "Like a Disney movie. Three human brothers make Europe's longest journey." - is that an story people want to know about?

How can we help to make someone feel at home?

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

I usually send these out on a Sunday morning.

 

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)