Kindness in its many and varied forms is always celebrated and highlighted by children at Upton Junior School in Broadstairs.

It is a strong part of the school’s ongoing emotional wellbeing programme – and it was the focus of a personal development week to start the new year as part the PSHE (personal, social, health and economic education) themed learning about relationships.

Every class explored David Harris' poem "A Simple Act of Kindness" as their starting point for their learning and pupils discussed how, above all, the most important thing we can be in this world is to be kind and considerate of others.

In Year 5 the children explored all the ways in which they had been kind over the Christmas holidays, while Year 4 pupils filled a kindness cup with ways in which they can show empathy and respect to others.

In Year 3 the children shared how their peers were being kind by recording kindness vouchers; and in Year 6 pupils explored prejudice and how to react to this through drama performance and scenarios.

Teacher Isobel Reed is the school’s PSHE lead. She said: “Our children learn that kindness costs nothing. It is an underlying theme of daily life at Upton and exploring its themes and messages as part of our ongoing exploration of relationships is very important.”

Upton values kindness greatly and every week a pupil from each class wins the Kindness Cup - voted for by their peers.

Head of School Darci Arthur said: “Kindness is more than a concept, it is a way of life. Our children embrace it – it is something that we all must practice and something that we all need to receive.”

In recent years children at Upton began learning techniques to help them experience soothing and calm through guided mindfulness sessions to help manage their emotional literacy skills and feelings as part of the school’s wrap-around care.

*Personal, social, health and economic education is a school curriculum subject in England that focuses on strengthening the knowledge, skills, and connections to keep children and young people healthy and safe and prepare them for life and work

Upton Junior School is part of the Viking Academy Trust with Chilton Primary School, Ramsgate, and Ramsgate Arts Primary School.

*For more information contact Head of School Darci Arthur on 01843 861393.