St Thomas Of Canterbury Primary school is located at the heart of a multi cultural community and we celebrate and value the diverse ethnic backgrounds of all pupils and families. We undertake a variety of lessons and extra-curricular events and clubs to celebrate the diversity of our children and staff within the school. This approach is enriching for all pupils and teaches respect and tolerance for the different individuals within our community and the wider world. Underpinning all of this is a range of curriculum topics which have strong links to the British Empire.

In Year 6 pupils undertake a topic about World War II and the impact that the military had in fighting for the British Empire. The whole school remembers Armistice Day and children purchase poppies and all pupils engage in a minute’s silence.

In October the whole school celebrates ‘Black History Month’ and each class studies inspirational individuals from a wide range of cultures and religious beliefs. Examples of children’s work contribute to this annual display to celebrate black heritage, identity and pride.  

Our school has a strong sense of democracy. Children have the opportunity to have their voices heard through our ‘Special Projects Club’ which, as well as representing the views of the children across the school, also actively leads the school through campaigns and initiatives. In addition to this, the school operates under house teams which provide a valuable opportunity to develop a sense of belonging to a group within our school and our children all enjoy earning house points for positive attitudes to learning, excellent work and exemplary behaviour. Following consultation with the children, House Captains and Vice House Captains are being introduced and prospective candidates are invited to write and deliver a speech to the whole school explaining why they should be chosen to fulfil this important role. All pupils are then given the opportunity to vote for their chosen Captain. Houses are named after the English Martyrs and pupils are encouraged to research each of the Saints and the replicate the Christian values that they lived their lives by.

Children in Year 5 & 6 are taught the importance of democracy and enjoyed a visit by the Mayor of Salford, who spent the afternoon in school and talked to the children about her role within the city council and the decisions that local councillors are responsible for making. We also have strong links with the local councillors and visits to the Council Chambers are arranged for KS2 pupils.

All pupils in our school recognise and appreciate the importance of Laws, whether they be class rules, school rules or laws that govern the country. These are consistently reinforced throughout the school day, as well as when dealing with behaviour and through school assemblies. Children are taught the value and reasons behind laws, that they keep us safe and protect us, the responsibility that this involves and the consequences when laws are broken. Children are involved in creating individual class rules. EYFS and Year 1 undertake a topic about ‘People who help us’ and ‘Police’, ensuring that even the youngest children within the school appreciate the importance and significance of the rule of law and visits from authorities including the fire service and road safety form part of our calendar of events and help reinforce this message throughout the school.

Within school, all children are actively encouraged to make personal choices, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. As a school we educate and provide boundaries for our children to make choices safely. Pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms through our E-safety sessions and PSHE lessons as well as through participation in our numerous extra-curricular clubs.

Mutual respect is at the heart of our values. Children learn and appreciate that their behaviours have an effect on their own rights and those of others. All members of our school community treat each other with respect and this is re-iterated through our class and school rules as well as our behaviour policy. November sees the school celebrate ‘Friendship Week’ and the whole school participates, with the culmination of their work being a balloon launch.

All pupils at STOC are taught the importance of tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs by developing our children’s understanding of their place in a culturally diverse community and wider society. Pupils are provided with a wide range of opportunities to experience such diversity through our RE and PSHE curriculums. We teach ‘The Way, the Truth and the Life’ scheme of work as recommended by the Salford Diocese. By creating an environment rooted in Christian values, we hope to encourage regular worship, and to develop tolerance and respect for others, so that effective learning can take place. Our curriculum includes stories and celebrations from a variety of faiths and cultures including Chinese New Year and Diwali.

All children in Key Stage Two will attend a production by The Take Away Theatre Company called Hope. This is a contemporary production combining music and drama, showing how children are effected by bullying in different ways.

House Captains voting