Cleadon Church of England Academy

Flourishing together as one

Courageous Advocacy

 

What is Courageous Advocacy?

‘Courageous advocacy’ involves being courageous enough to speak out against injustice. We encourage our pupils to come together to become informed about issues that people across the world are facing. We look at the actions that can be taken to tackle these issues and to support and educate other people. They learn about improving both their local community as well as helping to address global problems. Think Globally – Act Locally.

Our children live out the school’s theologically rooted Christian values by supporting others through a wide range of actions during the year. The Young Leaders and Eco-Army are active in looking to address local, national and international issues. The school has been active in raising awareness and support for a variety of local, national and international charities: Christian Aid, Children in Need, Northumberland Zoo, Key to Life Food Bank, School Connect Clothes Bank…

However, encouraging children to be courageous advocates goes beyond simply raising funds once or twice a year. It requires time to introduce them to a range of issues faced across the world before giving them the opportunities to raise awareness and help find solutions.

Courageous advocacy opportunities within school, whilst being responsive to issues that arise throughout the school year, are broadly mapped against our curriculum to ensure that children make meaningful links between their learning and social action.

In 2015, world leaders agreed to 17 Global Goals. These ambiguous goals aim to create a better world by 2030, by ending poverty, fighting inequality and addressing the urgency of climate change. These goals form a basis for many of the courageous advocacy opportunities which link to our curriculum. The goals are: