OVERVIEW VIRTUAL SCHOOLS LINKING: PHASE 2 AND PHASE 3Schools Linking offers schools a powerful and positive programme that addresses important issues with children and young people through a carefully structured approach to support them to understand their own identity, the way they are connected to others in their community, district and the wider world and to champion equality and promote community. This year the programme is virtual providing opportunities to build togetherness from within the classroom through curriculum based sessions.

PHASES There are three phases for Virtual Primary Schools Linking each with comprehensive supporting resources including classroom PowerPoints, Lesson Plans, Handouts, Digital Support, Video clips, Family Engagement resources to support linking teachers are all available in the website area:

- Phase 1 Linking Classes Connect, Explore Identity, Togetherness- Phase 1 Resources - Phase 2 Linking Classes Connect through Social Action & Video Calls- Phase 2 Resources - Phase 3 Linking Classes Connect and Celebrate-Phase 3 Resources

Phase 2 aims build a sense of togetherness between classes through Shared Online Sessions (video calls) and through shared social action helping them to recognise their values and those of the linking class- what they care about and the social action they take as a linking class. The thinking is based on research by the Common Cause Foundation which showed that we all have a tendency to think we have caring compassionate values, but that others less so and this misconception holds us back. Through this process, classes specifically share their values with one another and hear and see photos of one another caring and taking action which we hope builds common ground, common goals and a sense of collaboration. The social action that the children undertake can be as simple as feeding the birds, writing thank you cards to the community or creating an exercise routine for younger children; we have provided a list of lots of ideas here. The Shared Online Sessions and ongoing exchange creates meaningful interaction.

Phase 3 offers the chance to celebrate, reflect and say goodbye as pairs of link classes and potentially as groups of schools across a district.

PHASE 2During Phase Two, Link Classes will meet by Shared Online Sessions (video calls) and enjoy connecting, playing games, sharing stories. They will learn from one another and about one another with their class teachers. Together, Link Classes will think about the things they care about and plan social actions they can take to make changes for the better in their school, community and the wider world. They will work collaboratively as a class, and possibly at home as well, to act on one or more issues they care about and agree to work on together. This could be an environmental action, reaching out to local community or a global issue of mutual concern They will share their social action journey with one another, their school community and their families using the image of a Kindness Tree. We hope that the experience of working together towards common goals will build children’s awareness of the values held by their Link Class and develop the awareness that we all hold similar values. We hope this will help them play a part in building a kinder, more connected community. For most children kindness is a concept that is easy to understand. This will further build relationship between the two groups of pupils and embed the habit of social action through their community engagement.

1. The purpose of Lesson 1 is for children to reconnect, enjoy meeting and playing games with their Link Class through a video call (Shared Online Session). Then in their own classes, they will learn about children who have cared and taken action. They will then think of things they care about, place their ideas onto leaves and add them onto their class Kindness Tree.

2. The purpose of Lesson 2 is to explore taking social action using the ‘Starfish Story’ as a stimulus to explore the power that each of us has the ability to bring change. The P4C (Philosophy for Children) structure used in this lesson encourages thoughtfulness, confidence to share ideas and respect for differing opinions. The class may choose to sign a pledge to take social action.

3. The purpose of Lesson 3 is to decide what social actions they will take by voting. Many examples are provided to inspire the children and their teacher. They create a list of the actions they will take and may begin work on the chosen actions. The optional Family Engagement activity encourages the children to share the discussion at home and consider social action that families could do or already do.

1© The Linking Network 2021 www.thelinkingnetwork.org.uk

4. The purpose of Lesson 4 is for children to enjoy meeting and playing games with their Link Class on a Shared Online Session. They will also share the action they have taken or plan to take.

