Spiritual development
We provide pupils with many opportunities to explore other faiths and beliefs and reflect on their own experiences. Our RE curriculum is customised, personalised and structured so that the development of knowledge, skills and vocabulary is completed in a systematic and logical sequence, with big ideas being re-introduced throughout year groups in a variety of projects, making links between subjects and content. The curriculum is organised to support pupils growing depth of learning it provides children with a range and breadth of rich and memorable learning experiences which promotes SMSC and British Values.
Where the opportunity arises, visits to local places of worship can be undertaken. The school has a very close relationship with Father Richard Brown and Mary Magdalene’s Church. Father Richard Brown is a regular visitor to school and the children and their families enjoy a visit to his church to celebrate 'Christingle'.
RE lessons take place weekly allowing children to share their thoughts and beliefs. It allows children to listen to others, learn from them and learn to respect other children’s opinions and beliefs.
Moral development
Children learn how to recognise the difference between right and wrong and learn how to take responsibility for their actions. Diamond Hall Junior Academy is a Rights-Respecting school (RRS), which aims to put the children’s rights at the heart of the school based on principles of equality, respect, non-discrimination and participation. As part of the RRS initiative, all classes make their own charter outlining how they will ensure everyone’s rights are respected. The charter is signed by every class member and teacher and displayed in the classroom. All children are encouraged to use the language of rights and respect in school.
Our school also has an anti-bullying team who meet regularly to discuss ways to raise awareness of bullying and design activities, assemblies and advice leaflets to support children who feel they might be being bullied in school, in the local community or online. There are a number of posters and guidance information areas around school to support children.
We regularly have visitors into our school to lead assemblies or workshops to help our children learn more about our community and to develop their social, cultural, moral and spiritual understanding. From the Mayor of Sunderland, local MPs, First Aid training with the Red Cross to fire safety training with the local fire service, we strive to provide our children with a wide variety of enriching and meaningful experiences. We are also lucky to receive visits from our local community police officer to talk to children about how to be positive role models in the local community and how to stay safe.
The children respond positively to the reward systems in school. Children are awarded success points for following our school rules and values. Points are awarded to our children for good behaviour, good work, respectful behaviour, being polite and being supportive of others. Every week, children are nominated by our lunchtime supervisors to receive a Lunchtime award for demonstrating wonderful manners, respect and behaviour during lunch times. Every half term, one child from each class is chosen to receive an ‘Always’ bear. The ‘Always’ bear is awarded to a child as recognition for always working hard, always following the school rules and always showing kindness and respect to others.
We have nine school values (excellence, love of learning, tolerance, aiming high, independence, resilience, caring, respect and integrity) that the children recognise and are encouraged to demonstrate. During in class and Celebration Assemblies, we introduce a weekly value whereby the children can learn about and explore the value in a more meaningful way, before being encouraged to show that value throughout the school week. Children also learn about important festivals, events and days celebrated around the world and within different religions. As a Rights Respecting School, children also explore a weekly Article from the Convention of Children’s Rights and explore how this applies to them. Celebration assemblies are an opportunity for children to share their successes and inspire others to want to achieve. We celebrate attendance with each class striving towards receiving their golden diamond dollar for 100% attendance. Children with fantastic attendance have the chance to become an Attendance Hero or an Unlucky Attendance winner.
Children are encouraged to think about the environment and what they can do to improve and preserve it. We have an ‘Eco Club’ who meet regularly. Activities that the Eco Club have decided to tackle include litter picking, creating bird feeders for the school birdlife and promoting the safety of hedgehogs in urban settings.
Children enjoy their weekly PSHE lesson, looking at different aspects of the topic. They focus on physical health and wellbeing, mental health and wellbeing, keeping safe, sex and relationships and financial and economic wellbeing.
Social development
Children have many opportunities to contribute to community life and take responsibility around school.
Our school have a fantastic school council that play an integral part in decision making across our school life. Our school councillors are elected by their peers. Our school council meet regularly, and present questions and any issues raised by their classmates. Our school council have helped to choose the after-school clubs that we offer including chess, tennis, film, book and art clubs. Our afterschool clubs are inclusive and attended by many children across all years of school. Our school council have helped to create lunchtime menus and chosen rewards offered for our attendance winners.
We also have a Head Boy, Head Girl and Deputy Head Boy and Deputy Head Girl, a position that is applied for by our Year 6 children. These children play an important role within our school community, helping to make decisions to improve our school life, supporting fundraising opportunities across school and representing our school during events.
Our Play Leaders help support play during our lunch time. Children help to lead activities including netball, skipping and basketball. Our Play Leaders have been chosen from each class and have received specialist training to help them effectively support children during playing across school.
Educational visits allow children to gain experience beyond the classroom and promote independence. We have many different visits including to nature reserves, local historical sites and a residential visit to London. Visits also take place within the curriculum to support and enhance learning in certain areas.
The school is very proud to support many charities, taking part in national fundraising events such as Children in Need and Red Nose Day.
We help our children to make good progress in developing those essential and personal qualities for future life with activities such as raising aspiration projects, swimming classes and our Healthy Heads workshops.
Cultural development
We are a multi-cultural school and love to have different opportunities to share and learn from all of the children. We regularly discuss important issues in our in-class assemblies and children are given the opportunity to share their opinions, values and cultures with their peers. We have visitors from different cultures to help deepen our children’s understanding of our community and the world at large.
Activities are planned throughout the year for children to engage in artistic, sporting and cultural opportunities. Children’s work is proudly presented across school.
Children take part in many different sporting activities such as football, netball and skipping.
We also enjoy modern foreign language lessons, where the children study the culture and language of a European country. The children are enjoying learning French and looking at different aspects of the French culture.