Earlsdon Primary has become the first school to receive the new Coventry Peace Award which was launched in 2020 to give young people a voice in promoting peace and reconciliation at a personal, local and global level.

Coventry Lord Mayor’s Committee for Peace and Reconciliation created the Coventry Peace Award to encourage and support schools to promote peace and reconciliation, enable them to collaborate on peace initiatives and raise awareness that Coventry is an international city of peace and reconciliation.

After assessing the evidence from Earlsdon, Peace Award team member Balbir Sohal said “We have seen some excellent work from Earlsdon Primary. It really is embedded within the curriculum and they are also using many opportunities outside the school. The breadth and depth of what they have done clearly merits the Peace Award. They have set a high standard and I personally congratulate the pupils and staff of the school. Well done!”

Earlsdon Primary has received a certificate signed by the Lord Mayor confirming they promote peace and reconciliation. It is valid for 3 years.

Curriculum Lead at Earlsdon Primary, Wendy Smith, said “Over the last few years, we have been developing children’s understanding of peace through our curriculum as they learn about their place in the world as local and global citizens. We have used professional development and curriculum development time to thread themes and concepts throughout our curriculum to enable children to make connections and be able to respond empathetically with the world they are growing into. Developing a value-based curriculum is an ongoing process that we are passionate about.

“The work has helped staff and children find and respond to the awe, wonder and kindness in the world around them. It has helped us discover and learn about the rich heritage of our wonderful city and make connections with our local community that staff and children will continue to build on and take with them as they grow.

“The Peace Award has been a wonderful way for us to celebrate and share the learning that we do in school. For staff it is a well-deserved acknowledgement of all the hard work that they put in to planning and providing values-based learning experiences for our children to be a part of.

“The process of applying for the award was very straight forward and support was available and offered throughout. The links to training, organizations and events will continue to support our planning.

“Gaining the Peace Award is a great morale booster and motivator to help us to keep on finding the joy and kindness in these uncertain times! It has enabled us to clarify and reflect on the opportunities that we plan for and we will use the Award to continue to develop an exciting, connected and values-based curriculum for all our children.

The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection said:

“Earlsdon Primary is a school at the heart of the community. Caring staff welcome and value all pupils. Pupils say that there are ‘lots of friends and kind people’ that are always there for them. Pupils thrive as citizens because staff prioritise learning about life in modern Britain.”

During its first year, Coventry Peace Award focussed on schools, but as it grows in future years the award will also be offered to communities and businesses.

The scheme is free and schools that join have access to a database of peace-related resources to help them develop student projects.

Chair of the Lord Mayor’s Committee Philip Brown said “The Award got off to a very good start and eighteen schools joined the scheme in the first year. However COVID has meant that schools’ attention has been somewhat diverted so we are delighted that even with all the extra work that coping with the pandemic has incurred, Earlsdon Primary still managed to fulfil our criteria for receiving the award.”

The names of all the schools enrolled in the award so far can be found on the Peace Award website at coventrypeaceaward.uk/schools-enrolled

Peace Award Trophy Competition

The Peace Award Team invites entries to the Peace Award Trophy Competition. A prize of £50 will be awarded for the best design for a trophy to be presented to winners of the award. Entries can come from individuals, schools or any other organisation.

For details see https://coventrypeaceaward.uk/peacetrophydesign/