VIRTUAL SCHOOLS LINKING TEACHER CPD2 AND CPD3

- Part A Teachers access this training individually online. There are some short modules available Overview Phase 2 and 3 Virtual Linking Word Docment Effective Social Contact through taking Social Action (Dr Lindsey Cameron, Kent University) Ideas for Shared Online Sessions (Video Calls) and Digital Linking here

- Part B Pairs of Link Teachers attend live online CPD together in their local area to receive training and then have time to plan in breakout rooms. This session will share local information, resources and ideas for linking. Teachers plan activities for their classes including what and what they will exchange between classes. Teachers select the route they will take. Exchange Ideas between classes. Teachers agree dates for video calls between the two classes. They also agree any further exchange of work.Family Engagement Ideas: - Teachers can select activities to engage families in their children’s Schools Linking Journey..Enrichment ideas are listed in italics.

PHASE 2: SHARED ONLINE SESSIONS AND SOCIAL ACTION

Lesson 1 – Connecting by Video with our link class and thinking about the things we care about. Reflect on the Linking Journey so far Prepare to greet the linking class on a video call Say hello and play games together on the video call Watch video asking the Curiosity Question, ‘What do we care about?’ Explore and answer the question ‘What do we care about?’ as a class putting ideas onto leaf templates Add childrens’ leaves stating what they care about to a ‘Kindness Tree’

Ideas for Exchange with Link Class: Exchange photos of the things the children care about. (You could add in the things adults in school and families care about) leaves showing what the children care about. (This could be on a shared padlet) You could exchange photo of a class kindness tree with the leaves of the things the children care about. Family Engagment Ideas Available: Ask at Home: What do we care about? Enrichment Activity Ideas in Class: Young Social Activists, There’s an elephant in my kitchen, Send a photo of your Kindness tree to your local Schools Linking Programme or to The Linking Network (info@thelinkingnetwork.org.uk) contributing to a shared display of a Forest of Kindness Trees

Lesson 2 – Exploring Social Action: ‘The Starfish Story’ (P4C lesson) Recap ‘What do we care about?’ using the Kindness Tree Read and listen to the ‘Starfish Story’ read by Alia Al Zoughi Explore ideas in the story through a Philisophy for Children (P4C) enquiry – warm up game, create guidelines for talk, share key

words including explaining what social action is, create questions, vote for a question, share first words, discuss the questions, gather last words, review the process.

Sign a pledge to take social action with our link class and display the pledge certificate in class and share with your Link Class

2© The Linking Network 2021 www.thelinkingnetwork.org.uk

Family Engagement Ideas Available: Story at Home: Starfish Story Enrichment Activity Ideas in Class: Enrichment: The Hummingbird and Wangari Maathi P4C

Lesson 3 – What action can we take? Listen to the poem ‘Start Now’ by Matt Goodfellow Discuss ideas for social actions that will make a positive change for the things they care about Write social actions onto post it notes and place next to their Kindness Tree Vote on social action to take

Family Engagement: Social action at home: Children discuss taking social action at home Enrichment : You could share your plans and activity for social action with another class in school? Assembly? Governors?

Lesson 4 – Let’s reconnect with our link class and share our social actions This lesson is designed to connect the classes, be fun and share ways in which both classes having caring values and have found ways to take social action.

Preparation for shared online session – prepare to share any social actions that children might have completed since last lesson - prepare a sequence of greetings to say hello

- share social actions (maybe share screen photos) Video call with link class: Games: Greetings, Stand Up-Sit Down; Drawing Challenge, Question Time, Share Social Action, Goodbye Continue with chosen social action.

Ideas for Exchange with Link Class: none specifcally planned; Family Engagement: Reflect: Reflect on the social action that you have takenEnrichment: You could create a PPT of children in class taking social action and share your actions with your link class, your families, your school community, on twitter using hastags provided, or your Local Councillor, MP, local press etc. Consider if Socal Action can be continued eg. Reducing plastic in school/ making community look nicer.

PHASE 2 VIDEO CALLS AND SHARED SESSIONS – BOOKS, GAMES, SHARED ACTIVITIESTeachers may decide to connect with their link class through a video call (Shared Online Session) playing a series of games and then following a shared theme for the session and then having a final video call to share what the children have made. Lots of ideas for Video Call Games available alongside multiple PowerPoints of games available here You might choose to share a story on a video call, then set a challenge to both classes, log off and carry out the same parallel activity in both classes, there are lots of resources for this on our website. Lots of ideas available here . Ideas all have practical classroom activities and include:

Exploring Human Rights using the image of Human Rights in action in Freedom Park from the book We are all born free from Amnesty Education Exploring Birds Eye View Film from M6 Theatre – encourages children to draw their local areas and the route between their linking schools and to think about ways they can care for

their area Reflecting on supporting others and being ourselves using ‘How to be a Lion’ by Ed Vere Reflecting on individuality and respect using ‘The Hueys’ by Oliver Jeffers Reflecting on individual qualities and ways to work together using ‘Only One You’ by Linda Kratz Reflecting on ways to change our environment using ‘The Secret Sky Garden’ by Linda Sarah Reflecting on identity using ‘I am, I Wonder Poems’ written by Schools Linking children Reflecting on the things we have in common and ways we are different and making ‘More in Common’ videos Exploring identity, community similarity and difference through exchanging Curiosity Questions Exploring Where do we live? and sharing photographs of the class, school or local area.

You might choose to meet on or around special days such as the Big Lunch (Sunday 6th June and all of June) , Empathy Day (Thursday 10th June) , Elmer Day (Saturday 29th May), Great Get

3© The Linking Network 2021 www.thelinkingnetwork.org.uk

Together (Friday 18th June and following weekend), /Together Coalition - Thank you Day (Sunday 4th July),

You may wish to continue exchanging some work relating to identity, diversity, community and equality introduced in Phase 1. Or you might have other ideas!

PHASE 3 CELEBRATE AND GOODBYE

A range of ideas for Linking Teachers to celebrate and say goodbye here Kindness Trees shared to make a forest of Kindness Trees, Message in a Bottle, Linked Paper Chains, Rainbow Thank you Cards, Bunting, Together Poems, Bookworms or Bookmarks Bird Outlines

There are many other classroom and assembly resources available to you and your school on the TLN website available for you and other teachers in your school to use across the curriculum and across year groups.

4© The Linking Network 2021 www.thelinkingnetwork.org.uk

PLANNING FOR WORK IN CLASS, EXCHANGE AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENTLesson Possible Activity in Class

(Highlight)Planned dates video call /exchange

Teacher Planning notes Possible Exchange Ideas

Classroom Resources

Family Engagement Available

EnrichmentAvailable

Lesson 1 - Prepare to say Hello on video call

- Video Call with Link Class: Hello, Games, Curiosity Q

- Use Lesson 1 PPT What do we care about?

- Children list things they care about onto leaves

- Children’s leaves placed onto Kindness Tree

Take photo of the leaves of the things you care about on the Kindness Tree and send to the Link Class.

L1 PPT

L1 Leaf Template

Create Blank Kindness Tree for display (electronic or paper)

Ask at Home: Leaf template - What do we care about?

PPT of Social Activists (stories of children & young people who have cared and taken action)

Lesson 2 - Listen to the Starfish Story about making a difference

- Philosophy 4 Children (P4C) Enquiry about making a difference through taking social action

- Sign a Class Pledge to take social action

Exchange a photo of the pledge

L2 PPT

Social Action Pledge Certificate

Story at Home: Starfish Story

Alternative P4C Stimulus (The Hummingbird Wangari Maathi)

Lesson 3 - Listen to ‘Start Now’ a poem by Matt Goodfellow

- Discuss ideas for Taking Social Action and Note ideas for social action you would like to take onto post its and display (maybe by your Kindness Tree)

- Vote on social actions to take

- Plan together for action and take some action with the class

Exchange a photo of your ideas for social action on post its.

L3 PPT

List of practical social action ideas

Post Its

Social action at home: Children explore what social action they can take at home

PPTs for Social action include Environment, Care Home, Community, School, Sign Supported English opportunities

Lesson 4 - Preparation for video call: - prepare to share any social action - prepare a sequence of greetings to say hello

- Video call with link class: Games: Greetings, Stand Up-Sit Down; Drawing Challenge, Question Time, Share Social Action, Goodbye- Continue with chosen social action.

