Our Courageous Advocacy

Courageous Advocacy

Making a Difference – Locally, Nationally and Globally

At Winmarleigh Church of England Primary School, we want our children to believe that their voices matter and their actions can make a difference.

Courageous advocacy is an important expression of our Christian vision and values. It means having the courage to speak up for others, to challenge injustice, to care for God's world and to take action when we know that something could be better.

We encourage our children not simply to notice the world around them, but to ask:

What can I do to make a difference?

“Love your neighbour as yourself.”
Mark 12:31

What Does it Mean to be a Courageous Advocate?

Being a courageous advocate is about recognising that we all have a responsibility towards one another.

We want our children to grow into compassionate, thoughtful and courageous people who understand that they are never too young to make a positive difference.

Through our curriculum, Collective Worship and wider school life, children are encouraged to:

notice when something is unfair or could be changed;
listen to and understand the experiences of others;
ask challenging questions and think deeply about important issues;
speak up respectfully for themselves and for others;
care for our environment and God's creation;
show compassion towards people in need;
take responsibility and turn their ideas into meaningful action;
understand that small actions can lead to significant change.

Courageous advocacy is therefore about much more than fundraising. Giving money can make an important difference, but advocacy also means giving our time, our ideas, our voices and our actions.

From Compassion to Action

We want our children to understand why they are helping, who they are helping and what difference their actions can make.

Children are encouraged to identify issues that matter to them and to consider how they might respond. Sometimes this means supporting a national or international cause; at other times it might mean helping someone within our own community, caring for our environment or recognising a need much closer to home.

Wherever possible, we want our children to have ownership of this process: to notice, question, decide, act and reflect.

In doing so, they develop courage, resilience, independence and teamwork while growing in their understanding of the wider world and their place within it.

Loving Our Neighbours

Jesus taught us to love our neighbours, and courageous advocacy gives our children opportunities to explore what this looks like in practice.

Over the years, our school family has supported a wide range of causes and organisations. These have included The Children's Society through our Christingle services, Children in Need, Red Nose Day, The Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal, WaterAid, food-bank support and Fairtrade, alongside practical activities such as litter picking.

Our commitment to others also extends into our local community. Through our Joining Generations Programme, children have built relationships with older members of our community, and our school has worked alongside local groups, churches and community events.

These experiences help our children to understand that loving our neighbour isn't simply something we talk about – it is something we do.

Courage to Change the World

Courageous advocacy looks different for every child.

It might begin with a question raised during a lesson, something that has moved a child during Collective Worship, an issue within our community or concern about something happening elsewhere in the world.

What matters is what happens next.

We want our children to know that they have the capacity to influence change. We encourage them to use their voices wisely, listen carefully to others, stand alongside those who need support and have the courage to act upon their convictions.

In this way, courageous advocacy helps our children to become agents of positive change – developing the confidence, compassion and hope to make a difference within their school, their community and the wider world.

Our Christian Foundation

Our approach to courageous advocacy is firmly rooted in our Christian character and our belief that every person is precious and worthy of love.

The words already at the heart of our school's courageous advocacy work capture this beautifully:

“Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.”

John Wesley

We want our children to leave Winmarleigh knowing that making a difference does not always require a grand gesture. It begins with noticing, caring and having the courage to act.

Our Courageous Advocacy in Action

Below you can discover some of the ways our children and school community have put their faith and values into action.