Children at a local primary school in Lundwood have welcomed a special visitor to the school as they held an assembly discussing British Values.

The Mayor of Barnsley, Cllr Caroline Makinson, visited ̨��swag Primary Academy Littleworth Grange on Friday, 5th November to talk with the school children about their work this term towards the ̨��swag Primary Diploma.

The Diploma’s focus is on what it means to be a good British and international citizen, and the Mayor discussed her thoughts on this with the children during the assembly before being taken on a guided tour of the school by the school’s Principal, Karen Wakefield, alongside some of the children.

The Mayor said: “I was delighted to be invited to join the school in this piece of work and to share my experiences with the children about the importance of British Values.  Their enthusiasm is commendable and I wish them well with their learning.”

As part of the tour, the Mayor also took part in a ‘Time To’ session held at the school. This is when children have the opportunity to discuss an issue that may be troubling them or a topic they want to discuss.

Karen Wakefield, Principal at the Littleworth-Lane based primary school, said:

“We were absolutely thrilled to welcome the Mayor to our school, the children were so excited for the visit and it was brilliant to see them interact with the Mayor.

“At ̨��swag, we believe it is vital that our children learn about the key, fundamental British Values at school and we do this at OPA Littleworth Grange throughout our curriculum. Having key political figures visiting and speaking with the children is an example of this as it gives the children the opportunity to ask questions and learn from the experts.”

Last year ̨��swag won a Silver Award in the Impact through Partnership category at the Pearson National Teaching Awards because of the work of the ̨��swag Primary team and the ̨��swag Primary Diploma.

The diploma is designed to provide opportunities for all children, regardless of background, to access high quality opportunities that develop life skills and qualities. 

The six commitments are: 1) To keep myself and others safe; 2) To lead a health and active lifestyle; 3) To actively contribute to my community; 4) To be a good British and international citizen; 5) To have high aspirations and skills for adult life; 6) To protect and respect the environment.