Exchange photos of your social action.

Share Forest Kindness Trees

L4 PPT

Video Call Games Sheet

Reflect: Reflect on any social action that you have taken

Share the children’s social actions taken with link class-wider school-families. Share on Twitter #schoolslinking.

5© The Linking Network 2021 www.thelinkingnetwork.org.uk

As Linking Teachers, decide together what work you will do in class, what you will exchange between your classes, how you will exchange it and when. You will also need to decide on when the Shared Online Sessions (video calls) between your classes will take place. You may choose to both do the same piece of family engagement and create a shared piece of work. PLANNING SHARED ONLINE SESSIONS/VIDEO CALLS

Lesson 1 Online Video Call Possible Outline (20 Minutes Long?) L1 PPT L1 Lesson Plan

Name of Host School Platform being usedDate and time of test callDate and time of video call

Lesson 1 Suggested Content Possible Activity Ideas/Information Planning Notes: Name of Teacher Leading Each Section, Timings, Ideas

Welcome and Hellos Plan ways to say hello with children* Create a special wave to share with your link class

Game 1: Would you Rather …PPT

You could use suggestions from our list and your class could create a couple of their own to share with one another e.g. would you rather … climb a tree or see the stars at night? Would you rather… spend all day playing in the snow or spend all day playing in the sun?

Game 2: CharadesIdeas

Each class take it in turns to mime an animal or sport/activity or activity in school, whilst the other class guesses. Children could be put into groups to do this or could do this as a whole class.

Share Curiosity Question What do we care about? Goodbyes

6© The Linking Network 2021 www.thelinkingnetwork.org.uk

PLANNING SHARED ONLINE SESSIONS/VIDEO CALLS

Lesson 4 Video Call Outline (20 minutes long?) L4 PPT L4 Lesson Plan Click on the links to access resources

Name of Host School Platform being usedDate and time of test callDate and time of video call

Lesson 4 Suggested Activities Possible Activity Ideas/Information Planning Notes: Name of Teacher Leading Each Section, Timings, IdeasWelcome and Hellos Children choose 3 actions to form a sequence to say

hello (see Lesson PPT).

Game 1: Drawing Challenge Name an object, for example, a tree or a lion. Each pupil must put their whiteboard (or a piece of paper on top of a book) on top of their head/on their forehead and draw the named object. When they think they are done, they take their drawings off their head and show them to the group.

Game 2: Stand Up, Sit Down As you share a statement, children stand up if this statement is true for them and sit down/remain seated if it is false. (Click here for List of statement ideas )

Share Social Action you have done as classes

Prior to the Shared Online Session, as a class plan what you are going to share during the call.

Game 3: Question Time You could use the Wheel of Names (https://wheelofnames.com ) to add all children’s names in pairs. As the wheel lands on a pair of names, both children have a go at answering the question. You can find a list of question ideas Lesson 4 website page).

7© The Linking Network 2021 www.thelinkingnetwork.org.uk

Goodbyes

PHASE 3 REFLECTING, SHARING AND SAYING GOODBYE AS LINK CLASSES https://thelinkingnetwork.org.uk/resources-2/primary-schools-linking-2020-21/primary-schools-linking-2020-21-phase-3/

Session Possible Activity in Class (Highlight)

Planned dates video call /exchange

Teacher Planning notes Family Engagement? Resources available

Reflect, celebrate, goodbyes

Teachers choose idea for celebrating and saying goodbye and a date is set

Classes reflect on their learning

Classes work on the activity

Work is exchanged

If wanted, teachers share on social media and with TLN and their local facilitator

#schoolslinking #socialaction

Refection PPT

Ideas PPT

Handouts

Any questions please get in touch

Email: info@thelinkingnetwork

8© The Linking Network 2021 www.thelinkingnetwork.org.uk

Facebook Closed Group for Schools Linking Teachers : Schools Linking

Twitter: @Linking_Network

9© The Linking Network 2021 www.thelinkingnetwork.org.uk